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“Boone,” he exclaims, grabbing the remote to mute the volume. He pushes himself into a sitting position. “You came.”
“Of course I came,” I admonish, moving to his bed for a quick fist bump. Aiden texted me earlier wanting to know if I could come a bit earlier than his sister and father, who are scheduled to arrive at six thirty. He said he wants to “talk to me privately.”
Studying him critically for a moment, I try to detect ways in which he looks better, given the news that the leukemia can’t be detected. I don’t see anything though. He looks the same… pale, face a little swollen, thin body and fuzz covering his head.
“What’s with the secret meeting?” I tease, settling into one of the two smaller guest chairs near the window. He also has a recliner he often sits in during the day and Lilly uses it at night when she sleeps over.
Aiden suddenly goes all shy and just shrugs, his fingers fussing with the edge of the bedsheet draped over his lap. He’s wearing a Titans T-shirt I’d brought him, a robe draped over his shoulders as he tends to get cold easily.
“You worried about this talk we’re going to have with your dad?” Lilly told me she talked to Aiden about it last night, giving him the choice of whether he wanted to participate. I talked to her briefly this morning when I called to check in and she said Aiden was on board.
Their father, however, has no clue that he’s getting a bit of an intervention tonight.
“I’m a little worried,” he admits.
“About what specifically?”
Aiden swallows hard, his face pinched. “I’m afraid he’ll get mad.”
“He might,” I acknowledge. “I don’t think this is going to be a pleasant conversation. However, if it makes you feel better, I’ve already had a bit of a talk with your dad and I think in his heart of hearts, he wants to get better so he can be a good support to you and Lilly.”
“Yeah… I know,” Aiden drawls in a soft voice. “He’s a great dad. He loves me and Lilly so much. But I also know this embarrasses him so he might get defensive.”
I nod in agreement. “He might. All you and Lilly can do is reiterate that you’re doing this out of love for him. I’ll be here to support you in any way I can.”
“And if he agrees to get help?” Aiden asks.
“Then I’m going to take him to the clinic to start treatment. Did Lilly explain what would happen?”
Aiden nods.
“Your sister will have a bag packed and ready. We’re not going to give him an opportunity to think too hard about it.”
He nods again, looking down at his hands.
“Hey buddy,” I say, kicking the side of his bed just enough to get his attention. “We don’t have to do this with you. I think your dad is going to do the right thing, whether you’re involved in it or not.”
“I know,” he replies, his gaze coming to mine. “But I want to be there for Lilly. I want to be at her side when she does this, to show I’m on her team. She’s done so much for me over the years, I want to be there for her and I don’t get many chances for that.”
Something inside my chest cracks wide open at this kid’s thoughtfulness. Most kids would duck their heads and choose to stay in the dark, but this little boy, who has been battling a life-threatening illness, wants to go out of his comfort zone to support his sister.
“I think Lilly would appreciate that so much,” I tell him as I lean forward in my chair and cross my arms over the bed rail. “Speaking of your sister, I have something I wanted to ask you.”
“What’s that?”
“It’s not lost on me that your sister does a hell of a lot for you and your dad, and I feel like she could use some fun in her life. I got her a ticket for tomorrow night’s game.”
“That’s amazing,” Aiden exclaims, eyes bright with excitement.
Chuckling, I say, “Yeah… well, your sister isn’t the biggest hockey fan in the universe but I thought she might enjoy giving it a try. I got her a seat on the glass right behind our bench.”
Aiden’s eyes about bug out of his head. “That’s the coolest thing ever,” he gushes.
“Except,” I say, leveling him a pointed look. “She’s not going to want to leave you, not even for a night. So you have a very specific job to do.”
“I will insist that she go,” he announces with a tap of his fist on his chest. “I’m on the road to remission, after all.”
“Right you are.” I laugh, and we high-five each other. I reach inside my coat pocket and pull out an envelope with the ticket I secured today. “I’m going to leave it up to you to give this to her after I take your dad tonight. She’ll refuse me but I don’t know that she’ll refuse you.”
