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Cammie came back into the room and instead of helping me make sense of what was happening, she went over to the window and cranked it open. “If anyone asks, I didn’t do that.”
Nick and Cammie worked together to move Jagger’s bed and prop him up so he was looking right out the window. As soon as he could see out, he gasped. A beat later, when a loud roar came from outside, I gasped, too.
“Tonight, we have special box seating for a one night only performance by the band JAX. Hilary? The swag?” Nick motioned towards his wife and she appeared with her hands full of merchandise. “On this limited edition JAX merch, you’ll see a very interesting and stolen photograph of two kids flipping the bird. I believe you’ll recognize yourself, Jagger, and that little tot is our very own Layla. Notice the wholly original quote that tells cancer to fuck off. All profits from tonight’s show are going directly into paying for whatever continued treatment you need, Jag. You’re covered, man.”
Jagger’s eyes were wide and full of tears as he held one of the shirts and stared at our younger selves. He looked up at me and laughed. “Mom and Dad would’ve loved this.”
I was a blubbering mess. The picture, the effort, the crowd of people cheering for my brother’s health… My heart was overflowing with love and happiness.
Nick and Hilary both hugged me and then stood behind Jagger’s bed as Jones’ voice filled the evening air. Grandma gripped my hand and wiped at her own tears while she watched the men who’d been strangers not too long ago make the biggest effort for her grandkids.
I inched closer and watched as my guys stood on a makeshift stage in their own fuck off, cancer shirts. The crowd was shockingly large, which explained Grandma’s traffic complaints.
“We just want to thank everyone for coming out tonight to celebrate our friend Jagger with us. We don’t normally talk too much or get into our feelings and shit, but tonight is special.” Jones stared up at our room, but I didn’t think he could see me until he continued. “Stop crying, baby. You have no idea how much it kills us when you cry.”
Cammie sighed from next to me. “Wow.”
“You see these two sweet little faces on these shirts? This one with the diaper is the best thing to ever happen to us. And the bigger one with the forehead? That’s her big brother, Jag. He’s a special guy. Not just because he’s a big fan of JAX, but because of the way he loves his sister.” Jones smiled and shook his head. “The three of us up here on stage tonight haven’t always gotten to see happy families who love each other. Shit. JAX has been my only family for more than a decade. Until Layla, I was okay with that.”
Mack gently strummed his guitar as he stepped up to his mic. “Being here, seeing Layla and her brother’s love for each other, seeing how wildly their grandma loves them both,... It’s different. My mom loved us like that, but she’s been gone for as many years as I got to have with her. Seeing the family here, feeling their love, it made me realize that my ability to be loved and to love like that didn’t die all those years ago. Watching this family love each other has just shown me how special it is. The world needs more of it. Letting Jagger slip away isn’t an option for us. We’ve been called a lot of things over the years, but one thing that I’ve always been proud of is how headstrong we are. We fight for what we want and what we think is right. Sorry, Jagger. You’re about to get all that stubbornness focused right at you, man.”
More tears escaped when I watched Xavier take a mic and bring it to his mouth. “Um. I hate public speaking… I just want to tell a story about Jagger, to show the depth of his character. When he first got the idea that we were interested in his sister in a real way, he called me. I’ve spent my whole life being avoided because of my size, but Jagger went straight to me. He let me know that it didn’t matter that we were his favorite band. He told me he could still listen to our music after kicking our asses if we hurt his baby sister. He outright threatened me, but he also told me that he loved and supported his sister and if she wanted us, the unconventionalness of it didn’t bother him, as long as she was happy. Jagger is a man who’s as fierce in his love for his sister as he is his protectiveness of her. He’s a good man, with a big heart. He deserves every chance at kicking our ass if we ever make Layla cry. Cancer is bullshit and unfair, but it can’t have Jagger.”
Jones grinned back at Xavier. “Goddamn, X. Who knew that you just needed love to become a public speaker?”
Jagger cleared his throat and when I looked at him, I saw his eyes were just as wet as mine. “Only you, baby sister, could’ve gone into the touring rockstar world and found three good men.”
“I love you, Jag. You’re not going anywhere.” Looking back at the stage, I watched as my men began their concert and I felt so secure in knowing they would help me take care of everything.
“Love you, too, Lala.”
The next time I was able to tear my eyes away from the guys, I saw Cammie and Jagger were holding hands at the edge of his bed and both of them were blushing furiously. A feeling of peace settled over me and I knew that everything was going to be okay.
Grandma rested her head on my shoulder. “Maybe it’s time I really started trying to date again.”
A knock on the door sounded and I turned around, just to have my mouth fall open. Filling the doorway was an almost exact copy of Xavier. The man had gone gray and had the wear of a man who’d lived his life under the sun, but he had the same handsome features as Xavier. He didn’t need to introduce himself, that’s how similarly the two men were built.
“You’re Layla. Xavier sent me a picture of you but you’re even prettier in person. I’m Alex, his dad.” He held out his big hand and I was so emotional from the guys’ speech that I bypassed his hand and wrapped my arms around him in a tight hug. He grunted in surprise and laughed. “Of course, you’re a sweetheart. Anyone who captured my son’s heart has to be very special.”
I smiled up at him. “You raised a good man.”
Alex’s eyes grew moist and he cleared his throat before speaking again. “I could say the same to your grandmother. She helped raise a great woman. Xavier told me all about her, too. He’s a big fan.”
Grandma stepped forward and batted her eyelashes at Alex. “I’m a big fan of Xavier, too. Don’t tell the others but he’s my favorite.”
I slowly backed away as Alex’s cheeks turned pink under Grandma’s attention. Watching them for a moment, I saw that my absence wasn’t even noticed.
Standing next to Jagger again, I saw him look over at Grandma and then up at me with a questioning gaze. I shrugged. “I think love is in the air.”
47
Layla
TheconcertfinishedandI paced the room while everyone else talked excitedly about it, the treatment plan, Alex and Grandma, or whatever else. I couldn’t think of anything except seeing the guys walk into the room. I knew they were coming soon because they’d explicitly told Nick to not let me go off in search of them. They were worried about the crowd gobbling me up, but they should’ve been worried about me gobbling them up. I had a million feelings going through my body and only one thought banging around my brain.
I shoved my hair behind my ears and licked my lips. Glancing up at the clock, I watched the hands move to make sure it was still working.
Hilary lightly gripped my shoulder. “Keep breathing, Layla.”
