When your entire world is shattered by the news that someone you love is terminally ill, it certainly throws you through a loop. But you need to remember that it isn't actually happening to you.
It is about relying on those around you to keep you standing strong. It's almost as if there is a silent rule telling you to keep your chin up and to give moral support to the one who is going through the illness themselves.
While I was thankful to have Luis by my side through that time, calling Adam the next day, as it always did, made me feel so much better.
I think that it was because he always felt like a brother to me. I guess he still is... but he always saw my family as his extended family. He and I were a duo.
I know that he certainly made my mother happy by speaking to her on the phone, even though he was hurting about not being there. When I was out of the vicinity of my mother, I even filled Adam in with the updates on our plan... you know the whole engagement thing, and my father being in on it.
I guess that I just needed to hear his advice, even if this elevation of the plan did leave him a little stumped, to say the least. But he hesitantly agreed that my father's decision to keep up the charade did have its advantages.
Before we ended our long phone call, he was sure to tell me that Zachary Binks was doing well, but as always he refused to stay at Adam's house... even for a one-night sleepover.
This meant that Adam had to pop in every day to check in on him and feed him. I guess that Binks loves being the only man of the house.
Adam's parting advice was to remind me to make the most of my time with my mother and to keep my chin up. So I promised to heed his advice, because what use was having a counselor as a best friend if you didn't listen to them?
Besides, it's not like he has ever let me down before!
The next few days go by and for the first time in my life, my relationship with my parents doesn't feel so strained. It's almost as if they have erased their judgments entirely.
But every time the conversation begins to steer anywhere remotely close to her sickness, my mother confidently steers it away again. That is until the day before Luis and I are set to travel back to New York City.
It is late in the evening and Luis and I have had one too many glasses of wine and we have finally opened up about our backstory. The four of us are sitting in my parents luxurious living room.
Would you like to know the backstory that we used?
While I would like to say that we went with Adam's story, Luis couldn't help himself.
He told them what really happened the day that we met. Sure enough, he said that it happened months ago, as opposed to a week ago, but other than that, he didn't leave out a single detail.
The story leaves both my parents in a state of hysterics. It is certainly good to see them laugh again. I, on the other hand, need to maintain my dignity.
"In my defense, he pushed in!" I say, trying to hold back my laughter. "I was mortified! I never want to go back to that cafe ever again!"
"You shouldn't feel so bad," Luis replies. "The fact that you were willing to stand up to me was pretty cute. The vomit... not so much. Before you did that, I was actually tempted to buy you a coffee for your bravery. I wouldn't have let you go without!"
Do you remember when I told you a few chapters ago that there was a moment between us when I doubted that Luis was really gay? Well, that moment right there, where he has just told me this part of the story... I once again receive that same vibe. There is a pure honesty to his tone.
