Last Cup of Cocoa

Ten

After that day Edwin and Lyla spent every day together. Edwin stayed home and left Charlie in charge of the café till he saw it fit to come back. Lyla had insisted he didn't have to stay every day but he felt he needed to. If not for her but for himself. It had been just a few weeks since Lyla had stopped the treatment and it started to catch up with her. She did not leave the bed, she did not eat, she never even used the restroom like one should.

She was fading away and it was breaking his heart, slowly as the days went by. He wanted to cherish every moment with her as much as he could before he knew it was time to say goodbye. Now he knew better than to think about it, it hurt him too much to but it was a reality that had to be faced. Edwin never let Lyla know what he was thinking though, he couldn't bring himself to stress her with his heartache.

"Eddie?" Lyla's voice weak and tired, called out for him from across the room where he stood, looking through his many books for one in particular.

Turning around he walked towards her with a gentle smile, "yes, darling?"

"I love you." She sighed.

He chuckled, "I love you too."

"Okay, that's all I wanted to say. You can go back to what you were doing." She chuckled softly. Rolling his eyes Edwin stood back up. He was glad she still had her humor, he loved that she got back to being herself, even if she was exhausted and couldn't move around like he knew she wanted to. He was just glad to see that light in her eyes again, the one he loved to see every morning when their eyes would meet.

He'd miss starting his days that way.

"Found it!" he exclaimed forcing a grin upon his face before walking back towards Lyla with the book in hand.

"What book is it?" She asked.

He gasped, appalled by her question, "what? You don't remember this book? Is your memory fading too or are you just losing your mind?"

She laughed, "oh shut it, will you? What book is it?"

He grinned and turned the book over. Lyla gasped.

"Blood and Chocolate." She smiled widely, "I remember now."

"Of course you do." He chuckled, "shall I read it to you?"

Lyla scooting over to the other side of the bed patted where she once was for Edwin to lay down. Chuckling he laid beside her and got comfortable, only to have Lyla move closer and make herself comfortable with half her body on his.

"Are you done?" He asked looking down at her amused and she nodded with one last shuffle.

"Yes. Now read."

"Alright. I'll continue where we left off then."

As he opened the book Lyla shut her eyes and sighed in content as he began to read the words. His voice soothed her as she pictured the story in her mind. It was her favorite book growing up, it was the first book her father ever gave her really, she fell in love with it. She remembered the day she showed it to Edwin, it was a week after they truly began their relationship. They were sharing each others most precious secrets and showing each other their most prized possessions.

She only had one, and it was the book Edwin had in his hands right now.

"This book is very old, Eddie, please be careful." She warned him as she handed the book to him. He examined it, the soft cover ripped and creased at the edges with the cover nearly faded. The picture of the girl almost gone and words barely to be seen.

"Why don't you just get a new one?" He asked flipping through the pages gently.

"Because I like mine, thank you. Plus my father gave it to me when I was five."