Dying Love ❤️

Truth About Love Pt. 2

Bre 9:15AM:

Good morning to you too.

The past 3 days he had spent texting Bre the entire time. He had learned so much about her. Her father was Colombian and she had spent her summers in Columbia with him and his family up until she was 20. Her parents were happily married and they'd visit her fathers home land for summers so that she was able to be close to her heritage and extended family.

Aubrey Cattleya Ruez was her name, exotic just as she was. Her name came from her Columbian roots, of course. She had been at the hospital for a little over 2 years. Anytime he brought up the hospital she strayed away from the topic so, he let it be. Maybe she just didn't like her job.

It was her birthday. She was 23 today, making him 3 years her senior; but he could barely tell the age difference.

She was so mature and... mysterious. Not nearly as predictable as he was use to with a woman. She seemed very independent and was on her own for the most part.

And she knew how to keep his interest, even thousands of miles away...

"Happy birthday to you." Tremaine spoke into the phone as he paced back and forth near the parking structure for no particular reason. Lunch seemed so lonely without her.

"Thank you Dr. Grinch. And the flowers are lovely. I appreciate the gesture but you really didn't have to."

"Why else would I have asked for your parents address? You didn't expect me to pop up did you?" He chuckled, so did she. He pulled out his joint and lit it in the spot he had smoked in with her before... Their spot on the bench.

"Haha, no. I was hoping you didn't go into stalker mode."

He noticed a difference in her tone. Something wasn't right.

"Everything okay? You don't sound like you're doing much celebrating."

"Yea, just a little sick. Just my luck, huh?" Her chuckle was a bit nervous. He suddenly wanted to be by her side.

"I'm sorry Bre... If you're feeling better when you come back, I'll be sure to take you out for your birthday."

"Well aren't you sweet? If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were tryna date me Dr. Neverson. Where's your imaginary fiancé?"

He laughed so hard, she was truly a comedian. She insisted that he had an imaginary woman just to keep his promise, the one of not falling for her, alive. That's not a bad assumption considering their frequent conversation.

He pulled the joint yet again.

"Oh hush. Friendly outing, remember?"

"Right, if you say so." The silence swept over them. Not awkward, but like before when they were taking each other in; only this time they were listening to each other breathe.

"I miss you..." He breathed out. The sad truth he had been trying to refrain from telling her. Blame it on the 'herbal treatment'.

He could hear her smile as she uttered, "Enjoy the rest of your day Dr. Neverson."

The phone call came to an abrupt end. He sighed in disappointment. When would she be coming back?

.

.

.

"Feeling better princess?" Raul, her father, asked her as he sat alongside her bed.

Her hair was thinning a bit. Her mom had collected the missing strands from her bed during her nap so she wouldn't notice and her lips were losing color. She didn't look like herself.

"A little. The meds are working. I just wish I could keep my food down." She stated, sad that her father's home cooked columbian dish was somewhere in a sewer by now.

"I'll send some back home with you Cattleya."

He looked over at the dozen Cattleya flowers, a popular columbian breed, sitting on her dresser.

"Someone really likes you. The flowers are so fresh."

"The gesture was very sweet, but he may be engaged so I'm not gonna think too much of it papa." She replied looking at her father, then switching her gaze to her mother who had entered the room. It's crazy how much she looked like the both of them.

"The heart wants what it wants." Her mother said, sitting the tray of soup in Aubrey's lap. "Think you can eat it?"

"It smells delicious. I know I'm gonna try."

"I rescheduled your flight for next week, love. Dr. Stoneburg should be here later in the afternoon so after you eat, just rest until then. He's bringing another prescription and he'll take your blood work and get results back to us by Monday. So we'll know if you can take the flight next Wednesday." Her father was still taking care of her, even at 23. She was daddy's little girl no matter how old she got.

It was Friday, so that gave her a few days to get better.

"Thank you guys. I'm sorry about all of this..." She hated being a burden to anybody. It was a pride thing. That, she got from Raul.

"Oh dear, don't apologize. You're my baby girl. Always will be. Always..." Her mom kissed her forehead and felt for a fever.

"I'll grab you a cold towel." She excused herself to the bathroom.

"I love you so much Cattleya..." Raul spoke to his daughter and kissed her forehead as her mother had just done. He got up to leave the room so she could eat.

"I love you more papà, happy birthday!"

"Happy birthday to you." He smiled at her before closing the door. He hated seeing her like that.