so I could take Dad to his first appointment although I checked in periodically. With Brandon on his honeymoon and not set to return until next week, I’d called his assistant Sandra for a favor.
Dad might try to kick me out of his house, but there was no way he’d kick out Lilly. Especially once she brought us dinner. Since Lilly couldn’t drive, I’d called and asked Sandra to bring Lilly and food. I’d asked her to spend the night with me here tonight. I didn’t want to leave Dad alone, but I didn’t want to be alone either.
Lilly had accepted without a split second of thought even though she had more finals the next day. She’d probably spend most of the night studying, but I felt better having her close.
They were set to be here in any minute. I’d tried to give Dad time to get settled back at home, shower off the stench of the hospital and take a nap if needed to, but he’d only gone to his room and thrown on some sweatpants and a T-shirt and came back and collapsed onto the couch.
Knowing how Melissa handled it, he’d probably be fine tonight. It was tomorrow morning, and the next two or three days after it would hit. Although with Melissa’s first round she’d gone through it so easily we’d all hoped and believed her side effects would be less.
It was round three when things got real and downright ugly.
“I ordered Mazzoli’s for dinner,” I told Dad, ignoring his protests. He had the remote in his hand and already flipped on the local news but neither of us were paying attention.
Weather? Cold.
News? Politics.
Sports? Minor basketball and hockey teams, neither of which we followed.
“When do you need to go get it?”
“I don’t.”
I checked my phone. The last text came from Lilly twenty minutes ago. She said Sandra was leaving Mazzoli’s and they’d be here in fifteen.
The doorbell rang.
“Ah. Right on time,” I muttered and pushed off the couch.
“Who’s coming?”
“Lilly.” I grinned at him with a smirk.
He scowled at me. “Well played, son.”
“I know. And if you think of getting up, don’t. Lilly will fuss over you more than I’ve been doing.”
He grumbled something I was certain included a few vulgar words as I made my way to the door.
As expected, Lilly was there, three plastic sacks filled with Italian food, the best from the best locally-owned restaurant and holding all of Dad’s favorites.
“Hello ladies.” I stepped back so both of them could come in, but Sandra stayed on the front porch.
“Hey Hudson. I’m not staying, I just wanted to see how everything went today.”
“As good as expected.”
“Good. Stay positive. And let me know how else I can help this week. It’s not a problem, you know that.”
“Thank you.”
Our assistant Stephanie lived in a northern suburb, but Sandra lived a few miles away out in Waukee. She could be here in five minutes if necessary. She used to stop by frequently when Melissa was sick.
She headed back to her car still idling in the drive, and I took the Mazzoli’s sacks from Lilly’s hand. She had an overnight bag draped over her shoulder. Finally, I could say hello to her the way I wanted. I gave her a soft kiss, inhaling the sweet scent of her, reveling in the softness of her lips. Lilly was so hardened but with me, as soon as I got my hands on her, she went pliant.
It was a thrill she trusted me that much with everything that had happened between us.
“Hey you,” I whispered against her lips. “How are you?”
“Shouldn’t I be asking you that?” She entered and dropped her bag.
“I’m okay. Today was fine, just long.”
She placed her hand to my cheek. “How’s he feeling?”
I turned and kissed her palm. This was only the first of a million times I’d get this question over the next few months and I already hated it. “So far only tired, and grumpy because he doesn’t want us here.”
My dad came around the corner, arms crossed over his chest. “I didn’t say I didn’t want Lilly here. I told you to go home.”
There was a teasing gleam in his eyes and I rolled mine, taking our dinners to the kitchen. “Way to show the love, old man.”
He scowled at me again and gave the exact opposite look to Lilly. “Hey sweetheart. School going okay this week?”
“I found out today that I got an A-minus on my accounting final I took yesterday.”
“That’s great!”
“It’s luck is what