Chapter V

CHAPTER V

Summer of ’93 before Jenny went back to college on her senior year her condition drastically worsens. She got very sick to the point where she couldn’t even get up. Jenny lived in the hospital for three weeks but then she wanted to go home and do the resting in her own bed. She was bedridden for a month. Dr. Martin came visit her everyday. With all that pain, she managed not to show any painful reaction to me, and to those who visited her. She always had a smile but I know behind it, hurt and pain. Oh, I wish I could take it away from her or at least share the same pain. My heart ached. I thought my ache was worst than what she’s feeling because I couldn’t do anything. I didn’t go to work the whole time she’s in bed. If I did, it’s because I need to sign paper work and do some urgent meetings. I made sure that every time she opened her eyes I’m right there on her side cheering her, and letting her know that I would not leave her alone.

Mike never misses a day without stopping by and making her day joyful. He loves her so. I could feel it in my heart that he truly and dearly loves my Jenny. When they’re together the room seems to light up, after all these years knowing Jenny’s condition he could have just let go of her and date other girls but he stuck with her. He made sure that she knew how much she meant to him and how much he loves her, that she’s the most important thing in his life.

Mike graduated with flying color. He had a degree in Science. Weeks later, he had a big offer to work for a very high-class research company in New York with more extra goodies with it. For instance, he will finish his master on company’s expense, house and car. It’s a very sweet offer. He didn’t think for a minute how good the offer is. He simply said that if he couldn’t stay in town his answer is no. The company wants him bad they gave him three months to think it over and have his decision by then. His parents upset by his decision, His Mom most of all, tried hard and encouraged Mike to change his mind and accept the offer. His mom said. “You would rather miss a chance of a lifetime just so you could stay here with Jenny. She has a brother that takes care of her ‘till her last days. She doesn’t need you. When she’s gone what’s going to happen to you. You can’t continue to put a hold on your life for her. If she loves you, she would let you go. You two could still be friends.” She had a long paused.

“I want you to take that job.” His Mom ended it with a firm look at Mike.

Mike responded calmly. “I’m not going to do that, Mom. I love Jenny very much. She’s my life. She doesn’t have much time in this world. I’m not going to abandon her so I can be very successful and famous. If success means leaving her to die alone, then I don’t want success to come near me at all. Success can wait ‘till she’s gone. By then work will be my only focus in life. I don’t think healing my heart from the loss I’m about to experience will come easily and I don’t think replacing her would be that easy either. She’s all I want Mom, Dad. I’m sorry to disappoint you.”

His Dad responded. “What your Mom is trying to say is that you have to move on with your life. You can’t do anything to help her get well.”

Mike was defensive. “Yes, I can. I can make her last days the most joyous and memorable days for her and for me as well, instead of guilt.” He looked at his parents then he stormed out of the house, got in his car and took off as fast as he could. In the car, he couldn’t help crying, his tears rolling down his cheeks. He mumbled to himself. “I couldn’t leave her I couldn’t. I couldn’t hurt her feelings. I’m not gonna do it.” Then he started screaming, “Jenny, why it has to be you, Why you?!!!” He stopped the car on the side of the road and let loose his emotion. He stayed there for about twenty minutes or so. Not knowing where to go he just drove and drove ‘till he ended back to our house. Mike knocked on the door. I opened the door for him. “Mike, are you okay? You looked like you’re a million miles away,”

He just looked at me and walked in. I immediately closed the door and followed him, “Mike, did you hear me. Are you okay?” I repeated.

He stopped walking then he turned around to my direction. “Hi Matt, Did you say something? I’m sorry my mind is full right now.” I stayed quiet and waited for him to say more. Mike continued. “I just had an argument with my parents”.

“What’s about?” I asked him indifferently.

“About the offer I got in New York. They want to me take it.”

“Why don’t you? It’s a wonderful offer of course they would be upset with you if you don’t take it. I know your thinking of Jenny that’s why you don’t want to go, but Mike…” I tried not to tip him off. He had enough things on his mind I didn’t have to add more.

