Dusk & Dawn

Chapter 47

Mason

The weekend flew by in the blink of an eye. Every moment I could, I spent with Quinn. We laughed until our stomachs ached, falling asleep together each night. We shared meals, and yesterday's lunch turned into a messy food fight. I ended up with mayonnaise in my hair, and she had ketchup whiskers drawn on her face. I had never seen her happier, and it made me want to bring that smile to her face every single day for the rest of our lives.

Zach gave me a quick hug with one arm as they returned from their trip, while Lexi practically pounced on Quinn, squealing and waving her hands in the air like an enthusiastic fan.
"I knew it! I knew you two just needed some alone time. I knew it, I knew it, I knew it!" Quinn placed her hands on Lexi's shoulders, trying to calm her down. I nodded reassuringly at Quinn, silently encouraging her to share what had happened at the doctor's with Lexi. The more support she had, the better.

"So, man, you and Quinn... finally! I'm proud of you, bro. Turns out you do have some balls after all," Zach said, wrapping me in a headlock and giving me a playful noogie, as if we were back in primary school. I retaliated by elbowing him in the stomach, causing him to lose his grip, and then swiftly sweeping my foot behind his knees, sending him tumbling to the ground. We laughed and playfully punched each other, while the girls sat on the couch, shaking their heads but wearing amused smiles.

"C'mon man, we gotta talk for a sec." I said, extending a hand to help Zach back up to his feet. His expression turned serious as he realized we needed to have a serious conversation.

It took half an hour and many tears from Lexi, but eventually, we all had the full picture of Quinn's health. Throughout the whole discussion, she hadn't shed a single tear. To those who didn't know her well, it might seem like she was in denial, but I understood her. The determination and courage radiating from her were contagious.

"Since I'm only in uni part-time, I'll be able to accompany her to her appointments," I explained, nudging Quinn's foot under the coffee table to lighten the heavy atmosphere in the room. Even Zach remained unusually quiet, which was a rarity for him.

"Are you scared?" Lexi asked, her voice interspersed with hiccups, while Zach wiped her tears with his sleeve. Quinn placed a comforting hand on Lexi's shoulder.
"There's always fear when you face something that's out of your control Lex. I choose to have courage though." Quinn replied. Lexi's tears started trickling again, streaking her mascara down to her chin.
"How can you have courage but be scared at the same time?" Lexi asked, her voice quivering. 
"Courage doesn't mean you're not scared, it just means you have the strength to face it... And yeah, I'm scared as hell, but I have you guys, and you give me the strength..." Quinn kneeled in front of Lexi and flexed her bicep, lifting Lexi's arm to mimic the pose.

"I'm a strong bitch." Quinn growled playfully, then she raised Lexi's arm and imitated the pose once more.
"You're a strong bitch." she reassured Lexi. I raised my arm, rolled up my sleeve to reveal my bicep, and flexed.
"I'm a strong bitch." I said, observing my muscles tensing. I glanced at Zach.
"I'm a strong bitch too." Zach chimed in, doing the same. The girls erupted into uncontrollable laughter, and Lexi's tears turned into tears of joy.

Every second I spent watching Quinn interact with others felt like discovering precious gold. I tried not to make it obvious, but I hung onto every word she spoke as if it were the lyrics of a song I needed to memorize.

As she linked her arm with Lexi's, heading towards the double glass door, Quinn turned around and mouthed "thank you" to me. As far as I was concerned, she had nothing to thank me for. She was a strong bitch, and she made me truly believe that I was one too.
"I'm a strong bitch," I whispered to myself as she walked away.