The Seventh Step

4

The house door closes with a click and at once I can feel the warmth shoot up my arms and legs. The feeling sucks back into my fingers and toes. Leo puts me down and shivers. I peel off the drenched coat and my dripping hoodie.
As I walk to the radiator, I can feel Leo's eyes following me.
I place the coat and hoodie on the radiator.
"Now they should be dry in a few hours" I say slowly.
Leo walks up behind me and takes the hand hanging loosely by my side. "Jess, I want you to know this, I will always be here for you and I will never give up on you"
I smile a small, half fake smile and whisper "I know, and I to you"
Leo holds my hand tighter and pulls me towards the living room. The fire flickers dimly. Leo bends down and throws some more logs onto it then he sits of the leather couch. As I sit down next to him, he picks up the remote and flicks though the channels. It slips onto a daytime chat show. Leo picks up my legs and pulls them over his lap.
We watch the TV for a few hours. Talking occasionally.
The front door is opened and I can hear the mumble ruling of voices.
"Grandma!" I call ,standing up.
"Yes dear" A shaky voice calls back. I walk to the hall to see my grandparents. They turn around. My grandfather looks shaken and my grandmother looks like she has been crying. Her eyes are swollen and puffy. She sniffs and I run to her, wrapping my arms around her. "Grandma, what's wrong?" I ask, much worry in my voice.
My grandmother gives a weak smile and strokes my hair. "Nothing for you to worry about dear, I'm fine" I nod and walk to where Leo is standing, his eyes wide. He takes my hand and leads me back to the living room.
"Do you know what's wrong?" I say quietly as I put my head on his shoulder. Leo gulps and sits very still for a few moments. "No" he says finally. The living room door slides open and my grandmother stands there with two hot chocolates in her hands. She walks over to us and gives them to us. "Thank you" I say and she smiles a stronger smile then last time and then walks out.
The hot chocolate steams in my hands. I sip it slowly then look at Leo. He grins then bursts out laughing. "What" I say frowning. He reaches out and wipes my top lip with his thumb. "Moustache" he says and I giggle, my cheeks turning red. "Are you embarrassed?" He asks. "No," I say. Leo smiles again. "You liar!"
I smile at Leo Tyler and Thai everything for him. I thank the storm for the race. I thank the race for the beautiful laughs that fall from his lips. I thank the hospital for joining us and I think the small, cone shaped water ups for fascinating my Leo Tyler.
Leo smiles and wraps his long arm around me "you know it will all be ok in end, don't you?"
"Yes" I say. We sit in silence before I say "what time is it?" Leo flicks out his phone and says "half five" then he stands up.
"Where are you going?" I ask, confused.
"I need to go, my dad will be awake soon" he says
"Wait, he's not awake yet?" I ask
"No, he wakes about half six to seven then he goes out drinking and clubbing and stuff" Leo shrugs "I need to make his supper"
I nod "will you come back tomorrow?" I ask
"Of course" he answers before walking out of the room.
The TV blares on for a few minuets before I remember Leo has left his coat on the radiator. As I walk into the front door, I see Leo's shoes ,in a neat pair, sitting by the front door.
My eyebrows furrow and I quietly creep behind the door of the kitchen where I hear soft murmurings. I push the door a little and it edges forward just enough so I can hear what they are saying.
"Thank you for taking care of Jess" a voice I recognise as my grandmothers says.
"No problem" Leo says. I gasp. He had told me he was leaving. "We need to look after each other, we both come from broken family's, we understand each other."
There is silence for a while and then my grandmother speaks again. "Leo, dear, you must be going. Your father will awake soon"
"Yes your right" Leo says. Then I hear the scraping of wooden chairs.
"But first" Leo says quietly, like he knows I'm listening. "It came back positive, didn't it?" He asked
"Yes" my grandmother says even quieter
"How long do you have?" Leo asked. I listen more intently now.
"a few weeks max." A shaky voice replies.
"Oh" Leo says "I must be going now" he whispers and walks towards the door.
"Leo!" My grandmother calls after him.
"Yes"
"When I'm gone, I have left money in a bank account for my husband, Jess will help him buy a new house, a smaller house. The money was meant for that. It was meant that we move into a small, country house together but that won't happen. I want you to look after Jess. Use some of the house money to get help for my son, I still love him.
"Leo, you should know that I am trusting you with the well-being of my family and I have only just met you. I believe in spirits and if I find that you have not been looking after my family, my spirit will come for you."
"Don't worry, Mrs Song, I will look after your family with my life."
"Good I'm glad you take this so seriously, I'm going into the garden. I trust you can let yourself out?"
I gulp and try to suck the tears that fall back into my eyes. my grandmother, the only person I could talk to, the only person I truly trusted was going to die. She was going to die soon and there was nothing I could do about it.
I let my back slide down the wall and my head drop. My hands start shaking violently as I stop fighting against the tears that want to fall and let them glide down my red cheeks.
I hear the door start to open and quickly shuffle into the storeroom, so Leo won't see me. He walks straight past me and I hear the front door open and then close.
The storeroom is warm and comforting. I close my eyes and quickly I am swept into a dark world of happiness and colour that can only be brought by dreams.