“I can’t do it. I can’t leave Jenny. I can’t afford to lose her. Please don’t tell Jenny about this. She doesn’t know anything about this at all, and I’m not going to tell her. I have some good offer here in town that I don’t need to go so far away from her.”

“I won’t mention it,” I gave him my word, “And beside that’s your job to let her know about your plans.”

“Thanks Matt. I know I can count on you all the time,”

Mike and Jenny had many dreams together, plans for their future together. They had plans since high school. Both would finish college, get married and have some kids. They would get married only after I got married. Jenny didn’t want me to live by myself so the plan was; I needed to find somebody and married before she finished college. Sounds like good plans to me, but all that seemed wasted dreams to me, maybe not. I could understand why Mike didn’t want to leave before she’s gone.

Jenny didn’t get to start school on time. She’s a month late. Since the school gave her a special privilege to finish her senior year, she was able to make up all the days that she missed. She had weeks straight without fever or dizzy spells. Everything was going well. Jenny was eating a lot more than she used to and her face was getting more radiant than ever and has more energy. I thought it would last for long… One day she was at school taking a test, all of a sudden she fell down on the floor with almost no pulse. They rushed her to the hospital. After two days at the hospital, she asked me if she could go home and do the resting on her own bed. Dr. Martin allowed it. He said he could just do home visit with her.

Jenny was home for a week. On the last day of her rest in bed, I came in her room to see how she’s doing; she greeted me with a smile. She asked me to sit down so we could talk. She started with her usual opening. “I love you, Matt.”

She sat straight and she leaned back against the headboard. She asked me to sit closer. I did what she asked me.

“Matt, you know that I love you very much, right?”

“Yes, I know.”

“Matt… I want you to do me a favor.”

“Anything,” I said quietly. She went on with her speech. “I want you to get married while I’m still here.”

I interrupted. “But Jenny…”

“Let me finished,” she argued back, “I want you to; I can’t leave you alone by yourself. I need to make sure you’re taking care of before I go and I don’t mean by Andrea. She’s always going to take care of you. Don’t make this any harder for me, Matt. I want you to go to Alice and ask her to marry you. You love Alice, don’t you…? I think she has the same feeling for you. Anyway, Alice is not my point. My point is… I want to see you in the aisle waiting for your bride to come and say I do to each other. You know as well as I do the thing of mine isn’t going anywhere. You have done enough. You’ve done a lot for me for so long that it’s time to turn the table around… I want you to be happy without me. I want you to give yourself a break and attend to your own need. Matt, please do this for me; I don’t want you to lose on this too. I couldn’t bear the pain I would cost you.”

I wanted to interrupt her but she just shushed me and continued. “As I said I love you very much and I’m very lucky to have you as my brother, I’m sorry for all the pain I cost you and I’m about to give you. I’m sorry for bailing on you early.”

Her eyes flooded with tears. I held her and comforted her. We hugged for a while and didn’t say a word. We let our emotions do the talking. My own tears rolled down. I couldn’t bring myself to talk. My heart was so heavy that I cried. I hugged her tighter. I didn’t want to let go. We hugged until she complained of tiredness and wanted to go to sleep. She asked me to tuck her in bed. I was tucking her in when she asked me to call Mike to ask him to come over tonight because she wanted to talk to him heart to heart. After I tucked her in, I lay down next to her stroking her beautiful hair, she fell asleep right away. I gazed at her beautiful and peaceful face. I did not move ‘till my heart was light. I left her room, regrouped myself then called Mike. Mike wasn’t home so I left a message to his Mom. Before I hang up, I made sure to his Mom to pass the message to him; she said okay and hung up the phone. After I hung up on her, I called Alice to meet me at her favorite place in three hours.

On the way to meet Alice, I stopped by the nearest Mall with jewelry store in it. I shopped in a hurry for an engagement ring. I didn’t know what to get, I know she liked diamonds and other gemstone rings because I saw it a lot on her fingers. I picked up a one-carat diamond engagement ring. I thought to myself, “If she didn’t like this style then she can just exchange them with the one she likes. I don’t mind if she does.” Alice is very particular with what she put on herself and that include jewelry. It has to go with what she’s wearing or style of her hairdo, whatever.

