Chapter 21: Ahliyah

I was looking at the clock waiting to leave and decided to put the finishing touches on my bike.  My phone rang and I answered it quickly thinking it was Carter, but it wasn't Carter on the other end.

" Is this Ahliyah Mason?" The voice asked.

" Yes, this is her." 

I sat against the wall with my knees to my chest deciding if I wanted to listen to the person on the phone or not.

" I'm sorry to bother you Miss Mason, but your mom is in the hospital again and she told me to call you. She's sick again and her platelet levels are really low and I just wanted to know if there is anyway you could come and see her."  The voice said.

  " I'll be there soon thanks for calling, may I get your name?"  I asked.

  " My name is David. When you come, ask for me and I'll show you where your mom is." He said.

   The call ended and my lips trembled and I tried my best not to cry. I quickly got up from where I was sitting and grabbed my things getting ready to leave. As I walked to the front,  Elias came out of his office and called my name.

" Is everything okay?" He asked.

I nodded my head quickly leaving the shop as I rode home, I could stop the tears from falling.  When I walked in the apartment, Carter was leaning on the couch smiling.  I felt bad because lunch was made and there were flowers on the table, but all I could think about was my mom.

" I have something I need to tell you." Carter said.

I ran my hands through my hair and wiped my face. Carter frowned and held my hands and I looked down at our hands because looking at him was going to make me cry.

" I got a call from someone at the hospital and my mom is there again. I need to go to her, but I don't want to leave you. Come with me, please." I pleaded.

I wouldn't be able to go to the hospital and see my mom without him. I knew what I was going to walk into and I knew I was not going to be able to go there alone.

" I'll come. You can explain everything on the way." He said.

We packed our things to leave to go see my mom and as we packed I could help about my mother and what Carter was waiting to say, but I wasn't expecting my mom to get sick again.  She was supposed to be getting better. She was supposed to be okay and if I was there with her she would've been okay.

I sighed putting the clothes in my bags.  I was worried that something could be wrong or that the doctors might've missed something when she was there the last time. I was going to think positive thought because even though she was back in the hospital, she'll be home soon.

All I had to do was remind myself that she was going to home soon.

" Do you have everything packed? We should get on the road if we're going to make it in time." Carter said

" Yeah, everything's packed." I shoved the clothes into my bags and smiled sadly.  Carter put everything into the car and we double checked to make sure we had everything we needed. Then we were in the road to Texas.

We finally arrived in Texas and it felt like I was in the car forever. We stopped by my mothers house and I made a care bag for her while she was in the hospital and Carter sat on the bed watching as I grabbed things putting them away for her.

" Your moms house is beautiful." He said eyes wide as he looked around at the decorations and pictures that were on the walls.

" Decorating is one of her ways of expressing herself, she a very bright women. I can't wait for you to meet her." I beamed. 

I didn't want them to meet like this though. I smiled anyways because I was going to think positive and enjoy the time with my boyfriend and mother.

" Let's go take this bag to the hospital, so you can meet my mom."  I said.

Carter put the bag in the back seat and we drove to the hospital in silence. The whole ride I couldn't help but think about how my mom was doing or what she looked liked, and I couldn't help but smile remembering what she looked like before I left.

We waited at the front after we asked for David. David showed us where my moms room was and explained what was going on with her. He moved aside allowing us to walk into the room first and my mother was laying back in the bed watching  a different world.

David knocked on the door, smiling gently. My mother turned away from the tv and smiled when she seen me. It hasn't been long since I seen her the last time, but it did feel like forever. Carter and I sat in the chairs beside the bed.

" I didn't think you were going to be here for weeks. How are you doing?" She asked.

I smiled because she was always worried about me but she never worried about herself.  " I'm fine mom. How are you? You shouldn't be in the hospital again." I told her.

She rolled her eyes sitting up. She pulled the blankets around her body frowning. " You're right, I shouldn't be in here, but that's what happens when you get old. I'm not going to ruin this moment talking about myself," she chuckled.  " Young man, who are you?" She pointed at Carter.

" I'm Ahliyah's boyfriend." Carter blushed.

" Ahh, your the boy who helped my daughter. Thank you for being there and taking care of her.  I've done my best giving her a life and showing her there are good things if you look in the right place." She looked back at the tv watching her favorite episode of a different world.

We stayed at the hospital for awhile and listened to my mother talk, and reminisce about her younger days. Even though I told myself on the ride here that I wasn't going to cry I did. But as quickly as the tears came they went because it wasn't a moment for to be upset.

I was going to celebrate my mother's life and her younger days because that's what she would want me to do.

When we finally got back to my moms house, I grabbed Carter's hand taking him to my room. I sat on the floor with my knees clutched to my chest, and as I sat there I fear flooded with memories.

"  Before my parents got divorced, my mom used to sit on the edge of my bed and tell me bed time stories every night. I would soak them up and wait for the next story the next night. Then.. she got sick," I sighed, pulling on the string in my shirt. My lips began to trembled and I breathed deeply reminding myself not to cry.

" She got sick and I thought I was going to lose her. She sent me to Florida for me to do something with myself and now she's sick again. I can't lose her Carter. " 

I cried and cried. Carter pulled me close hugging me tight and while I kept crying he ran his hands through my hair trying to calm me down.

" You're not going to lose her. It's normal for her to get sick and she'll be okay." He said.

  I laid on his lap and closed my eyes reminiscing again about what it was like before my mother got sick. For the moment, I believed him.

I believed him because that was all I had left. Him and my mom and I wasn't ready to lose either of them.