Stay With You (Anthony Rizzo)

14

Anthony

"The next time you're up I'll introduce her to you, I promise" I plead into the phone.

"You've been dating this girl for nearly three months and I haven't even seen her. I don't know how much longer I can wait" my mom argues.

"You've waited 24 years for me to be in a serious relationship. You can wait a few more weeks" I assure her.

"But she's basically a part of the Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation, it's my right to meet her sooner rather than later" she claims.

"Next time you're in town, I promise. Now will you please stop badgering me" I ask.

"No" she admits and I groan.

"Mooom" I whine.

"Alright alright, I'll let it go. At least until the next phone call" she claims and I roll my eyes.

"Great. I can't wait" I mumble.

I talk to my mom and my dad for a little before letting them go. They can be a pain in the ass, but they were a pain in my ass. No one else's.

After paying off some bills and taking a shower I lay down for a little. I look at my phone and see I had a text from Maliyah.

Are you free right now?

I wasn't avoiding her, per say, but I also was trying to veer away from the over protective obsessive boyfriend role I was taking on. I know she liked it but even the loneliest of people need time to be by theirselves.

Yeah. I'm not doing anything. Why, whatsup?

I was wondering if you could stop by the hospital before the game. I have a surprise for you.

I smile big as I look at my phone. Usually I'm the one with the surprises for her, she just always surprises me without even trying. But now she's the one with the plan and I thought it was really cute that she was trying so hard.

I would love to see what you have for me. I'll be over around 3.

Sounds good! I love you Anthony!

I love you too sweetie.

I end up getting changed for the game and clean up around my place a little. I haven't spent much time here besides when I go to bed. But it's become quite a mess in the between time.

After it looked presentable I hop in my car and head to the children's hospital. I think about what could possibly be happening that she asked me to come over. But I know whatever it is it must be something great.

Once I get there I park in my usual spot and go up to the 14th floor. I walk right in to her room but I was not prepared for what I was going to see.

Maliyah stood at the window with the sun encasing her in light, it looked like she had a halo. She had on this incredibly beautiful white dress that was simple yet so extravagant. It reached all the way to the floor and hugged her body nicely. You could see the scars from the surgeries and IV's and chemo on her arms but she didn't care, she was never afraid to show them off.

But for the first time since we met she wasn't wearing a head scarf or a bandana or anything to cover her head. Not even a single hair. But she still looked beautiful. Hair isn't what makes someone beautiful. What's under all that hair does, and that's why she's the most incredible girl in the world to me.

"Maliyah" I whisper and she turns around. She lights up when her eyes meet mine and it makes my heart skip a beat. "You look... incredible. Like an angel" I insist.

"I was thinking more along the lines of Casper the ghost" she teases as she pulls at her dress.

"No. Defiantly a angel" I insist.

I pull her into my chest so I can get a good look at her. Her lips pull tight as she looks me over to see if my reaction to seeing her was sincere or not. And it was. I really haven't ever seen anything more beautiful than her right now. But she would never believe me if I told her that.

"Why are you looking so good" I ask her.

"For you" she smirks.

"And whatever did I do to deserve this" I ask.

"You are the best boyfriend ever, that's what" she tells me.

"Well I feel like it's a waste for you to look this good and me not show it off" I claim.

"What are you talking about" she wonders.

"Stay right here" I say as I go over to the window. I set my phone up in it and put it so the front camera was recording. I take her phone and pull up our song before playing it loudly right next to my phone. I run back to be by her side and she just looks at me with this sense of amazement.

"You are truly something unlike anything I've ever known" she admits.

"Is that a good thing" I ask as she smiles.

"It's a great thing" she insists.

I put my hand out and she places hers in mine. I spin her around in my hand before pulling her close so her chest is against mine. My hands rest on her waist as hers rest on my chest. Her eyes never leave mine as we sway back and fourth.

Never would have I ever imagined myself willingly slow dancing, and never in front of a camera. But my rules don't a apply to her. For her... I would do anything. And that includes slow dancing in this hospital room. Maybe it's the way she looked in that dress, or that fact that after months of her hiding under the whole head scarf thing she finally took it off. I don't know, whatever it was about this moment, I wanted it captured so I could put it on repeat forever.

"What are you going to do with this video" she wonders.

"Edit it and upload it to show my fans why this song means the world to me. Show them that love is stronger than even the toughest cancers and we can win this thing if we all fight together.

And I can maybe get my mom off my back for a while" I admit as she giggles.

"I just want to remember this forever" she claims. She softly cups my cheeks as she stares up to me with those incredible eyes.

"Forever" I promise.

She presses her lips to mine and we stop dancing for a moment. I pull her in closer as she stands up on her tippie toes to reach me. But I hold her up and hold her steady so she knows that I got her.

"I love you" she whispers on my lips and I smile.

"I love you most."