Chapter 22: Ahliyah

" So, where is that handsome boyfriend of yours?" My mom asked as I moved her table of hospital food for real food.

" He's running some errands, but I promise you we will spend more time together."

We ate lunch and watched movies. My mom was getting better slowly and I decided that I could go to see her without Carter. I thought that maybe spending time with her would make me feel a little bit better.

" He seems like he cares for you a lot and it looks like he loves you." She sipped on her lemonade. She ate her chicken salad eating it slowly while watching tv. I didn't know how she did it, how she picked up in things before I could tell her myself.

"How... How do you know I love him? "

" A mother knows. I know because you're happy and seeing you happy makes me happy. I'm glad he's in your life and I'm glad you are happy." She said.

I wanted to tell him and it was killing me that I couldn't tell him yet. I wanted to make sure my mother was okay and I wanted to make sure that I wasn't going to leave him before I told him.

" I'm glad he's in my life too but you're important, someone has to take care of you. Carter already knows that I might be coming back with you once you get back on your feet." I said. I put up our food and set it on the table for us to eat later.

My mother looked at her hands and shook her head, sighing. " I'm going to be fine. I'll be out of the hospital tomorrow, but you should be with Carter, you should be happy. You're young and in love and those are great things. You get to learn things from each other and love each other, so much more than you do now, don't give any of that up because of me."

I kissed her on her forehead allowing her to get rest. I called an Uber to pick me up and I rode in silence until I got to the house. Carter was sitting on the porch looking out into the woods. I thought about why I wanted to come back to my mom. I told myself that it was because she was sick and needed me, but she was getting better.

Maybe it was because the thought of loving someone scared me, but my mom was right. Our love was young and we still had time to grow with each other and love each other more than we did now. I walked out on the porch, pulling a chair next to him.

" How'd everything go with your mom?" He asked.

" It went well. She's coming back tomorrow." I told him.

" That's nice. I know how much this meant to you."

" There's something I wanted to tell you though," I blushed thinking about the ways I was going to tell him.

" You're my best friend and my boyfriend and I want to say thank you for everything you've done for me. We still have a lot to figure out and that's okay."

He held my hand and my lips trembled as I got ready to say those three words that would put everything together for us. " I love you, Carter. I've loved you for a while now and I want to learn and grow with you." I bit my lips nervously waiting for a response, something besides the silence.

" You love me?" He asked.

"Yes, Carter. I love you."

Carter stood up from his spot pulling me out of my chair. He wrapped his arms around my waist and beamed with happiness. " I love you too. I meant to tell you over lunch and give you some flowers, but I waited because you were upset. I love you too, Ahliyah."

" Say it again, please," I asked.

" I love you."

He said it again and again and we spent the night kissing and saying we loved each other. We laid in my bed holding each other.

" Did you read the letters I wrote to you yet in the journal?" Carter asked.

" No, not yet."

I didn't know love felt like this. I didn't know that I could be so happy with being with someone and that I could spend every waking moment with him and let time fly by. The feeling was called love but I knew it was some unknown feeling that didn't have a name yet, and I was okay with that.

" You'll know how much I love you once you read them. You'll also know how long I've loved you."

I laid on his chest closing my eyes wondering what was next for us.

" I thought we could have breakfast in bed this morning. I made stuffed French toast for us and coffee." Carter walked in the room giving me my plate of food and he sat in the bed with me.

I ate the food and I thought about how I finally told him I loved him. I was finally happy and allowing to let love instead of closing myself off to others.

" All I want is to stay in bed with you, but I have to go pick my mom from the hospital." I told him.

Carter hugged me and kissed my forehead. When I got the hospital my mom was sitting in front of the doors in a wheelchair. She got in the car and I made sure she was comfortable before I took her home. I got her home and I tried to help her get in her house but she fanned me away and told me to stop fussing over her.

She walked in and sat in her chair. " Go somewhere with your boyfriend. I'm going to be fine. I'm in pain that's all." She said leaning back in her chair watching tv. I sighed and left her alone because I didn't want bother her or start hovering over like she couldn't take care of herself.

Carter was still in my bed when I walked in. " Well.. How is she doing?" He asked.

" She's in pain. She'll be fine she just needs rest." I said to myself more than I did him. Something didn't feel right and I didn't know what it was, but I was trying to keep an eye on my mother.

" She just needs time this is her first time being home." He said.

I shook the negative thoughts out of head and laid my head on Carter's shoulder. I ignored the thought of something still being wrong with my mother and told myself that she was going to get better soon.

" You're right. She just needs time to get readjusted with being back home." I laid there with him and he rubbed my back.

I finally got the two people I loved the most in my life and my life was great. I couldn't lose my mother, not yet. I still needed her and I had a horrible feeling that something was wrong.

" I think I need to rest. Do you mind going downstairs and checking on my mother? Talk to her a little." I asked.

Carter kissed me on my forehead and I relaxed clearing my mind reassuring myself that everything was okay.

I didn't believe that something wasn't wrong. I felt it and I knew I was going to lose the one person that I didn't want to lose.