free.”
“Sounds good.”
A few minutes later, Mo gets up to refill his water bottle and I lean toward Giana. “How’s it going?”
She fakes a confused look. Totally fake. People don’t look happy when they’re that confused. “What do you mean?”
“Don’t give me that, Giana. Mo seems to like you.”
She lets out a short, defeated laugh. “Or he just doesn’t know anyone else.”
“Whatever. He totally does.”
Giana raises a shoulder and lets it fall. “I hope so. Nothing major yet.”
“And how’s your niece?”
Her smile goes limp. “Good. I guess. I mean…” She rubs her forehead. “As good as she can be. She’s a happy baby.”
“And lucky to have an aunt who’s going to find a cure.” Giana’s earlier enthusiasm has obviously died down. “How’s your sister holding up?”
She sighs. “She’s either in denial or accepting life. She loves her baby but I can see how worried she is.”
I nod. That worry will never go away. Even with all the good times, it will still be there, hidden in the dark corners of her mind. But I don’t say this to Giana. Mo’s coming back so I give her something else to smile about. “By the way,” I say. “I wasn’t kidding about that date tonight. Kyler’s taking me somewhere.”
“Seriously?” Her face lights up and she’s smiling like no one in the world could even have a crazy disease, especially not someone so close to her.
“Yeah, now…” I close my lips and tilt my head toward Mo, who’s taking his seat.
Giana turns to him and I’m glad she’s chipper again. She may not know it, but Mo seems to look at her as some kind of angel. The way he talks, the way his eyes roam over her face whenever she’s not looking. Yeah, there’s definitely something there. Even if it’s only been a few days. Love at first sight, right? Giana was totally smitten the moment she saw him. Maybe it’s a two way thing.
I finish my lunch and get up to leave. Giana puts a hand on my arm and says, “Have a good day .” She even adds a wink to put more emphasis behind her words. Yes, yes. I hope to have a fun time on my date tonight.
* * *
Around six o’clock, my mom comes in my room and sits on the edge of my bed. I’m at the tail end of percussion therapy and still need to finish getting ready for my date.
“You sure he’s not taking you somewhere with a lot of people who could be sharing a lot of germs?”
I shake my head and focus on the air pounding my chest. My cough wasn’t much better this afternoon and I don’t want to be hacking up a lung on Kyler’s lap.
“You’ll take your inhaler, right? And cell phone?”
“Mom, you’re acting like I’ve never been on a date.”
“Well…” She doesn’t finish because we both know it’s been a long time. I could count the total number of dates on one hand. I’m surprised she’s not doing my hair or helping me get ready. This is what she wants, for me to hang out, feel those feelings, make lots of friends. “Is he a nice boy?” she asks.
“Remember the boy we saw at the grocery store last week?”
Her eyes light up.
“That’s him. And, yes, he’s nice. Why do you think I agreed to go with him at all?” I fix my eyes on her. “Please don’t threaten him with your black belt like my last date.”
Mom laughs. “That was over a year ago, honey.”
I give her a pointed look. “Yes. I know. It scared all the other boys away.” Not that there were very many…or any at all. I’m not sure why I’d agreed to go on the day anyway. He definitely wasn’t my type.
Her laugh grows. “Well, they should know not to put the moves on you. I didn’t even have to do anything. In fact, he probably still has bruises from the wounds you gave him.”
I flinch. She’s probably right. Maybe not physical bruises but emotional ones. It’s not every day a guy gets beat up by his date. I pick up a dart and throw it at the target. It hits the mark and my therapy timer rings. I turn off
“Sounds good.”
A few minutes later, Mo gets up to refill his water bottle and I lean toward Giana. “How’s it going?”
She fakes a confused look. Totally fake. People don’t look happy when they’re that confused. “What do you mean?”
“Don’t give me that, Giana. Mo seems to like you.”
She lets out a short, defeated laugh. “Or he just doesn’t know anyone else.”
“Whatever. He totally does.”
Giana raises a shoulder and lets it fall. “I hope so. Nothing major yet.”
“And how’s your niece?”
Her smile goes limp. “Good. I guess. I mean…” She rubs her forehead. “As good as she can be. She’s a happy baby.”
“And lucky to have an aunt who’s going to find a cure.” Giana’s earlier enthusiasm has obviously died down. “How’s your sister holding up?”
She sighs. “She’s either in denial or accepting life. She loves her baby but I can see how worried she is.”
I nod. That worry will never go away. Even with all the good times, it will still be there, hidden in the dark corners of her mind. But I don’t say this to Giana. Mo’s coming back so I give her something else to smile about. “By the way,” I say. “I wasn’t kidding about that date tonight. Kyler’s taking me somewhere.”
“Seriously?” Her face lights up and she’s smiling like no one in the world could even have a crazy disease, especially not someone so close to her.
“Yeah, now…” I close my lips and tilt my head toward Mo, who’s taking his seat.
Giana turns to him and I’m glad she’s chipper again. She may not know it, but Mo seems to look at her as some kind of angel. The way he talks, the way his eyes roam over her face whenever she’s not looking. Yeah, there’s definitely something there. Even if it’s only been a few days. Love at first sight, right? Giana was totally smitten the moment she saw him. Maybe it’s a two way thing.
I finish my lunch and get up to leave. Giana puts a hand on my arm and says, “Have a good day .” She even adds a wink to put more emphasis behind her words. Yes, yes. I hope to have a fun time on my date tonight.
* * *
Around six o’clock, my mom comes in my room and sits on the edge of my bed. I’m at the tail end of percussion therapy and still need to finish getting ready for my date.
“You sure he’s not taking you somewhere with a lot of people who could be sharing a lot of germs?”
I shake my head and focus on the air pounding my chest. My cough wasn’t much better this afternoon and I don’t want to be hacking up a lung on Kyler’s lap.
“You’ll take your inhaler, right? And cell phone?”
“Mom, you’re acting like I’ve never been on a date.”
“Well…” She doesn’t finish because we both know it’s been a long time. I could count the total number of dates on one hand. I’m surprised she’s not doing my hair or helping me get ready. This is what she wants, for me to hang out, feel those feelings, make lots of friends. “Is he a nice boy?” she asks.
“Remember the boy we saw at the grocery store last week?”
Her eyes light up.
“That’s him. And, yes, he’s nice. Why do you think I agreed to go with him at all?” I fix my eyes on her. “Please don’t threaten him with your black belt like my last date.”
Mom laughs. “That was over a year ago, honey.”
I give her a pointed look. “Yes. I know. It scared all the other boys away.” Not that there were very many…or any at all. I’m not sure why I’d agreed to go on the day anyway. He definitely wasn’t my type.
Her laugh grows. “Well, they should know not to put the moves on you. I didn’t even have to do anything. In fact, he probably still has bruises from the wounds you gave him.”
I flinch. She’s probably right. Maybe not physical bruises but emotional ones. It’s not every day a guy gets beat up by his date. I pick up a dart and throw it at the target. It hits the mark and my therapy timer rings. I turn off
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