by Eva LeNoir
Knocking on Dad's door, I waited for him to call out, not wanting to rile up his anger. Today was a good day. We were on our way to wine country where discovering Australian wine was our priority but only after our sunrise stroll in the sky on a hot air flight. There was no way I was drinking the night before, especially since that night would be extremely short.
"Come in, baby doll," I opened the door as soon as I heard his voice. His physical therapy mat was lying beside his bed where it also served as cushion in case he fell out. It hadn't happened yet but it was part of the protocol I had asked Marlon to write up during this trip.
"Hey, are you ready? I think we have everything," I asked, looking around the room, checking for anything he might need. Surreptitiously, looking him over to avoid any embarrassing moments where his fly was down, or his shirt was inside out because he forgot or simply couldn't manage the fine motor skills like buttoning a shirt.
"We're taking the chair, right? This damned leg won't stop shaking and I...," he took a deep breath as though trying his best not to snap at me, or maybe trying to breathe through his muscle spasms.
"Yes, Marlon already stored it in the truck. Do you see anything else you need?" I checked his nightstand for his glasses or possibly his phone, his forgetfulness becoming more frequent.
"No, I've got everything," I heard as I looked over my shoulder.
Just as I was about to close the drawer, the bang from behind me caused me to jump and turn. My first reaction was to run to him, to check every part of his body and reassure myself that he wasn't injured. He was expecting me to do it, his eyes narrowing on me, waiting for me to coddle him, as he liked to call it.
"Don't," he said through clenched teeth, "It was just...I tried to close the door but my arm, it...goddamn it, I-I hate th-this," he stuttered, releasing a frustrated breath.
"I know, Daddy. I know. I was startled, that's all," I reassured him, “come on, lets go taste the wine."
Chapter 40
Jaidyn
Waking my father up in the middle of the night was an experience I never wanted to reproduce. The regression was heart-wrenching and having to speak to my own parent as though he were a child was excruciating, to say the least.
But we did it.
"At my age, I should be going to bed at two, not waking up," I mumbled, letting my eyes rest for just a little while longer while Marlon drove us to the hot air balloon site where take-off was scheduled.
"I haven't decided whether you're cute or scary when sleep deprived," he said a grin lighting up his face.
"How are you in a such a great mood?" I narrowed my eyes at him, not entirely convinced he wasn't an alien.
"I'm a surfer, getting up at before the crack of dawn is written in our DNA," he a shrugged, throwing me a delicious smirk.
"It's not, you know," I muttered, looking out the window and seeing vines for miles.
Hmm, wine.
"What's not?" with his brows furrowed in confusion, he looked younger than his twenty-eight years. It would have been adorable if it weren't so early. Or late.
"Written in your DNA. That's just not a thing," I threw him a smile, didn't want him to think I was a complete bitch when awakened at this hour. And normally, I wouldn't be if say...he woke me up for orgasms. I'd be in a great mood then.
"Hmm, okay little bird, I'll give you that one."
Arriving at the meeting point, an hour and a half before take-off, we first met with the pilot and crew, talked about safety and then were driven by the company to the launch site. We were able to prepare the balloon before take-off.
It'll be fun, they said.
I almost died asphyxiated when I found myself on the wrong end of the balloon. And the envelope? How could it possibly hold ten adults? I liked the wicker basket, that was a nice touch until I was told that the propane tanks that fed the burners were right there beside us. Obviously, I was panicking for no viable reason. Still, panicking, I was.
"I've decided," Marlon said, pulling me in for a hug.
"What is that?" I willingly melted into his arms, finding comfort in his masculine, clean scent. God, he made me horny just standing there doing nothing but holding me.
I was so screwed. Once this adventure ended, there was no way for us to make it work. Our lives were too chaotic. But I would take this time and cherish it.
