Life's Challenges

Chapter 6

Once Spencer had finished telling me about his dad’s illness we talked for a little while longer and I reassured him that I would be with him through thick and thin. After a little while longer he drove me home. There was a Recreation Center by my house that we always stopped in the parking lot of for one last long kiss goodbye before he drove me to my door step.

“Be careful driving home okay?” I said nervously before getting out of the car. I wasn’t really sure if he should be driving right now.

“I will be don’t worry,” he answered then leaned over to give me one last kiss before driving off down the road.

The rest of the night all I could think about was how I could help Spencer get through this thing with his dad. After all he did love his dad more than anything. He is his best friend. I can’t imagine losing my dad, I mean he is like one of my best friends. He and I have this language that’s all our own. Essentially it’s like a bunch of inside jokes but still. He really understands my sense of humor.

I decided that all I can do for him and his dad right now is pray for his dad’s healing, pray for Spencer’s understanding and be there for Spencer when ever he needs me. From then on, I promised myself that night as I lay in bed unable to sleep, that I would do everything that I could for Spencer and his family; and to make sure that I was as kind and caring as possible to help them get through this tough time in their lives.  

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Over the next few months, Spencer’s dad began Chemo Therapy and Spencer became more stressed out because he didn’t think the doctors were working hard enough to save his dad. He became more depressed because he felt as though his dad was just slipping away and he couldn’t do anything about it.

            “I can’t help it.” He told me, one day while we were sitting on a swing in his back yard under two aspen trees. “I feel like such a loser because my dad is dying and there isn’t anything I can do about it.”

            “You’re not a loser.” I said sweetly. “Your kind and caring and you want to fix everything so that it is perfect. You want to fix him so that he isn’t in pain and he’s not suffering anymore. That’s why you are having such a hard time with this.” He looked at me, then looked back towards his house and nodded.

            “I know.” He said after a few minutes. “I just hate having to see him in pain everyday. He suffers a lot, even if he tries not to show it.” His thumb started rubbing over my hand slowly as we sat in silence for a few minutes, just admiring the fall colors around us.

            “Lace I just wanted to thank you again for being there for me through all of this.” He said quietly.

            “It’s no problem really,” I replied. “I don’t mind at all because I know that you would do the same for me.” He smiled. His smile was so warm and friendly. It was the first time I had seen him really, truly smile in over a month. It made me happy inside to know that I had helped him to be able to smile again.

“Yeah I would,” He answered. “In fact, I would do anything to keep that beautiful smile of yours on your face.”

            “Thanks.” I said as looked away with a small smile creeping onto my face. We sat and talked for a little while longer about his family and how they were all transitioning into their new schedule with their dad. Spencer said that his mom was constantly straightening up the house and cleaning because she was trying to cover up her pain. And that the other day when he had come home for lunch from school that he had found her crying her eyes out in his parents room looking at their wedding scrapbook.