I waited a little for Alice to come. I was nervous and it was good that she wasn’t there before me. It gave me time to think what I was going to say and how I was going to say it. Should I say because Jenny asked me, my mind was rushing with thought; it was going like the speed of light. I didn’t notice when Alice came in. I startled myself when she kissed my cheek and said, “Hi, Matt.”

“Hi,” I quickly returned.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes, please sit down.” I got up to pull up the chair for her. I signaled the waiter to our table. I couldn’t settle down. I was fidgety and Alice noticed it.

“Is there something wrong? Is Jenny all right?” She asked with concern.

“Yes, she is. Are you hungry?”

I tried nervously hard to avoid her gazes.

“Matt I know there is something bothering you. You can hardly look straight at me. Now what is it?” She getting desperate, I could tell she’s being frustrated.

I blurted out the word, “Will you marry me?” I didn’t know how the word came out of my mouth. I looked at Alice who was a bit shocked of what she heard. She was speechless. I regrouped my thought and quickly talked before Alice gets to answer my question. “Alice I love you dearly, I want to spend my life with you. I know in my heart that you’re the girl I want to share my life with, but before you say anything in response to my question, I want you to consider my situation. You know where all my time spent. Listen to me carefully, I know that Jenny asked me to move on with my life and married so I can have a family. I promised to myself that even if I get married I would still be taking care of her, that she would still get the same attention from me no matter what the situation maybe. I want you to know this ahead so there are no surprises. I’m not getting married to alienate Jenny from me. I’m getting married because it’s the right time and I know that you want to know if there’s a chance for us. Think about this before you answer me.” I took a deep breath in relief.

Alice took a deep breath also, looked at me with a puzzled look and said, “Yes, yes I will marry you.” Then she smiled at me and took the ring I held firmly with my hand. She carefully examined it. She gave the ring back to me and extended her ring finger. I slowly slid the ring to her finger. My hand was very shaky from nervousness. I held her hand for a while then kissed it. I lifted up my head to look at her and smiled. “I love you, are you sure you want to marry me.”

She returned the smile and said, “I love you too, and yes I am very sure, I want to marry you.” I felt a bit guilty. I knew in my heart that I do love Alice but I’m only doing this because Jenny asked me. Never in my mind had I thought of marriage. Alice interrupted my train of thoughts.

“Penny for your thoughts,” she said with a smile.

I smiled back and said. “Let’s go tell Jenny. I think she’s going to be very happy.”

“Okay, let’s go tell her the good news”.

We pulled over the driveway the same time as Mike. I got out of the car, and opened the door for Alice. Mike walked towards us. He greeted Alice with a hug. I shook his hand and asked. “You’re just coming in?” I quickly changed the subject. I told him what happened tonight. He was so happy for us. He gave Alice another big hug and kiss on the cheek.

“I’m so happy for you guys. I wish you all the happiness. I hope you grow old together. You know you looked great together.”

“We’re going to tell Jenny the good news you can come with us. She wanted to talk to you anyway.”

“She does? I didn’t know she wants me.”

“Didn’t you get my message?”

“No,” shocked, “Whom did you give it?”

“Your Mom,” I said with disbelief that she didn’t give Mike the message.

“If I knew Jenny wanted me I would have come sooner. I can’t believe my Mom didn’t tell me about it.”

“Oh well, you’re here so it doesn’t matter.” I patted his back.

We all went in Jenny’s room she seems disoriented. I felt her forehead for fever. She took my hand off and said. “I’ve been sleeping too long I guess I forgotten everything. What’s up?”

I felt so excited that I started telling. “We have good news.”

Alice interrupted in turn. “We are getting married,” showing her the ring.

Jenny came back with a silly joke, “The three of you?”

“Ha, ha, ha,” I said jokingly. “Alice and I are getting married soon.”

“How soon,” she interrupted, “Would I be here?”

