Stay With You (Anthony Rizzo)

7

Anthony

"Oh come on! I don't look like that" I insist as I point to the drawing of me that the little boy way holding up. The smile on his face was so cute you almost forget about the bandana around his head protecting it.

"Yes you do" the little kid sitting at the table across from me counters. He snickers as he tries to keep a straight face as he insults me.

"I do not! My hair is not green and my nose isn't that big" I insist.

"You guys could be twins" Maliyah claims as she giggles at this conversation I was having right now.

"I don't see it" I insist.

"Look" the little boy demands. "You guys have curly hair and a big head" he accuses and I thought Maliyah was going to lose it.

"Oh my god" she chuckles.

"Do you think this is funny" I ask her as she shakes her head.

"No, not at all" she claims as she tries to hide her smile behind her hand.

"I don't get it. They draw you as a princess and I'm... Shrek" I say and she finally loses it.

"I'm sorry. But that is so funny" she insists.

"Maybe for you" I pout.

"I'm sorry. Was I being mean" she asks and I nod my head. She gets out of her seat and walks over to where I was sitting. She sits herself in my lap before pulling my face down and kissing my cheek.

"Much better" I smile.

We spend the rest of the afternoon hanging out with the kids and drawing and making things. It was all fun but the kids had to go to lunch and Maliyah was getting tired. She was always pretty tired. So I help her back up to her room and into her bed. I order her some lunch and find us a movie to watch.

"You don't have to stay" she assures me as I tuck her into bed.

"I know I don't have to. But I don't want to be anywhere else" I assure her.

"Why do you want to hang out with a sick person" she asks.

"I'm not hanging out with a sick person. I'm hanging out with a beautiful and exquisite and incredible girl who just so happens to be sick" I claim.

"My last boyfriend broke up with me because I was sick" she tells me and I freeze. I look up to her as she waits for me to say something.

"He's an idiot" I finally say. That's the nicest way I could possibly put it.

"He has a point. I know you would rather be doing this stuff out there" she claims.

"I would. But then it would have to be with someone else and now I'm no longer interested" I claim.

"Then why did he give up on me" she suddenly asks and I let out a long sigh. I see her laying on her side as she stares at me. I bring my chair closer to her so I can grab her hand. I bring it up to my lips before I press a light kiss on her knuckles.

"I don't know baby" I admit. "Some people can't handle this stuff. They hear cancer and assume it's the end. That there's nothing that comes after the diagnosis. But that guy... he's a idiot. He gave up on the wrong girl because you're still here and you're still fighting. He gave up on something amazing because he was too afraid to have it taken from him" I explain.

"You're not going to leave me, right" she asks.

"No baby, I'm not. I'm gonna be right by your side, through the darkness and through the light. When it's hard and when it's easy I'll be right here. Im gonna stay with you" I whisper.

"I don't want to lose you" she insists.

"I'm right here" I say squeezing her hand.

"I'm so tired" she whispers.

"Go to bed" I beg.

"I don't want to" she claims.

"Why not" I wonder.

"Because I want to stay here with you" she says.

"I won't leave you, I promise. I'll stay here, then when you wake up we can watch a movie" I promise.

"Okay" she says with a weak smile and I smile back.

Within seconds she was out. Her hand still in mine as I hold it tight. I watch as her long eyelashes close tight. Her lips in a small smile as her breathing evens out. I watch as she sleeps so peacefully, the pain finally no longer on her mind. I softly rub her hand as she just lays there.

I wish I could take the pain away. I wish she wasn't hurt by her ex-boyfriend. I wish she wasn't so hard on herself. I wish she could see that I am absolutely and positively infatuated by her and she wasn't even trying.

I've never felt like this before. I've never been so obsessed with someone. But I was in love with the idea of her. She was by far the strongest person I've ever met. She's such a joy to be around, always lights up the room. I could listen to her talk all day, her voice was like velvet. I would do anything just to hear her laugh.

Needless to say, I had it bad. This girl was unlike anyone I had ever met before I had no idea how to handle her. All I knew is that I wanted her to be happy and I wanted to be the reason why. I wanted to mean something to her, that would be really cool.

She takes about a two hour nap before she wakes up. I still had a hold of her hand as she opens up her eyes. She smiles once she realizes I had stayed there the whole time.

"Someone deserves the boyfriend of the year award" she claims.

"Is it me" I tease.

"It's you" she smirks.

"How was your nap" I wonder.

"It was pretty good. I was so worried about missing you but it turns out you're in my dreams too" she admits.

"I didn't have crazy green hair and look like Shrek did I" I ask and she giggles.

"Nope. You looked handsome as always" she assures me as she cups my cheek with her free hand.

"Good" I smile.