Arranged

~3~

I am on my way to a club nearby to blow off some steam, my father's words still fresh in my mind, the running hasn't done me any good so I am now going to try to clear my mind in the club I frequently go to, it is a place where I can easily take advantage of my status. Women throw themselves at me. "Thank you Carl." I say to my driver as he stops the car in front of the club door, I get out and am immediately greeted by security. "Good evening Mr. Norris, have a great night." I walk past them with a smile and nod my head briefly. Inside, I walk straight to the bar and order a whiskey. "Hello you are Lando Norris aren't you?" I look up from my glass and next to me is a slim blond lady. "Who wants to know?" I always try to make them make an effort for me, after all, they always want the same thing I want on a night like this. "You drive for McLaren right?" "It seems that way yes."

After some more small talk and a few more drinks I find myself on the dance floor with her, her name has long since escaped me again, she giggles all the time the dimples in her cheeks are adorable especially when they soon end up in my bed with her head in my pillows. I take her hand and pull her closer to me, I feel her breathing change and I smirk. I slip my arm around her waist and she puts her arms around my neck, I look at her for a moment before softly pressing my lips to hers, I feel her hold her breath for a moment before kissing me back.

Today is family day, I'm on my way to see my dad and Jesse, dad informed me that Jesse is getting worse and that he probably needs to be hospitalized again at the end of the week, so we decided to give him one more fun day before he has to be away from home for weeks again. I bought a new video game for his switch so he won't be bored in the hospital, Jesse is a big fan of Pokémon, so I got him the latest game. I drive my car up the driveway, I wave to Jesse who is already waiting at the window, I am shocked at how he looks, he has gotten skinny and has dark drink under his eyes. Quickly I grab his present from my passenger seat and get out of the car. Jesse has already opened the door before I can ring the bell. "Liana's here!" His voice sounds a little creaky. I walk in and he closes the door behind me. "What do you have there?" "Nothing." "That's not nothing, let me see it!" I hand him the bag and then walk to the kitchen to greet my father. "Hey dad." "Hello Liana, how are you?" "I'm fine. How's Jesse?" "Today he's having a good day, but it could turn around in no time." Behind me in the other room, I hear Jesse tearing the paper off the game. "No way!" Jesse comes running into the kitchen with the game in his hands! "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" I get a hug from Jesse and as I hold him in my arms I feel his spine.

I promised Jesse to take him to the hospital at the end of the week, with a nasty gut feeling I checked him in, on the way to the hospital he threw up. I sit with my father in the waiting room until we can go back to his room, the doctors wanted to do some tests on him right away. "Mr. Marrero?" A doctor walks up to us and from the look on his face he is not coming with good news. "Yes?" "There is good news but there is also bad news." A silence falls and I have to nudge my father to answer. "Tell me what should we do?" "The good news is we can get your son the treatment he needs, the bad news is that your insurance will not pay a large portion of this cost." "We don't care about the bills. We will find a way to pay for them, please help my boy." My father's voice sounds desperate and I feel sorry for him. "Are you sure, they are quite high costs." "Anything to save my boy." "Then if you would walk with me to get that paperwork in order?" "Yeah fine, I'll be right back Liana. Tell Jesse everything will be fine." Walking into Jesse's room I see him lying on his bed with a number of tubes attached to his arm, he is hooked up to a heart monitor, it probably looks worse than it is. "Where's Dad?" "He'll be right there he had to go with the doctor for a while." "I'm dying, right?" His question overwhelms me and I feel a lump come into my throat. "No, you're not dying silly. You shouldn't say silly things like that, you'll be fine, Dad says you'll be fine." "Are you sure?" Sure I'm not sure but I can't say that to him, I hope we can pay for the cost of his treatment. "Sure, you're a strong boy! And you have yet to finish your new game!" Jesse laughs and pulls his switch from under his pillow he waves it in the air and then pats his bed. "Come see how far I've come!" I swallow away the lump in my throat and come sit next to him on his bed and watch with him as he plays the game. 

Weeks passed and I secretly followed her, after my conversation with Lando I didn't see him either, but I am sure I made the right choice, she can often be found at the hospital, I found out that her little brother is seriously ill. I went to talk to a doctor at the time when the family was not present, I pretended to be a distant uncle to get some more information. The costs associated with the boy's treatments are beyond the means of this family. Liana as she is called works in a flower store and her father drives the mail around, neither of them earn enough to afford this even if they did it together. Liana is a good soul I can tell from everything, she might be the one to help Lando, but I also wouldn't find it very crazy if she said no if I asked her to marry my son whom she has never met.

It is Friday night when I drop my driver my at the entrance of the hospital, I know that Liana will be here this evening as she does every Friday night, I mingle among the people in the waiting room so as not to be noticed, the door of her little brother's room is closed yet I hear laughter coming from the boy. For a moment I look at my watch it is almost 7:30 so she should be coming in soon. On the dot at 7:30 she walks in. I hear her greet her brother and then I hear the door close again, the joy is unfortunately short-lived when I suddenly see a group of doctors running towards the boy's room. I see her walk away with tears in her eyes and slowly I follow her outside, I see her collapse at the entrance, it may not be the best time to address her but this might also be my only moment, so I take a chance. "Hello Liana."

Don't forget to vote for this chapter if you liked it, that's much appreciated!