“Jenny,” I cut in. “I don’t like that word. Of course you’ll still be here.”

“How about next month,” joked Alice, “Is that soon enough for you? You will be my bridesmaid.”

I turned to Mike, “Mike, you will be my best man, you like the job?”

“It’s an honor. I love you man.”

“My pleasure,” I quipped back.

We chatted for a while. Mike changed the subject. He focused on Jenny.

“How are you, love?” Mike gave her a hug and a kiss.

“I’m fine,” retorted Jenny.

“I’m sorry I would have come sooner only if my Mom gave me the message.”

Jenny smiled at him. “It’s okay I was asleep anyway. Sit down next to me so we can talk. I want you to listen very well.” From the tone of her voice, she sounded as if she’s going to read him his will like the way she did me.

“You two close the door behind you when you leave, please.”

Alice and I left the room closing the door behind us.

Jenny took a deep breath and sighed she took Mike’s hand and kissed it. When she finished, she started talking, she opened with, “Mike, you know that I love you very much, right?”

“Yes,” said Mike, “Why, what’s wrong?”

“Listen, please, let me talk. I want you to know that I appreciate everything you did for me. I’m so lucky that I had a chance to know you, to love you.”

“Jenny I didn’t like the sound of this,” Interrupted Mike.

Jenny persisted. “Mike, please don’t make this hard for me, I…” she paused for a minute. She looked at him and sighed again. “I want you to take that offer. It’s a good opportunity for you.”

“Jenny, I don’t want to hear this. What offer?”

“Mike listen its time you give yourself a break. Don’t worry about me I will be fine. I urged Matt to get married before I go. I want you to do the same for me. Go take that job. I’m not asking you forget me. I’m just asking you to take the job. You can call me anytime when you’re feeling homesick, or lonely, or just want to talk to me. I promise I will call any time if I feel the same way. The other thing, I want you to start going out more and meet other people, more, like the opposite sex…”

Mike interrupted with a firm voice. “Jenny.”

“Mike what we have is special. If I’m not going, I won’t be asking you these things. Remember our plans back then, that’s not going to happen is it. I’m letting you go of that promise… Please, forgive me for breaking that promise. I can’t do it… I’m sorry for the pain I’ve cost you. I do love you very much and that I will be carrying onto the other side. Take the job and move on with your life. Find the simple cure for this kind of disease.” Mike couldn’t believe what he’s hearing from Jenny. He asked curiously, “Did my mom talk to you?” Jenny didn’t answer.

Mike was irate, “What did she say to you? Jenny, I’m not going to take that job just to satisfy her. How can she be so insensitive?”

“Mike,” Jenny interrupted him. “I didn’t tell you this because she talked to me. She just beat me to it. I want to tell you about this a while back. I just didn’t know how to start it. She gave me a perfect reason to do it and I was thankful to her for that. I don’t want you put your life on hold for me. I want you to do this for me.”

“I want to spend my life with you. I want to serve you for the remaining days of your life.” Jenny looked at Mike vividly, teardrops rolling down her cheek. “Mike I really want you to do this. I beg of you, Mike… Take that job. For once, let me do something for you. I don’t want you to be miserable when I go. I cannot have peace if those happen. Please…” Mike hugged Jenny so tight and cried. “I will do this for you but only for you. I will take the job but I won’t go out with other girls that I couldn’t do even if I forced myself. My love is only for you, my heart belongs to you, and my mind will only be thinking of you. I will be flying back every chance I get at least once a month. Jenny…I love you so much, I love you…”

Mike and Jenny hugged for a while and cried together. They didn’t say a word. Mike broke the ice and said. “I will call them back and tell them that I’m taking the job but I won’t be going until the beginning of the year. I want to spend these next three months with you. Besides next month is Matt and Alice’s wedding. Then it’s my birthday few weeks after that, and its Christmas after that. Therefore, you see I can’t go just like that. If they don’t like that, well, they can just find somebody else. I want to spent time with you everyday. I will be your driver and your servant for the next three months. Could you please let me do that before I move to New York?” Jenny replied with a smile on her teary face. “Sure, I would love that. I’m going back to school next week you can start from there.”

