I Don't Want to Lose You (23 page)

             
I thought back and remembered it.  I could recall him trying to make his friend sound good to me when I was trying to figure out if I had sounded good to him. 

             
I shrugged my shoulders.  “No use crying over it now.”

             
“So I guess it will be me, you, Ralph who will go to the Laker game,” he said.

             
I shook my head. “No. That's not...no...I'm not going.  I've been to plenty of games and I'm not a fan.  But it will be you, your dad, Manny and whoever else you want.”

             
“I want you to be there, too.”

             
I shook my head.  “The list isn't about me.  It's about what you want to do.  This will be a great memory for them to have.  You and I can go to the Bon Jovi concert though.”

             
“Who is going to be the third person for that?”

             
“I have someone in mind, but if they can't go we'll find someone else,” I answered. “Before I forget, we're going to have make plans with your family to have dinner with mine.  My parents would like to meet my in-laws.”

             
“We'll get it arranged,” he said.

             
While he was out at the basketball game I went to my to my parents' house for my father to give me some training.  Before my father was a fireman he worked as a paramedic.  He used to give CPR classes and had taught me ages before how to do it on the dummy he would take with him to the classes. I needed a refresher in everything since my husband had issues with his heart.  My father showed me how to give CPR, how to listen to the heart and check his pulse.  He gave me my own stethoscope since he had a few of them.  When we were done, we played Scrabble and he won.

             
I went back home and was in the bed when Theo, his dad and brother had come home.  I woke up when I heard him come in.

             
“How was the game?” I asked.

             
“Babe, this was the most awesome night of my life,” he answered.

             
“So, does that mean that they won?” I asked.

             
“Of course they won, but that's not what I'm talking about.”  He went on to tell me that after the game they were lollygagging around, checking out the stadium since they had never been in it before.  They finally got kicked out and left at an exit that had them near where the players were walking out to leave.  They were able to meet a few of the players, get autographs and take some pictures.  “This was the greatest night ever.”

             
I gave him a big smile.  It warmed my heart to see him so happy. 

CHAPTER THIRTY THREE

              We took his parents and Manny to my parents' house on a Saturday afternoon for lunch.  When we walked into the house Manny said, “This is the biggest house in the world.”  To a child, I could see how he would think that but it was more high ceilings and open spaces than anything. 

             
My parents' had everything set up out on the patio since it was a nice day.  My dad barbecued some pork chops and chicken.  There was salad, corn on the cob, baked beans and coleslaw.  I had made a pineapple upside down cake.  I remembered the food more than I remembered the conversation because it was so good, but everything went well.  Both sets of parents were very complementary of their new in-law to that child's parents.  Mr. Cabrera's compliments were many and heartfelt.  Mrs. Cabrera may have just nodded in agreement since she didn't have anything nice to say.  Manny took a liking to Phaedra and she kept him entertained.

             
When lunch was over I quickly helped my mom to bring things inside and she commented on how he seemed to have a very nice family.  All of us Cabreras left and went back home because I had a surprise in store for Theo.  Ralph was outside waiting for us to come back.

             
“Hey, man, what are you doing here?” Theo asked him.

             
“I have been given the job of making sure you get to a place and come home in one piece.  Don't ask me where.”  Ralph looked at me.  “I will be killed if you are informed before you arrive there, is that correct?”

             
“That is correct” I said as I nodded.  I turned to Theo.  “Be careful.  Have fun.  Come back in one piece.  Enjoy!”  I winked at him and gave him a peck before leaving him in Ralph's hands.  I sent him off to go to motorcycle riding school that lasted for two days while I went to the mall to hang out with my cousins.

             
I was out a little longer than I intended to be because we decided to see a chick flick.  When I walked into the bedroom there was a simple, red rose and a card on the desk.  I read the card to make sure it was for me because it had occurred to me at the sight of the card that his parents' anniversary was approaching.  It was for me.  Suddenly I felt arms wrap around my waist and kisses on my neck. 

             
“So I'm glad you are in one piece,” I said.

             
“You have once again managed to catch me off guard.  It has always been a dream to ride a motorcycle.  I just wanted to do it at least one time.  I'm going to try to enjoy tomorrow just as much as I did today because I don't know when I'll be able to do this again.”

             
“I'm glad that you're okay that I went with a school.  I figured that would be the least likely way for your mother to get mad at me for letting you get on a motorcycle.  Speaking of your parents, what are you planning for their anniversary?”

