Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 84802 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 424(@200wpm)___ 339(@250wpm)___ 283(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84802 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 424(@200wpm)___ 339(@250wpm)___ 283(@300wpm)
“How is Jack doing?” I look over and see that Evie jumped in bed with him and is now playing on his iPad as they giggle together.
“He’s doing good,” I tell her. “If he goes another night without a fever, they will let him go home.”
She squeezes my hand. “Being the strong one is harder than it looks,” she whispers to me. “It’s being a mom.” She walks to the bed as I look at them.
I sit down and take in the chatter around me. “So in three weeks, we are all going to gather and shave our heads.” I hear Zack and finally look up. “The whole team is doing it and Michael also.”
“Everyone is going to look like us?” Evie says, looking at Jack who nods his head.
“I bet I can get my team to do it too,” Brock says. “I’ll do it for sure.”
“That sounds amazing,” I say when Steve comes in smiling with Olivier following him.
“I heard there was a party,” Olivier says, smiling and waving at everyone. “And what is going to be amazing?”
“Everyone is shaving their head for me,” Jack says. “And Evie too.”
“Really?” Steve says. “Maybe I should do it too.” He runs his hand through his hair.
“Everyone is going to do it,” Jack says. “Except Denise.”
I shake my head. “He loves my hair.” I smile, and he smiles back at me.
“Brock said his team would probably do it also,” Zack says, and Olivier looks at him.
“Give me your coach’s name and number, and I think I could work something out,” Olivier says to Brock, who smiles and then looks at me.
“Cool,” he says, and the rest of the day, Evie and Jack watch a movie, color, and Jack gets up and walks around with her. I grab my camera and take a picture of them walking down the hall hand in hand.
Two days later, we all get in the car to drive Arnold and Shirley back to the airport. “For the first time, I don’t have to worry leaving them,” she says in my ear as they wait in line to check their luggage. “You love them with everything you have, and I couldn’t wish for more.”
I hug her, and then we make plans for them to come down soon. The three of us walk back to the truck with Jack in the middle of us. “How you feeling?” I ask him again for the fiftieth time that day, but at least it isn’t a hundred.
“I’m fine,” he says. “Can we have movie night?” he asks us, knowing we will give him whatever he wants.
Chapter Thirty
Denise
Three weeks later
“Denise!” I hear shouting from somewhere inside the house. “Denise.” I look at the pile of laundry that I need to fold and think to myself how did most of my clothes end up here?
“In the laundry room!” I shout back and hear his feet coming closer as I smile.
“Look,” he says and grabs my hand to his head. “Feel. It’s my hair.” His smile fills his whole face. I touch his head, and sure enough, you can feel little stubble coming through.
I gasp. “Your hair is growing back,” I say, gathering him up in my arms and kissing him.
Zack is coming home tonight. He’s been on the road for a week, yet I still come here every night. I keep saying that it’s because Zack isn’t home, and I’m just going to check on Jack, but it’s a lie. I come here every night because I can’t seem to be away from them.
“We need to take a picture for the book,” he says, going to grab my camera. We started a scrapbook, taking a picture of all his milestones.
On the cover of the scrapbook is a picture of Evie and him walking hand in hand. It’s something that Janet and I decided to do and later share with Melissa.
He hands me the phone, and I take a picture of his head and then send it to Janet and then to Zack. I bring the laundry to the living room, and he hops on the couch with me and helps me pair the socks. It’s a little thing, but to me, it’s bliss. When it’s time for bed, we do our routine, which is him taking a bath, my reading to him, and us saying our prayers.
Something new we started is to give thanks to everyone we are thankful for. I kiss him good night, but I don’t leave. Instead, I lie with him, cuddling him to my chest and watching the glow star stickers we put on Jack’s ceiling. I’m going to wait till he falls asleep, and then I’m going to leave, I tell myself.
“Baby.” I hear whispered next to my ear, and then I feel his lips on me. “I’m home.” I smile, turning and hugging him. He helps me up off the bed, and I walk out of the room, my lips on his.