I knocked, slowly opening the door without waiting for response. Both were still sobbing. I went to hug them I could feel the pain in their hearts. My mind was playing tricks on me. I thought to myself, “First, she told me to get married and get on with my life; Andrea just told me that Jenny talked to her also, and now Mike. What’s going on?” My heart was pounding and bad thoughts started rushing in. What’s wrong? Is she saying goodbye to us? What would happen to me? What would I do without her? I didn’t like this. I didn’t like it at all. It scared me that I don’t know what to do. Oh please, tell me it’s not true. I need to talk to her but words didn’t want to come out of my mouth and tears brewing in my eyes. Jenny must have gotten wet with my tears because she’s the one who broke the silence. She loosens her arms from us and said, “I’m tired now, I think I’ll go back to bed.”

Jenny did look very tired. Mike and I tucked her in. She told us how lucky she was, “The two men in my life. I love you both very much. Goodnight.” We gave her a kiss and said goodnight to her then I turned off the light and close the door behind us. When we got out of Jenny’s room Mike and I had a talk, we talked about Jenny’s action tonight, how it felt as if she was saying goodbye to us. We’re both scared at the thought. In the middle of our conversation, Mike asked. “Did my mom call or come by to talk to Jenny?”

“Not that I know of, let’s go asked Andrea. She should know.” We went to Andrea’s room. The door was close; I knocked. Andrea opened the door and asked, “Is there something wrong.”

Mike asked first. “Andrea did my Mom call or came over here?”

“Yes,” she answered.

I asked her what his Mom was doing here.

Andrea told us the whole story. “Your mom came over yesterday around 10:30 in the morning. She didn’t stay long but she had a lot to say. She talked to Jenny about your future, Mike. She was rather upset of Jenny. She told Jenny how she’s been holding back your life and future. She said a lot of stuff but the worst thing was she told Jenny to go, so it would be easy for everyone especially for you, Mike. That’s when I came in the room and asked her to leave. Jenny didn’t say anything at all. She kept her mouth shut. She was almost ready to cry. When your Mom left that’s when she let go. I wasn’t very happy with your Mom. She didn’t take notice of her condition.” Andrea got quiet for a while. Mike and I both couldn’t believe what we heard.

Mike blurted out. “I need to go home and confront her. What she did was uncalled for.”

“Mike, be more respectful when you talked to your Mom,” I patted him on the back.

He headed towards the door.

“I will; thank you Matt.” He left very upset.

After Mike left I went back to talk with Andrea who was waiting by the stairs. I went up to her. “Why didn’t you tell me about this?”

“Jenny told me not to mention it to anybody including you. That’s when she talked to me about my future. Sort of a last will. I think she’s tired of living her life this way don’t you think so?”

I got chills all over my body. I snapped at Andrea accidentally. “Don’t you dare say that word? How could you?”

Andrea apologized profusely. “I’m very sorry I didn’t mean it that way. You know that I’m going to miss her as much as you do. I treated you both as my own.”

“I know that. I just don’t wanna hear those words it gives me chills.” I gave Andrea a hug and started crying like a little boy. She comforted me very lovingly like my Mom used to do when I’m sad. “I’m scared, what am I going to do when she’s gone. It scared me to imagine my life without her in it. My whole life was focus on her.”

“Matt, that’s why she wants you to get married so you will have a life, I know that this too shall pass and she will be happy knowing that we are moving on. She will be in our hearts as long as we’re around on this earth, and I know that she knew, she is very treasured by us, especially by you,” Andrea’s voiced was heavy. All that time she was losing it until she couldn’t talk any longer. She looked at me, gave me a motherly kiss, said goodnight with a very gentle tone, and headed back in her room.

“Goodnight, Andrea,” I said very gently.

All of a sudden, I felt so alone. Never in my entire life had I ever felt this way, I felt lost and I couldn’t find my way home. My whole body suddenly got very cold. I was shivering. My heart was pounding twice the normal rate. I became terrified. I quickly ran back into Jenny’s room. I opened the door without knocking and blurted out her name.

