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He gave me a sideways look, and I instantly jumped in with, “No, they aren’t alone.”
“Wait here.” Cisco grinned at me before leaving me sitting by myself.
While he was gone, I allowed my mind to wander, thinking about what Bones might be up to right now. He was doing exactly what he said he wouldn’t. What I had promised a whole load of people he wouldn’t do, and I felt so hopeless just sitting there. My feet were itchy, my stomach knotty, but while I didn’t know where he was, there was nothing that I could do. I certainly couldn’t go on a wild goose chase to nowhere.
“I would like you to have this,” Cisco said as he entered the room.
As I spotted the item he held, I couldn’t stop the squeal that burst out of my throat, and I clapped my hands over my mouth in shock. It was a signed picture of Joe Frasier. “Oh wow. That has to be worth thousands of dollars,” I said in awe. “Why didn’t Bones sell that for your treatment? Why haven’t you?”
“Bones doesn’t know about my own memorabilia collection. I was going to give it to him when I died,” he said, as he glanced down at the picture with a smile. “But I’ve sold a lot of it just recently for money I need. This is all that I have left.”
“So… you have money? Money that you need? I thought you said you didn’t want the treatment?” I asked him, confused.
“I sold off my collection so I can follow my dream before I go. I was going to tell Bones and Lotto tonight, but then he gave me no real chance to talk before he stormed off. I’ve bought a one-way plane ticket to Mexico City. I’ve always wanted to return to my home country, and this really is my last chance.” He stared me in the eyes, wanting me to see how serious he was. “My plane leaves tonight, and I’m going to live out the rest of my days there.”
“Mexico? Now?”
“I wanted to say goodbye to both the boys, but I don’t think they would let me go. It’s probably best I leave before Bones returns or Lotto wakes.” He paced around the room and glanced toward the window. “Saying goodbye would rip us up to shreds. Leaving…” He looked at me with tears in his eyes. “Am I coward? Should I stay and face this head on? Or should I leave? I don’t know what to do. I worry about both of them and how they will react.”
“You just go and do what you feel you have to do. If Mexico is your dream, then you deserve to have it.”
“You have this Joe Frasier picture.” He handed me the item that was practically priceless. “I want you to hang it in your gym. The gym I hope you make sure Bones stays a part of.”
“Thank you,” I replied thickly, through tears.
“Just look after both my sons,” he pleaded. “Don’t let Bones wreck his life again and pull down Lotto with him. Please.”
“I promise.” I drew Cisco in for another hug, knowing this would be the last time ever. “And I’ll let him know everything you told me.”
“Oh, that reminds me.” He withdrew and grabbed something from his pocket. “I have a letter for him. I think this should help them to understand… at least, I hope that it does. Please give this to them.”
I nodded and cried as he called a cab and gathered his bags. Cisco had made the right choice for himself. That much was obvious by how happy he looked, and we needed to respect his difficult decision. Of course it was going to be hard for his boys, but Cisco deserved to end his days how he chose.
I just needed to focus on making sure Bones forged himself a good, positive future in his father’s memory, rather than screwing it up. Even though he didn’t have to worry about coming up with the money to help his father, considering Cisco would be in another country, and his decision fully made to leave his life up to fate, Bones still might end up going down that bad route of his past. Gambling could still get a grip on him and suck him down once more, and if I didn’t step in quickly, he might be lost to me forever.
I needed to do my best to make him see that he still had something to live for. I needed to make him see that he could still have a life. He had lost much, and he had been through more shit than most, but he did have good, too. But how the hell was I going to make him see that when I didn’t know where he was? How could I fix this on my own?
