Save Me From Myself

Chapter 10-Love Story

Nothing happened the last night when we arrived home. He just curled up in my bed after taking a shower and I just sat next to him. We spent all night talking and kissing each other and fell asleep at dawn. Not to forget, Dan kept his promise to carry me in his arms home. It took more than if we just simply walked to our place but he didn't mind.

We woke up at noon, because Dan's phone started ringing. It was Mark who wanted to know if we were up for a brunch.

"Mm...just woke up Mark, no I didn't drink more last night. Me and Al just sat up all night and talked. Yes I took your advice...thanks..."
"What time is it?"
"1 o'clock...wow, I feel so sleepy..."
"Me too...but I don't regret anything.", I said turning to face him and just curling up to his chest."
"What are our plans for today, love?"
"I have to go to see my parents, promised I would swing by their house later on."
"Can I come? Your mum loves me..."
"Sure, but she'll kill me for not telling her you're coming, you know she loves baking you sweets."

Quick feedback: my parents already met Dan, and they loved him. They knew me and Nicholas were over and that I found a roommate. They also knew I still worked as a nurse and since they didn't watch the music channels they had no idea who The Script was.

It was a secret I didn't want them to know at least not for know, because they would've freaked out and treated Dan like royalty. A thing Dan didn't like too much. He loved being the geeky roommate, who worked in a studio as an assistant. Although it was the bent truth he was comfortable that way for him. He always had the idea that the people around him should treat him like a normal person not like Danny from The Script.

"Don't worry, seriously. Your mum is a doll. And she doesn't need to go through all this trouble."
"You know mum. Sometimes she treats you more like her son than she treats me as her daughter."
"I know...she spoils me too much, now let's get dressed and go and see them.", said Dan getting up from bed.

I loved my parents but sometimes my mum's attitude was a bit too weird. One second she was happy and the other one she had some episodes in which she forgot what she was talking about. My father and I were a bit worried so we decided to take her to a specialist. Dan knew someone and I knew someone and now we were expecting the results of the tests.

When arriving at my parents' house my mother was already looking out the window for the two of us. She smiled at the sight of Dan and I could imagine her running to the door to open it for us, like a six year old.

But this time I could feel something wasn't okay. Her smile was a little too forced and her hug was a little too tight. We sat in the small living room, while my mother brought in the kettle, alongside her famous butter scones. She then handed each of us a cup of tea and sat on the armchair moving her feet nervously in her slippers.

"Mum, is everything okay?"
"Yes...I got the test results from the doctor."
"Okay, let me have a look at them. How did it go?"
"Well..."

I can feel something is wrong. She keeps looking at me and then she turns her eyes to Dan and then to dad and then back at me.

"Mum let me see the results.", I say drily, almost imperceptibly.

She hands me over a paper, alongside prescriptions and I recognise some words that shouldn't be there like inhibitors, donepezil and antidepressants. My mother was suffering from dementia.

"Mom what is this? This isn't right. You need to see another doctor, this can't be possible, you are just tired and have a lack of cal..."
"No love this is what the doctor said. I will be okay as long as I go to therapy and do as the doctor said. I am sixty, it was bound to happen one day or another. And as long as I write things down I will be just fine."
"But this isn't right, no, this isn't possible."
"I will be fine love I won't die or anything. I'm taking up knitting classes to focus a bit more and dad will be here, and everything will be fine. Don't be scared."
"How can I not be scared? You cannot expect me not to be scared! I just..."
"Alexis, I will be just fine, now quit it! Tell me what you kids have been up to."

Dan started telling him about London, and my portfolio but I couldn't join in the family conversation. He knew that I wasn't okay and still he did the best he could to keep the whole thing as normal as possible.

In my head the only word that popped was dementia. People don't die of it and you can control it but still, as the disease progressed that could easily become a threat to her.

As we went back home I just curled like a ball on the sofa and started crying. Dan took me in his arms and gently rubbed my back.

"Al, don't worry, there are a lot of therapies and things to keep it under control. Your mother will be just fine."
"But she is my mother. Things like that aren't supposed to happen to her!"
"Love we will be there for her. You know it. And everything she needs we will give to her. You are not alone in this, I will be there for you no matter what.", he replied lifting my chin and kissing my lips.

Dan knew how to calm me down. He knew how to pull all the strings to make me feel better. I kissed him back and then looked at him as he prepared dinner for the two of us. There was something relaxing in the way he did everything, something that made me feel like I belonged. As he prepared dinner I took two glasses out of the counter and filled them up with red wine. I looked at the ruby red colour and started thinking again how lucky I have been for the last month.

"Here it is, dinner...Not my best attempt but it is good."
"What is it?"
"Beans and tuna, an Italian recipe I learned from a chef in Italy. Taste it and see if you like it.", he said pointing a fork filled with beans and tuna to my mouth.
"Hmm...something different. I can't tell if I like it or dislike it. It is weird.", I said with my mouth half filled with food.
"We can order take away anytime."
"Noooo!!! It's good, I still have to get used to it though.", I said taking another fork filled and shoving it in my mouth.
"I have an idea, wanna watch some movies? We can go rent something..."
"Yes, that would be nice. I don't want to go out tonight."
"I imagined that. Oh, you're sneezing...someone is getting down with a cold."
"I'm okay, seriously."
"I'll make you a cup of tea with lemon and you can just cuddle under the blanket with it and I will run and rent some movies and we are just going to make a nice movie night and..."
"You're obnoxiously cute. How did I deserve such a man?"
"Well, you are a woman who deserves the world.", he said leaning over to kiss me.

I could feel his heart beating faster as he lay on top of me. I placed my arms around his neck, playing with my fingers through his hair. That made him moan gently and kiss me harder. As much as we both wanted it, we realised it wasn't the right time. He gave me another kiss and then ran to the kitchen to put the kettle on and to the bedroom to bring a fluffy blanket.

"I will be right back.", he said handing me over a cup of tea and kissing my forehead.

Oh he forgot his phone. As usual he forgets something. His phone was beeping and buzzing. I decided to let it ring. That was something I wouldn't do: check his phone. We are going to have a relationship based on trust, I said very proud of myself.

A text message from Mark appeared on the screen and I took a quick glance as I put my cup on the coffee table. I just caught a part of it.

"Take care of her Dan, don't hurt her, she's been through..."

I frowned when reading that part of the text. What did Mark mean? He usually was very overprotective of me, sometimes I felt as if he was my father, but what did all of this mean? I just had to wait and see what will happen. I don't think he would do anything to hurt me and I'm pretty sure he will tell me about the text. Yes, I truly believe Dan is that honest. At least with me.

I can hear the key turning in door and Dan's footsteps alongside a shuffle from a bag. He throws his boots in the hallway as usual and comes to the living room.

"I took the liberty of going to Tesco's as well, and as usual I forgot the phone. I didn't know what popcorn you liked so I bought all flavours. And I rented cartoons as well."
"Your phone beeped."
"Why didn't you answer?", he asked me as he took the phone and read the text.
"Everything okay?", I asked sneezing in a tissue.
"Yeah, Mark is worried, he doesn't want me to hurt you, he knows I may be a bit of a dick. Al, I would never do anything to hurt you."