Jenny awakens of course, “Are you okay, Matt?”

My voice cracked. “I’m sorry if wake you up,”

She sat up and asked me to sit next to her. I did. “Come here you, and give me a hug. You look like you need it. Don’t worry about waking me up because I wasn’t really sleep any way. For some reason I couldn’t sleep. I’m tired but I can’t sleep.” She paused seconds later she asked me. “How are you feeling now, still cold?”

“I’m okay now. Thank you.” I said shyly to her. I tried gathering myself. I asked her. “Did Mike’s Mom come over here to talk to you?”

She tried to avoid my eyes when she said, “Yeah but she didn’t stay long.”

“Why didn’t you tell me this?”

“It wasn’t a pleasant visit so I didn’t bother to tell you about it. Did Andrea tell you about this?”

“Yes, Mike and I asked her because Mike thought that maybe his Mom had something to do with what you told him, and he was right.”

“Andrea asked her to leave. Don’t worry about it. Let’s not talk about that.”

“Jenny I don’t want this to happen again. She didn’t have the right to tell you stuff like that.”

She ended the conversation with simple, “Okay.” She changed the topic quickly before I have to say anything. “Are you going to stay here with me tonight? Can you tell me a story like you used to when I was young? Please...”

“Okay, lie down and moved over so I could fit.” I lay next to her. I told her a story about Mom and Dad. Few minutes later, she was asleep. I stayed there watching her sleep, and I too drifted. It was a good thing because when I woke up in the middle of the night, she was very hot. Her fever was high. I got up quickly and got her medicine. I woke her up to take it. I also put an icy pack on her forehead. I stayed in her room to make sure the fever went down. I fell back to sleep on her side holding her hands.

Meanwhile, Mike did confront his parents especially his Mom. It wasn’t a very pleasant conversation. Mike definitely upset about what happened. He burst in the house and banged the door hard it made a thunderous noise inside the house. He definitely got his parents attention. His Mom came out of their room with burning eyes and asked furiously, “Michael John Andrews, what on earth did you do that for?”

Mike answered, “Why, Mom. Why did you do it?”

“Do what?” she asked back.

“You know what I’m talking about. Why do you have to go there and insulted her that way? It was bad enough that you insulted her but telling her to just die so it would be easy for everyone, why, Mom?”

He muddled. He looked at his Mom.

His Mom denied it. “I didn’t do that. I specially didn’t tell her to die so it would be easy for everyone. That’s not what I meant.”

“Don’t lie to me Mom.” He’s agitated.

“Why do you ask, did Jenny tell you all this?”

“No, Mom. Jenny didn’t say a thing. She didn’t even tell me that you came over there to destroy her. Andrea was the one who told Matt and me everything, what you did and say to Jenny, and how she asked you to leave.”

Mike’s Dad interrupted them both. “Julia, did you really say that to Jenny?”

Mrs. Andrews didn’t say anything. She tried to avoid the looked on his face. Mr. Andrews continued. “Julia, answer my question. Did you say it or not?”

This time his voice was harsh and she could tell he’s not fooling around. It made Mrs. Andrews a little worried. She didn’t know what to do. She started thinking of what she’s going to say that wouldn’t make him angry.

Mr. Andrews and Mike both have a disappointed look on their faces. They didn’t say anything. Both waited for Mrs. Andrews to speak.

A few minutes later Mrs. Andrews spoke. “Yes, I did. I told her to die already so it’d be easy for everyone. I didn’t mean to say it. It just came out.”

It was a complete silence for a few moments. Mrs. Andrews couldn’t look at both of them. She looked down waiting for forgiveness of some sort. Mr. Andrews broke the silence, “How could you be so cold. To my knowledge, you visit the sick to give them inspiration and motivation to live. Some rather moral supports to them, you cheer their spirit up and encourage them to hold on to life, not kill them.”

“I didn’t mean it, John, truly. I regretted it right after I said it,” explained Mrs. Andrews.

