Stay With You (Anthony Rizzo)

31

Maliyah

After having a magical Christmas Day at home with my family it was time for a reality check and I had to head back to the hospital. I started up with radiation the day after Christmas and unfortunately for me that ran through the new year.

While people were out with their loved ones drinking and having fun I was being filled with lethal amounts of radiation to stop my cancer from spreading into anything important again. I guess I could give up this holiday for my life, but that doesn't mean I have to be happy about it.

"What are your plans for today" Anthony asks and I laugh.

"Try not to die" I admit.

"Leah" he warns. I knew I was in trouble when he called me that.

"Nothing. My plans are nothing" I admit.

"Well if you're interested, I think we can get a view of the fireworks at the pier from the top of his building that would be pretty incredible" he claims and I smile.

"I'm interested" I admit.

"If you're not feeling up to it I totally understand. I know you're going through radiation right now so you don't have to say yes" he insists.

"I want to go. I really do" I promise.

"Alright. We can go but only if you bundle up really good" he claims.

"Okay" I nod my head.

"And wear the good gloves and actually use the hand warmers and not just shake them up a bunch then throw them away" he claims and I laugh.

"Alright dad" I tease and he sends me a glare.

"I just care about you" he claims.

"So does my dad" I smirk.

"Alright missy, I've had enough sass from you" he claims. He jumps on my bed and grabs my face. He starts kissing me all over and I try to push him away but at this point he was much much stronger than myself.

"Oh gross, you're getting your saliva all over me" I pout.

"Mmmm it's sexy when you're mad at me" he claims and I roll my eyes.

"How did you go from being mad at me to being concerned to being turned on in the matter of two minutes" I ask him.

"Because you drive me crazzzzy" he claims.

"Have you been drinking" I ask.

"Surprisingly no. I'm just in a good mood because this has been one of the best years of my life" he claims.

"And what makes you say that" I wonder. Because it sure as hell wasn't because of the baseball team.

"Well we got the foundation up and running both here and back home. We've raised a lot of money and awareness thanks to that ESPN feature. The baseball team wasn't good but they're a bunch of good guys so it was still pretty fun. There isn't anyone else I would rather be roughing it out with than them.

And the best part of this year is sitting right next to me right now" he claims as he pokes my leg and I laugh.

"You're just saying that" I insist.

"No. I just say "copy that ally cat"" he claims.

"You do say that quite a bit. It's kinda weird" I admit.

"What I really mean is that you're not just the best thing that's happened to me this year, but also the 24 years before that too. You're my soul purpose of living. I talk just so I can make you laugh. I wake up every morning just waiting to see you smile. I look up songs to learn to play on the piano just so we can play them together. I play baseball just to hear you tell me that you're proud of me.

There is a me without you. But there's no reason to be me without you. I am thankful for everything that has ever happened to me. But you... you're at the top of my list" he insists.

"Awww sweetie. That was so cute" I admit as I cup his cheek.

"I try" he claims. I give his a deep kiss to show him how much he means to me and he receives the message.

At around 11 we get all layered up and Anthony gets us two hot chocolates. We head up to the roof and sit on the edge. It wasn't snowing anymore because it might be too cold to snow. But we brave the conditions as we sit up atop the city. I smile as I look down at all the people trying to get to their midnight destinations.

"Do you have any New Years resolutions" I wonder as we sit there.

"Not really. I don't need a reason to want to be better, I always want to be better. Just because the last number on the year automatically changes doesn't mean I do too. If I want to change I just do it, I don't wait until I have some silly reason too" he claims.

"Well when you put it that way..." I smirk.

"What? Did you have a New Years resolution" he wonders.

"Just one" I admit.

"And what would that be" he questions.

"To give my all to you" I say and he freezes. Eventually his lips pull tighter as his cheeks get bigger. He looks deep into my eyes for something, but I'm not really sure what.

"And what made you want to do that" he asks.

"Because you give your all to me. All you time, all your mind and heart, all your spirit. And I can't give you that much back. I can give you my all, but it isn't as much as I want it to be. So I want to get better so I can love you better. So I can stay up with you and watch movies without falling asleep. So I can come watch you play and give you a great big kiss when you get off the field. So we can be in this hospital and it be for your foundation and not because I'm sick.

Don't get me wrong, you have all of me right now. There's not a person in this world I would rather be with. But I want to live with you, not just exist. I want to fly but to fly with you by my side" I explain.

"Well maybe not all resolutions are bad" he claims and I giggle.

"Maybe not" I smirk.

The next moment there's a loud thud and I look up. I see fireworks start to explode in the sky. I smile big as they light up the blackness. Anthony suddenly pulls me into a kiss and the fireworks fade. My eyes close as I start off the new year better than I started off any year before. And that's totally and absolutely in love.