The Secret The Cheerleader Doesn't... - Chapter 95: Chapter 95

Ani POV
Walking past the desk ladies, I have them a little wave.  Down the hall I said hello to the other patients, smiling as widely as I could.  When I got to her room, I opened it up to see Jaelynn sitting beside her bed with her newborn daughter in her lap.  She's had three kids now - two girls and one boy.  Perfect.
Bellamy ran up to me, his spiky hair making me giggle.  Crouching down, I took him into my arms, "Oh how is my favorite grandson doing?"
He giggled, "Hi abuela!"
"Hi mi amor," I whispered, kissing his noses.  Claude came over.  She was twelve now.  She had Jaelynn's black hair and brown eyes.
Smiling, she said, "Hi abuelita."
"Hi Bonita," I said, kissing her forehead.  She took Bellamy away to play with his trucks as I went over to Cassie.  Kissing her on the forehead, I whispered, "How are you?"
"Tired," she muttered, smiling, "I missed you."
"I only went home to shower," I teased.
"I still missed you," she poked me.
Jaelynn was smiling at us as I addressed her, "And how is Iris?"  I gestured to the infant.
"Fussy," Jaelynn sighed, making us both chuckle, "she can't nap for some reason.  I tried driving around like mama said, but it didn't work."
"Try humming," I said, "let me see her." She handed Iris over to me.  Holding her properly, I rocked back and forth, humming to You are my Sunshine.  After the fourth time of humming it, she was out.  Cautiously we moved her into her seat, air high-fiving at our victory.
Cassie quietly clapped, "You're a natural."
"Of course!" I grinned, "We babysat our grandkids so much that were pros now!"
"How is Vincent?" Jaelynn asked, "Last time I heard from Jakob, he had just been potty trained."  A year ago Genesis gave birth to Vincent.  No, those two aren't married but they were and are engaged.  The both currently live in New York for work.
"He's doing well.  Apparently he's shy with others," I said.
"Just like Jakob!" Jaelynn laughed.
Jaelynn hung around for another hour but left to take the kids home. When everyone was gone, it was quiet. "Do you want water?" I asked.
"No," she said, "I just want to sit here with you." They say it's coming close. For the past month, Cassie has come to live in a hospice... awaiting her time. I disagreed with the idea of her potentially... leaving here but she said she would rather go here than at home...
For she feared I'd never be able to return to it if she had.
I held her hand, trying to control my thoughts when she said, "You can't stay here tonight."
"Why?" I asked.
And I knew... just by her eyes.
"No," I said, "stop that."
"Ani.."
"Don't use my name like that," I gritted my teeth, tears brimming in my eyes, "no. Stop talking."
"I can feel it," she said, tightening her grip as much as she could, "and I don't want you to hear that."
"Then I guess you better open your eyes and stay here," I took a deep breath, looking up at the roof.
"Ani... please," she said, her voice breaking, "please just do this for me."
I was crushing her hand as I tried my best to not cry, but I couldn't stop it. My heart was aching. My lips quivered as I whispered, "You and I... we're good at surviving... so survive this."
She just smiled and said, "Not this time."
Tears fell down my cheeks as I hyperventilated... but not a single sound came from me. Choking on my tears... my vision blurry, I held onto her, praying to whatever the fuck existed to let her stay for one more day... one more day where I could tell her I love her again.
One more day I could see her reach out when I walked into a room.
One more day of living to see her.
One more day to feel her fingertips in my hand.
One more day to smell her vanilla body wash.
One more day to hear her say my name.
Coughing, I moaned out my cries. Pressing my face into her blankets I felt my body shaking. I tried to suppress it but I couldn't. She rubbed the back of my head as I coughed, choked, spat, and cried. It sounded like hiccups now, but I just squeezed her harder.
Why does she have to leave me? Was this punishment for what I have done to her? Was this a way for god to laugh... for him to pull some sick joke?
Cause I wanted it to be that... just some sick twisted fucked up joke.
But I knew it wasn't, because Cassie informed the nurses that she didn't want any visitors that night. So as I waited in the living room, my eyes puffy red and throat raw, my phone went off.
Picking up, I heard, "Mrs. Meryl. Please come to the hospital. It's about your wife, Mrs. Cassidy Meryl."