"You're cute when you're sleep deprived," he said, a smile on his face, and a kiss on my nose, "enjoy this time with your dad, Jaybird. Make good memories," Stepping away from him I sensed something deeper than what he was telling me. His eyes were too solemn, his posture almost defeated.
"Are you okay? We're not going to die during this flight, are we?" I wouldn't say I panicked but...
Okay, fine, I panicked.
"Calm down, Jaybird. I'm just saying, life is short," after that he kissed my forehead and met up with the others of our group so they could hold the envelope of the balloon while they inflated it, the basket on the side and the burners creating warm air inside.
As I watched him walk away, a tightening in my lower belly began to form, the feeling of impending doom hovering in the corners of my mind.
"Are you ready, Dad?" We opted for the wheelchair because standing for longer than two or three minutes was becoming increasingly difficult.
At a quarter to five in the morning, we were settled in the basket and ready to glide through the sky for the most scenic ride imaginable.
The Yarra was a river and where there's a river, they're a valley somewhere. This valley happened to make wine and that was a little piece of heaven.
I hadn't expected the sounds of the propane flames whooshing into the balloon, it was a constant motor sound that tended to make conversation difficult. I didn't mind, per se, it was nice to just enjoy nature from up above.
"Daddy, are you enj..." my words died in my throat as I turned and saw the tears brimming at the corners of my dad's eyes. I didn't finish my question, allowing him the privacy of this moment. Being up in the sky, touching the cool breeze of the morning watching the first rays of the sun waking over the horizon, it was all overwhelming.
Marlon's arms circled my waist, his breath in my ear and kisses trailing down my neck, it was all the comfort I needed and somehow, he knew that.
We hadn't been together long but living together pretty much twenty-four-seven gave our relationship another dimension. We were learning our quirks, ignoring the rare mood swings, enjoying our silences.
“Look over there,” someone cried out, their fingers pointing to a patch of light green land below us, “Kangaroos!”
With my phone in hand, I tried to zoom in for pictures, but the quality was less than stellar. The excitement of seeing those beautiful animals jumping freely throughout nature coupled with the disappointment of a phone camera that was not up to par with my expectation, put me in a sour mood.
“Damn it! These pictures look like a four-year-old took them.” I announced to the entire basket, all eyes on me instead of the kangaroos.
“Hey, just look at them, enjoy the view with your eyes, forget the phone,” Marlon murmured in my ear so that was exactly what I did. I watched them and committed them to memory.
I was happy. For the first time in my life, I was truly happy.
But then the reminder of my dad's situation would break that spell and the frustration and sadness would swallow me up all over again.
Letting out a little sigh, leaned my head against Marlon's chest, content.
"You okay, little bird?"
I nodded, looking up at his gorgeous face and smiled. That granted me a small peck on the lips, Spiderman-style.
An amazing hour later, with unforgettable images of the countryside branded in my mind, we landed back on solid ground and started the process of putting the balloon away, folding it in a specific way.
"And now, the best part!" Marlon said, excited, as he pushed my dad toward the awaiting van.
"Um, I'm pretty sure you can't top that," I said
, one brow lifted, and a smirk planted on my lips.
"Wanna bet?" Marlon asked, mischief written all over his face.
"Never bet against a businessman, baby girl, they're not the type to lose," my father said, a genuine smile etched on his features despite the chorea.
"But..." I looked back at the balloon as we got inside the van and frowned, "How is that even remotely possible?"
"You'll see," they both said, and I was sure they were screwing with me.
They weren't screwing with me. Not even close.
"Hmmm," I moaned, the airy omelette prepared to perfection went down well with a little bubbly, "this is delicious."
I wasn't going to complain about a champagne breakfast at six in the morning in a country that had the cutest animals in the world.
"I told you the best part was yet to come," Marlon said, watching me as I stuffed my face with another bite of omelette coupled with a piece of sausage.
"Well, I wouldn't say the best part. I'd say a definite tie, though." I closed my eyes and savoured the tiny hint of mint that flavored the smooth eggs.