Mike cut in. “Then why didn’t you apologize at all. Why didn’t you say you were taking it back, instead you said something else, while Andrea was asking you to leave?”

Mrs. Andrews was defensive she was like ready to chew somebody. “I wasn’t thinking. And that Maid of theirs, who did she think she is, asking me to leave,”

“Somebody who had a lot of sacrifices, who had a lot of invested time on Jenny, who cares so much for her. She had every right to kick you out of there. I would too if I were Andrea. Good thing Matt wasn’t in, otherwise you got more than what you bargained for.”

“I’m very sorry Mike really I am,” said Mrs. Andrews who was very apologetic.

“You didn’t do anything to me. Why are you saying that to me? Why don’t you call her and apologized to her?” Mike got the phone and handed it to his Mom. “Go on, if you really are sorry. This is the time to get it right with her.”

“She must be sleeping by now. I don’t want to bother her and besides what if Matt is the one who answer the phone. I don’t wanna talk to him,” said Mrs. Andrews then left the room before Mike or Mr. Andrews, get to say anything.

Mike explained the whole thing to his Dad. “Jenny kinda gave me her final wishes for me; she wanted me to take the job offer I had in New York. Jenny had no knowledge about this until Mom talked to her. She didn’t give me a choice either. I had to say yes. I told her that I would accept it but I won’t leave now, the company gave me until the end of the year to decide. I have to tell them tomorrow that I want the job but I won’t be on board ‘till after new year. I want these few months to be Jenny’s moment. I will be serving her everyday.”

“Good idea, I will support that,” said Mr. Andrews. The two talked for a while until both said their tired. Again, Mike felt the bond between them. He was happy about it. His Dad always has been the nicest person to be around with when things heat up.

The next morning Jenny was doing well. She woke up before me and watched me sleep. When she saw me moving my head she said, “Good morning, Matt. I love you.”

“I didn’t hear you, say it again.” I gave her a hug.

“I love you, Matt. You’re my favorite brother in the world,” screamed Jenny on top of her lungs.

“I’m your only brother.”

“Oh,” she smiled and followed it with a kiss.

After a week in bed, she went back to school. Mike did exactly what he promised her before he goes to New York. He’d come in early in the morning. While Andrea was helping Jenny get ready for school, Mike was in the kitchen making breakfast. He served and joined her for breakfast then drove her to school. He joined her for lunch and drove her home after school. He drove her to the doctor where she goes at least three times a week for check up and blood work. He did homework with her and played games with her. In the evening, he joined her for supper. He didn’t leave ‘till she’s asleep. Mike did this for three months straight without missing a day.

It’s kind a good thing for me, it helped me a lot, also Andrea, but sometimes I felt jealous. I tried not to show it. Jenny was happy about it since after New Year she won’t be able to see Mike and be with him like this. I didn’t want to spoil it for her. I spent most of my free time trying to know Alice more on the deeper side of her, knowing her family and her friends that she hangs out with her. I really wanted to spend more time with Jenny but she’s trying to push me more towards Alice. She always reminded me that I will be married soon so she needs to start to not depend on me that much. I always tell her I don’t like it.

Mrs. Andrews was happy that Mike would be taking the job in New York but she’s upset that Mike didn’t leave right away. Instead, he would be spending his time everyday with Jenny until after New Year. Mrs. Andrews wanted Mike to go and start his new life without Jenny in it. Mike still upset with his Mom, he purposely tried not to go home until late so he won’t have to face his Mom, and he tried to avoid arguments or drillings from his Mom. On the other hand, Mr. Andrews continued to be nice to us. He comes visit Jenny every chance he got, mostly when Mrs. Andrews was out with her friends at night. He would bring her flowers and stuff animals he joined us for dinner played games and chatted with us. Mike and his Dad would sometimes go home at night together. Mrs. Andrews always very upset every time she found out that they’d been with us and she would nag them especially her husband, but that didn’t stop Mr. Andrews. He would just kiss Mrs. Andrews and always answer with, “I love you too honey.”