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Chapter 5
She’d give her collection of antique dolls to Megan, along with her clothes.
To her mother, she’d give her prayer books. She was the one who gave them to her, now she can have them back, to remember her daughter by.
What could she give to Trina? There’s not much to give her. I’ll just write her a long letter or something, Tia thought distractedly.
And Brian…he’d already grown to mean so much to her. Just by the connection they shared and the way she could say anything to him. The way his eyes were trained on hers when she told him how she felt. He was truly a friend.
“Tia! Tia, great news!”
“Nothing’s great news anymore, Megan,” Tia snapped.
Megan laughed. “Oh, this is. I just talked to Trina, who had just heard from Dr. Smith that there’s something new to the case!”
“What case?”
“Your case!” Megan shouted. “They found something that might save you. You’re not going to die, Tee! I told you so!”
For once, Tia could care less that Megan had said ‘I told you so.’
*~*~*
Brian examined his kitchen with a frown. No food. Something had to be done.
Grabbing his keys, Brian made his way out to his car and climbed in. He was
just starting it when Howie’s car pulled into the driveway. Brian rolled
the window down and waited for Howie to pull up next to his.
“Hey, Rok,” Howie greeted. “Where ya headed?”
“Grocery. I desperately need food.”
“Mind if I join ya?”
“Not at all. Hop in.”
~*~*~*~
“Do you need yogurt?” Howie asked later, holding up a six pack
of Trix yogurt. “Silly rabbit, Trix are for kids!”
Brian shook his head. “Freak.”
“Is that a no, you don’t need yogurt, or a I -can’t-
believe-Howie- just- quoted- a- three- year- old- commercial head shake?”
“Both.” Brian playfully hit Howie on the back of the head. “I
don’t eat yogurt. At least not Trix.”
“Excuuuuuussee me.” Howie waved his hand in the air and snapped
his fingers. “So sue me.”
“Freak.”
“All right. That’s it,” Howie exclaimed. “I can’t
be happy without being called names by the person who does Donald Duck and
Jim Carrey impersonations?”
Brian laughed. “Don’t be dissing the duck.”
“Oh, right. So sorry.”
“Just put the yogurt back, D. The lady behind you is eyeing it.”
Howie laughed and set the pack of yogurt down slowly. Then he made a show
of backing away with his hands raised in the air in surrender. Brian turned
around purposely, not wanting to be associated with Howie.
“Right.” Brian pushed the cart away immediately. “On to the
next aisle.”
Later, in the frozen meats section, Brian remembered their earlier conversation.
“So, like, why are you so happy?”
“Oh, I dunno. Just having a good day.”
Brian looked at him sideways. “Right.”
“Stop the sarcasm,” Howie protested. “Please.”
“Who’s being sarcastic?”
“Do you realize how badly we regress in conversations?” Howie noted.
“We never seem to keep the focus on the matter at hand.”
“We haven’t really grown up yet, that’s why.”
“Even Kevin?”
“Especially Kevin.”
Howie laughed. “You’re kidding, right?”
“Never been more serious in my life.” Brian dumped a couple bags
of chicken in the cart. “But back to why you’re happy.”
“Jeez, can’t I be happy?”
“Nope.”
“Can you feel the love?”
Brian sighed. “Seriously, why’re you so giddy?”
“Brian, what’s the matter?” Howie asked softly.
“Nothing,” Brian lied. Then he sighed. “Tia is avoiding me.”
“Why?”
“I’m still working on that part.”
“Are you sure she’s not just doing treatments or something?”
Brian was silent. “Brian?”
“No,” he admitted. “I never thought of that.”
Howie nodded.
“But,” Brian began. “She sounded really...wrong on the phone
a couple days ago.”
“Wrong?” Howie questioned.
“Yeah.” Brian juggled a bag of pre-made salad in his hands before
tossing it in the cart. “Like she was depressed and didn’t want
to tell me what was wrong. But we promised each other, D! We had this connection
from the start, and she told me she’d always be around to listen to
me talk and I said the same thing.”
Howie sighed. This would be hard. “Brian,” he started.
“There’s something you need to realize about Tia.” He paused,
not sure how to say to Brian that Tia would not always be around.
Brian waited, staring at his friend. “Go on, Howie,” he prompted.
“She has cancer, B.”
“Yeah, so?”
Howie hesitated. “Just don’t expect her to always be there,
Brian,” he said finally, softly.
Brian froze and stared at the box of macaroni and cheese in his hands. He
knew that. He knew that about Tia, and he had been delaying in admitting
it. Now Howie had reminded him.
Howie put a hand on Brian’s shoulder. “Brian.”
“What?” Even to himself, his voice sounded strained, hollow.
“Don’t be sad. Just don’t get attached, you know?”
“I’m not.”
“Well, you’re not happy. I see that as attached.”
“Whatever, Howie,” Brian snapped, blinking back tears.
“Brian, stop that.” Howie turned Brian around by his shoulders
and stared him in the eye. “Spend the most you can with her. She’ll
need you.”
Brian looked past Howie at the shelves of cans. “She won’t talk
to me, though.”
“Show up there. She can’t just turn you away, can she?”
Brian shrugged and pulled back from Howie. “Let’s finish
shopping.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~