"Why aren't you eating?" I asked, feeling a little self-conscious with both my father and Marlon staring at me as though I were their entertainment for the day.
"We're just making sure it's not poisoned," my father said, a sparkle in his eyes.
"Har har," I stuck out my tongue but inside I was happy to see him jesting, enjoying this moment. Like Marlon said, taking advantage of these moments to build forever memories.
That was what we were doing, the three of us. Stocking up on a slideshow of memories we could replay later in life, remembering the most precious moments in life are spent with the ones you love.
Chapter 41
Marlon
Our apartment was on the Yarra River in the center of Melbourne. I wanted it close to everything, the sights, the museums, the incredible restaurants. Every single cuisine was available to us in the city.
Heading for Domain Parklands in late afternoon to avoid the suffocating heat, I pushed Robert's wheelchair while Jaidyn served as our guide, equipped with GPS and a paper map. Apparently, one alone could not be trusted.
Robert was more and more confined to his chair, his disease progressing at a speed Jaidyn had not anticipated, making her extra careful with every activity we partook.
"So, if I'm not mistaken," she said, looking at her phone then searching out our surroundings, "the entrance to King's Domain should be..." she trailed off and I bit back a laugh, not quite able to supress it all. I could see the entrance about fifty feet in front of us but from her vintage point, a tree was covering the sign.
Robert looked up at me and shook his head. Apparently, I was playing with my life.
"There!" she cried out, clapping her hands like little girl.
"Great job, little bird," I said, winking her way and making her blush.
Fuck, I loved that color on her. Mostly because I put it there.
Every time I fucked her, she'd get the same pinkish glow and it made me feel like I owned the world and she was my center.
As we made our way to the entrance, my phone started buzzing. At first, I ignored it, figured I could call back once we got to the park. But when the call went to voicemail, the ringing started back up again immediately.
"Go, I'll take Dad," Jaidyn said, pushing me out of the way with her hip and a blinding smile on her gorgeous face.
"Brooks," I answered, watching my little bird's ass sashaying down the sidewalk.
I had to look away or risk shocking a few Melburnians with my hardening cock.
"Dude, you need to get back here, asap!" My good mood died at the panic in Ethan's voice.
"What's going on? Is Emma okay?" I asked, looking at my watch and quickly calculating the time. It was ten at night, it must have been important if he couldn’t wait for the next day.
"No, Emma's fine. It's Millie," I froze, a thousand scenarios flashing through my mind.
"What happened?" My voice was ice cold, the fear and worry mixing into a swirl of unease below my stomach. My heart clenching as the worst-case scenarios flashed in my mind.
"I’m not sure yet," he said, I could tell from the crackling line that he was driving, using the hands-free option, the worry in his voice real and debilitating. "She fell down the stairs, tripped over a toy that was lying around. One of the kids called nine-one-one and the hospital called me."
All the sounds, the chatter of people walking by, it all ceased to exist. This was Millie. She was our North star, I had to be there for her and not frolicking on the other side of the world while she lay in a hospital bed or…worse.
Fuck my life. I can’t think of that.
"I'll be there as soon as I can," I told him, "Did they say anything about how she’s doing? About what’s wrong with her?" I asked, needing a nugget of good news to keep me focused during what felt like the longest flight in the history of air travel.
"No, man. They told us she was in the ER and they were taking her up to surgery, that’s all we’ve got." The blaring of his horn and a few choice expletives told me he was about to run over some asshole driver that probably cut him off.
“Is Luca there with you?” I asked, signaling Jaidyn with one hand as I mentally mapped out the next few hours for maximum efficiency.
"Okay, okay. I'll catch a flight tomorrow, be there as soon as I can," which would be way too fucking long.
Our visit was cut short, Robert and Jaidyn refusing to continue without me, explaining that they could do it in the morning. It warmed my heart, this feeling of belonging to a family. One that chose me.