             
“When is it?” he asked.

             
“What!  They're your parents. That's something you should know.”

             
“Nope, I'm a dude.  I don't care about that kind of stuff.”

             
I pouted. “You don't?”

             
He quickly tried to figure out how to clean up his mess.  “I mean for them. I'll remember ours when it comes around.”

             
I removed his arms from my waist and turned around.  “You don't know what date we got married, do you?”

             
“You'll just have to wait and see when that day comes around, now won't you?”

             
I knew what mental game he was playing and I wasn’t a fool.  “Well, if you ever forget for any reason you can check that wedding picture on the wall over there that has the date written on it,” I said pointing at the picture.

             
“I don't need to look at it, I already know it,” he said, pointing at his brain.

             
I took a deep breath and smiled.  “I'm glad you know it.  That date better be etched into your brain so that if I ever ask you for the date you can tell me.”  I gave him a peck on the lips. 

             
As I went to get my pajamas and underwear to take to the bathroom with me for a shower, I could catch glimpses of him trying to read the date off of the wedding picture.  Before I left to go into the bathroom, I stood in front of him and said, “I'm going to go take my shower now so you can stop trying to strain your neck to read the date.”  I kissed his forehead and left as he chuckled from having been caught.

             
We were lying in the bed asleep when I woke up from hearing him cough.  All day it was one here and one there a few minutes later.  Slowly the coughs were coming closer together.   I got up to go to the nightstand on his side of the bed and got out the stethoscope.  I placed the scope right on top of my name on his tattoo.  I wasn't a professional but it didn't sound good to me.  I put my hand on his neck to check his pulse and it was sluggish.  His facial expression even in his sleep looked like he was in pain. I decided to wake him up.

             
“Are you okay?” I asked when he opened his eyes.

             
He shook his head and could barely speak.  He put his hand to his chest and said, “It hurts.”

             
“I'm going to call an ambulance.”  I got up and grabbed the phone and called 911. Once I gave them the information I knocked on his parents' door and woke them up to tell them what was going on.  I went to check on Theo and a frothy substance began coming out of his mouth as he was coughing.  I didn't want to touch him because I didn't know if my actions would make him more uncomfortable, or worse.  I quickly put on some jeans and shoes as the paramedics came in and worked on him and got him ready for transport. I rode in the ambulance with him holding his hand.

             
It was a long night at the hospital and it seemed like it took forever for the doctor to come out and tell us what was going on.  While I tried to keep it together, I did have to walk away a couple of times to cry.  I had never been in a situation like that before and, while I was proud of myself for not panicking, I was terrified.               

             
The cardiologist came out and told us that he had fluid in his chest that they had to drain but he had a mild heart attack.  He praised me for being attentive to him and getting him help when I did.  I teared up at the thought that he could have died.  He had been stabilized and was resting but was in intensive care.  I told his parents to go ahead and see him while I stayed outside with Manny, who had fallen asleep.  It gave me some time to get my thoughts together and get my emotions under control, if that would ever be possible.

             
His parents came out of his room and said he was awake and wanted to see me.  I had to take several deep breaths before I walked in and I was glad that I did.  I wanted to pass out as soon as I saw all of the machines and tubes connected to him.  I started wiping the tears from my eyes before they could fall down my cheeks as I walked toward his bed.  I kept my head down because I couldn't look at his face.  I gently picked up his hand and kissed it and placed it back down.

             
“Hey,” he whispered.

             
“Hey,” I whimpered back.  I couldn't turn my head towards his direction and I looked at everything else in the room but him as I kept wiping my eyes.

             
“Look at me,” he said.

             
I shook my head as I bit my bottom lip and the levy broke.

             
“Monica, look at me please.”  I slowly turned to look at him. He said, “I'm okay.  I'm still here.”

             
I think I needed to know from him that he was all right to help me to calm down.  I took a deep breath and was able to stop sobbing.  “I'm sorry.  I'm such a baby.”

             
“Don't be, babe.”

             
I managed a smile.  “I'm taking the words of that tattoo literally.”

             
I went back home with his family and got some rest.  I called into work and let them know that I wasn't going to be in.  I was told to take as much time as I needed since my situation was known.  His father had gone ahead to work and his mother got Manny ready and off to school.  I was watching the news trying to get my mind off of Theo when she came in.