Total pages in book: 60
Estimated words: 56606 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 283(@200wpm)___ 226(@250wpm)___ 189(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 56606 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 283(@200wpm)___ 226(@250wpm)___ 189(@300wpm)
It’s not often Dillon relaxes like this. Before I can respond, my dad walks in with my mom. Hollis immediately squirms wanting down so Dillon releases him. He runs to my mom who quickly drops to her knees to scoop him up against her in a hug. The treatments weaken her making picking him up a challenge the bigger he gets. Early on, she loved to hold him. Some days his entire naps as an infant were spent in her arms.
“I didn’t expect you today,” I tell my mom raising my brows because I’m curious. Remission is new, but exciting. She is still building back an immune system and struggles with fatigue. The cancer will always be lurking in her body so to speak. We will have to monitor it for the rest of her life. For now, though, they have it all under control and she’s in remission.
She smiles, “I have some energy today. I wanted to try to work for a bit.”
One thing about both of my parents, they are always wanting to work. Even with this diagnosis, the toll on her body, she still tries to come in when she feels up to it. There was no way from beginning to now that my mother was going to let cancer hold her down for long.
Dillon looks to my dad, then my mom, and to me as Hollis leaves my mom’s embrace running to me. “Come slide, Zizi,” Hollis invites yet again.
Just call me an enabler, I have the hardest time telling this little boy no. It’s why I don’t reply. I want to go, but I have to be responsible, and my job is important, not just for me, but for my family.
My dad is the one to pipe up, “go hija. I’ll stay with Vida and help today.”
Before I can decline the sweetest invitation, I’ve had ever, Dillon adds to the conversation. “Come on Zizi, work is covered. You wouldn’t want me to forget the sunscreen, would you?” He jokes.
“Go on, hija, have a good time,” my mom encourages, “life is short, you have to make all the memories.”
Her words cut deep. Fighting back tears, I can only nod. Within moments, I’m grabbing the beach bag I keep for me and Hollis and taking off to the water park with Dillon and Hollis.
We make a quick stop for me to change into my bathing suit and a few snacks. The waterpark isn’t busy, I’m thinking because it’s a weekday and it’s early in the season. The tourists haven’t come flocking in yet as some places still have kids in school. I’ll take the privacy.
“Let’s take a bathroom break before we start, Hollis,” Dillon says as his son jumps up and down giddy with excitement staring at the rushing water in the pool at the end of the slides. I watch them walk away with Hollis holding his arm up in order to reach his dad’s hand as they go hand in hand to the bathroom.
It reminds me of my dad. There wasn’t a moment he wasn’t around. There wasn’t a single event he ever missed for me or my siblings. I’m glad Hollis has that in Dillon. I can only hope Anna will come around.
With it heavy on my heart, I take out my phone and dial her number. She answers on the second ring, “is Hollis okay?” is her immediate response which is how I know she loves him in her own way.
“We’re at the water park and I didn’t know if maybe you wanted to come by and take some slides with Hollis?”
She lets out a little laugh. “The last place I need to be is with Hollis and his dad. Thank you, Maritza. You are always so good to my boys.”
Before I can say anything else, she ends the call. Well, I tried. I get our stuff unpacked at the chairs and umbrella table we chose just in time as Hollis and Dillon return.
Quickly, I lather the sunscreen on Hollis making sure his ears and neck are covered with the good stuff and it’s rubbed in. Dillon takes off his shirt exposing his muscular body.
I swear the man has a damn eight pack. I have to stop myself from staring at every flex of his muscles as he moves. Needing to get cooled off in the water, I take out my sunscreen so I can apply and get down one of those slides.
Before I can think anything through, react, or even take in the moment, the bottle of lotion is out of my hands. “Dillon,” I begin to explain that I called Anna, but he stops me raising his hand with a finger up.
“Lift your hair,” he instructs, and I swear I want to melt into a puddle. “Gotta keep your skin protected too.”