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Which honestly… kind of bummed me out.
“You just missed her,” Aiden says, and I sit up a bit straighter.
I assumed she wouldn’t be able to visit Aiden until after the dinner rush like she normally does, which is why I made a point to be here. To give Aiden some daytime company. Now I’m utterly disappointed I didn’t swing by Aiden’s room when I first got here or I could have had a chance to see Lilly for a few minutes.
“She left the deli to come here?” I ask in shock.
Aiden nods, but I can tell he’s troubled. “She’s trying to take on Dad’s role of daytime support. She opened the store, got through the first rush, ran out here to visit for about an hour and went back. She’ll come back after dinner.”
“She’s going to burn herself out,” I say.
“That’s what I told her,” Aiden exclaims. “But do you think she’ll listen?”
“No,” I drawl. I know enough about Lilly by now to know she’ll kill herself to fill the hole Steven left behind.
“I told her I’m not a baby and I don’t need her here every minute,” Aiden complains.
“She doesn’t think you’re a baby.” I kick the recliner back down into its seated position. “She just doesn’t want you to feel the loss of familial support, especially since you’ve had it from the start. It’s a change to your routine and she wants you to remain as stable as possible.”
“She told you that?” Aiden asks.
“Not specifically but I know she was worried about the impact your dad going to rehab would have on you. I also know your sister wants to take care of you to the best of her abilities. Mostly though, anytime she talks about you, it’s always with such awe and respect over how mature you are and how well you handle all of this. So I’m confident in my assertion she doesn’t think you’re a baby.” I take a moment to give Aiden a critical once-over and he looks pretty alert. Sometimes, I can tell when he’s exhausted just by looking at his eyes. “Want to get out of here?”
“Yeah,” he exclaims, tossing the blanket back.
“Walk or ride?” I ask.
“Walk,” he proclaims proudly as I lower the bed rail.
I’m proficient enough to unplug Aiden’s IV pole so it converts to battery power and then help him into a paper gown, gloves and mask. I kneel to put slippers on his feet. “Are you feeling stronger now that the donor marrow has engrafted?”
“That must be it,” he says with a sly smile. “Plus I’m getting juiced up with blood transfusions every other day to get my red blood cells up.”
Laughing, I shake my head. I know Aiden does a lot of walking, particularly on the days he feels good. Getting out of that bed every day is imperative to keeping him strong mentally and physically. There are some days he feels crappy though. I have to say, today seems different. It’s like the energy is rolling off him and I have a euphoric wave of joy that things are starting to fall into place for this kid.
It’s falling into place for Steven too, now that he’s taken the first step to get sober.
Now I just have to figure out how to align the stars for Lilly.
Aiden and I decide to walk down to the courtyard garden in the center of the hospital on ground level. It’s got trees and flowering plants, fountains and meditative alcoves. It’s just starting to bud with the first leaves of spring so it’s still a little barren, but it’s a nice day outside and the fresh air will do him good. I’ve got my coat to put around his shoulders as it’s a little cool.
We walk leisurely, not in a hurry to reach any destination. Aiden pokes his head in a few rooms to say hello to friends. He high-fives passing doctors and nurses. In the elevator, we’re joined by two very pretty nurses and I catch Aiden staring at them with a goofy smile while they talk about their evening plans. All the while, I can’t help but think that this is where Lilly needs to be.
Not just to support Aiden, but to share these memories and milestones with him. It galls me that she’s stuck managing the deli—which is important as that pays the bills—when I’m sure an immediate dream of hers would be to spend this time with Aiden as he continues his battle against this disease.
When we reach the courtyard, we circle the entire perimeter before taking a seat on one of the benches. I pause to drape my coat around him. “You good?”
“Yup. Feels nice out.” Aiden tips his face back to the sunshine and his smile is everything.
Sitting next to him, I ask, “How much do you know about running the deli?”
Aiden’s eyes open and he looks at me with a frown. “What do you mean?”
“I guess I’m wondering what exactly it is that Lilly has to do that requires her to be there and could someone else do it? I don’t know how much longer you have in the hospital or what’s going to happen with your dad, but it would be nice if she didn’t have that pressure on her. I mean… could she hire someone who could do the work for her so she could be here as that’s clearly what she wants?”
“I don’t know,” Aiden says, waving his hand toward himself. “Just a kid here.”
Laughing, I nudge his shoulder. I would never point out that Lilly was a kid when she started caring for him because I find it refreshing he can utter those words. Despite all the shit he endures, Aiden can enjoy a part of his life without the burdens his sister had.
