Living With Animals

Chapter 51

February 26

"Seriously. I can't get over how pretty this is," I say, stuffing a strawberry in my face as we sit on the blanket under the sky.

"Well, it took a while to do, but in the end it was worth it. Anyways, I have a serious question."

"I probably don't have a serious answer but ask away."

"So, I know this is the first date, and it's kinda rushing it, but we've been 'talking' like 3 weeks. Therefore..."

"Continue..."

"I wondered if you would want to be my girlfriend. I mean yes it's a bit early, but I wanted to ask now. I think we'd be good together, you and I."

Silence.

Crickets.

"I-uh- I do too. I mean. I think we'd be good together. And- I- like you a lot, uh - so i'm- yes. That's a yes. I'll be you're girlfriend. Also that is a serious answer by the way."

"Yes! I hoped you would say yes!"

"And I did!"

"Good."

"Good."

He grabs my hand and I flinch, but let him take it.

"You okay?"

"Mhmm."

"Why'd you flinch."

"Reasons."

My dad. Cooper.

"And those reasons are."

"I-um- Something you do not need to know of as of right now," I say pinching the bridge of my nose.

"Oh. Okay........" he says, suspicious of me. "Well, anyways, since you said yes to being my girlfriend, I was wondering if you wanted to get lunch tomorrow?"

I want to say yes, but I can't.

"I can't. I want to. But I can't."

"Why's that?"

"I-I. Well-"

"Claire?"

"There's a few things I need you to know."

"Okay?" he answers warily.

"I have two things going on tomorrow. First of which, is treatment."

"What for?"

"Um, give me a second. I'm trying to put this in the best way possible."

"Okay."

"Kay, I got it. Easton. I need you to promise you're still going to date me after I tell you these things."

"I promise."

"Okay. So you know what cancer is right? Leukemia? You know what that is?"

"Of course."

"Okay. Good."

"Why?"

"You know what treatments are right? What some of them are?"

"Yeah. I only know two though. Stem Cell Transplant and Chemo."

"Okay, I wanna know how you knew that but i'll wait until after this..

". I have acute myeloid leukemia," I say.

His eyes snap to mine, and he gets a look of panic.

"Myeloid?"