I was packing when Robert slowly made his way to my room and leaned against the door jam.
"If you need me to call a few favors in, let me know," he said, stuttering a couple of his words but keeping his tone sincere.
"Thank you, I appreciate that," I said, giving him a warm smile, "She was in surgery, I guess I won’t know much more until I land," The worst part about this situation was the not knowing. I hadn’t heard back from Ethan, and didn’t know if her injuries were extensive or superficial. Hell, at this point, I didn’t know if she was alive.
No. I couldn’t think like that.
"I'm serious, don't hesitate, okay?" he insisted.
"Thank you, I appreciate it."
With a nod, he pushed off the frame, about to leave me to my packing when I stopped him.
"Robert?"
"Yeah?" he answered, turning his attention back to me.
"You need to tell her," I said, firmly but respectfully.
"I know, and I will. When it's time." He didn't even wait for my reaction, just walked away.
Chapter 42
Jaidyn
Marlon was gone.
I could feel his absence as though it were a living, breathing thing. It wasn’t painful like a knife to the heart. It was more of a lull, a void, a lingering ache that accompanied me throughout the days. Like reading the ending to a favorite book and feeling lost, knowing there was no sequel.
It felt lonely.
I'd spent my entire life with my dad, our silences and our conversations were always comfortable but with his loss of memory and his mood swings, it was getting harder and harder to actually talk for more than fifteen minutes. Our only saving grace were the little signs of affections, a squeeze of the hand, a smile filled with love, a chuckle at a memory. He was reliving moments of his life, remembering details to important events in his past.
He was mentioning my mother more and more often. His memories distorted, irreverent to reality. Almost as though he were rewriting his story to fit the narrative he’d dreamt of all his life. His mind was being dishonest about his memories. And I wanted to remind him that at the end of Casablanca, Ilsa left Rick and neither was happier for it.
We'd made it to our next stop without a hitch but leaving Australia was not an easy feat. The weather, albeit bipolar, was still summer hot.
Now, we were closer to normal Dece
mber weather, even though it was still warmer than it would be, once we made our way to Finland.
Dad had specifically asked for a stop in Jerusalem. Although not necessarily a man with religious ties, he believed in a higher power. It even felt like the closer he came to his death, more he turned to God. It was strange to me. Like eating vanilla ice cream all your life and discovering you actually prefer pistachio.
Our suitcases were waiting for us at the hotel. The Dream List Foundation had sent over our winter luggage, so we were therefore prepared for the remainder of our trip.
"Dad, do you need me to keep any of this stuff or should I send it all back?" I asked him, yelling from one room to the other. He hated that, but I was too lazy to walk the few feet to have a civilized conversation from within the same four walls.
"I don't need anything besides the things in my carry on," he said, eating his lunch, the fork tied to his hand so he wouldn’t drop it while I put things away.
I had cut up his chicken Caesar salad in small enough pieces that he could pick them up himself.
The sudden roar followed by the crashing of plates and glasses nearly shook the walls of the hotel room. At first, I thought it was an earthquake, just a fleeting thought, meaningless wish.
It didn't take me long to realize what was actually happening.
"Daddy! Are you okay?" I rushed to the living area of the suite, my breath coming in deep heaves, my heart rate kicking up to dangerous speeds.
I looked around, certain I'd find him lying on the floor, bleeding or worse, dead.
But the scene was something all together different.
"Dad," I whispered, taking a tentative step like a hunter toward a wounded animal.
"I-I can't d-d-o this. I f-f-f," he stopped, gritted his teeth and took in a deep breath before trying again, "I f-fucking hate th-this disease," he told me, his eyes begging me to understand, the tears shining on his eyelashes but not falling. Not yet.
"I know, Daddy," I told him, taking another step, not quite knowing how to approach him, "I get it."
"No! You don't f-fucking g-get it. How could y-you?" He was right. How could I?