Mia, one of the waitresses’ saunters—yes, saunters—over to us. “Well, hey there, Creek, what can I get for ya?” She never once looks at Kelly.

  “Hey, Mia, I’ll have a cheeseburger with everything, some onion rings, and a coke. Kelly, what will you have?” Mia turns to her with a look of disdain and maybe a little jealousy.

  “I think I’ll have what he’s having. It sounds delicious.” Kelly closes the menu that she was looking over.

  “Oh, you think that’s wise? That’s a lot of calories, and hun, you look like you need less calories in your diet,” she sneers. Before either one of us can say anything, Ms. Mary, the owner, stalks over to us.

  “Mia, I didn’t just hear you say something rude to this beautiful, young lady, did I? Give me their ticket. I will handle their order, personally. You, my dear, are on coffee detail. Make sure there is fresh coffee in every pot and cup.” Mia hands our order over to the sweet lady, and she rips it up. “Creek, your meal is on Mia. Ms., I apologize for my employee. You see, she has been eyeballing this young man since she started here, and he hasn’t given her a second look.” She gives us an endearing smile.

  “Ms. Mary, this is Kelly Marshall. She is Lake’s nurse. She’s been staying with us, so he could do his chemo at home,” I tell her.

  “How is the lad?” she asks.

  “He’s doing incredibly well, all things considered. His conditioning worked, and in three days, he will get his bone marrow transplant.” Kelly speaks up this time.

  “Oh, Creek, that is wonderful! We have been praying for him and your family.”

  I take out my phone to show her the support from all the neighbors. By the last picture, she is brought to tears just like we were.

  “That is truly amazing. Creek, you take off as much time as you need. Let me go put your order in so you all can eat.” She slides out of the booth where she was seated beside me, reaches into the pocket of her red apron, pulling out a green envelope and hands it to me. She looks back and in a loud, booming voice shouts, “Do not open until Christmas!”

  Chapter 11.

  I hear the squeals of joy emanating from the living room, letting me know that Lake is up. As I emerge from the bathroom, he comes flying down the hallway

  “Dad, Dad! Santa came early! I got a…a…blue…bike!” he says trying to catch his breath.

  “What? Santa came already?” I place my hand over my heart as I pretend to be shocked and surprised. Lake grabs my hand tugging me into the living room.

  “Did Santa come early because he knew about my transplant?” he asks as he sits on the floor ready to tear open his gifts. Kelly is on the couch all smiles and beautiful.

  “It would seem so, my boy. Look at all these gifts.” I sit down next to my son as Mom brings out steaming mugs of coffee and cocoa. Before I get my first sip, there is a knock on the door. Mom goes and answers it then she and Richard come back together.

  “Papa! Look, Santa came early!” Lake jumps up and wraps his arms around his grandfather’s waist.

  “Well, what do you know; he sure did. Seems as though you were a very good boy this year. Look at all those gifts.” After Lake releases him, Richard takes off his coat and sits at the end of the couch, close to where Lake is on the floor. We all gather around while Lake passes out gifts.

  The last two presents left are for Mom and Kelly. My son hands the ladies their gifts. Mom tears hers open and is speechless. She has been admiring this watch for some time now—the one you can add your children’s birthstones to on the face. I had Lake’s and mine added. The waterworks begin as she holds the box, pulling the timepiece in to her heart. I hear Kelly gasp as she opens hers.

  “Oh, Creek, it’s beautiful. But I can’t accept this. It’s too much,” she says, holding up the silver chain with a beautiful heart pendant. On the back, the words, Lord, guide my hands and my heart as I care for my patients today, are inscribed.

  “Please accept it as a thank you for how wonderful you’ve been with my child this week.” She looks at me, and her eyes are glossy, giving them an almost melted chocolate look.

  “It was easy. Lake’s an awesome kid. Thank you so much. This is nicest thing anyone has ever done for me.” I stand to help her put on the necklace. She holds up her dark waves as I clasp it around her neck.

  “Creek, this is for you.” Richard hands me a small wrapped square box. I tear the paper off, opening the lid to find a set of keys. I looked at Richard puzzled.

  “Go look in the driveway.” He nods towards the window. I race over to the frosted glass, and there sits a brand new black SUV.

  I hadn’t noticed everyone followed behind me until Lake asks, “Is that ours?” I stare at the vehicle in awe and disbelief.

  “Yes, grandson, it is. I figured this would be easier for you all, so Teri didn’t have to catch rides to work when Lake has doctor appointments and such. It’s tagged and insured for the next year.” I turn and hug my ex-father-in-law. “Creek, she was a fool to walk away from such a good man. You never talk bad about her or to her. You don’t keep her from seeing Lake. And if you had, it would be entirely understandable. You are a fabulous father who gave up everything you wanted to do to take care of your son. I just figured it was time you got something back in return.” He squeezes me harder, and I can hear the sobs of the women behind me.

  “Please, Richard, stay and spend the day with us?” He says yes.

  Mom throws us out of the kitchen, so she can get started cooking supper. Richard grabs the coffee carafe and a mug as we sit back down in the living room and watch Lake play with his new toys.

  Mom made a feast of turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, gravy, homemade cranberry sauce, and a veritable array of pies and cakes. We use the living room to eat because there isn’t enough space for us all in the kitchen. So, ladies lay- all the food out on the kitchen table, buffet-style, and we help ourselves, then grab a seat in the other room. Afterwards, we relax and conversate as Lake goes back to playing with his toys.

  I begin clearing the dishes off the coffee table, and Kelly washes. I put the left-over food away and dry the dishes. We grab the fresh pot of coffee that we brewed and head back to join the others.

  I forgot to get my boy some juice, so we stop for me to hand the carafe over to Kelly when Lake yells out, “Look up!” We do and notice we’re standing under the mistletoe. “Now you have to kiss her!” He giggles.

  “Oh, son, I don’t think so,” I say turning to go back into the kitchen.

  “No, Dad you, have to! It’s a Christmas rule.” He looks at us with disapproving eyes.

  I look at Kelly, and she looks up at me. I just shrug and go for it. I kiss her right on her lips. We are standing here lip to lip with people watching, but neither of us brakes away. Mom clears her throat. I guess that was her way of saying that’s enough. We step back from one another. Then I open my eyes that I hadn’t even noticed were closed. I see that her eyes are open, and her face is that cute shade pink it turns when she is embarrassed or being shy. She smiles at me, and I feel a flutter. I have only felt this way with one other person, but this is different. I can’t describe it any other way, but it feels like the butterflies are bigger and filling a much larger space. I know it’s weird, and I don’t quite understand it myself.

  Chapter 12.

  Sleep eluded me last night. Not only did the thoughts of my son’s procedure keep me restless, but the feel of the softest lips still lingered in my brain. Thank goodness Mom is riding with me to the children’s hospital to get Lake checked in. They provide free hotel-like rooms for family to spend their time when they are not with their loved one.

  I sit up, throwing my legs over the side of the couch where I decided to sleep, hoping my restlessness was due to the recliner. I hear Lake talking to Kelly about what his transplant will be like. I could barely look her in the eyes after that sweet kiss. When I did glance at her, she would deflect her eyes away from me.

  We’ll see what today holds, I suppose. I push myself off the couch to see what the boy wants for breakfast.

  We have some time to spare before leaving this morning given we decided to pack the vehicles last night. After Lake’s apple pie breakfast and my shower, we are ready to make the two-hour journey. Richard called earlier to say he would be at the hospital tomorrow. No word from Cindy; I know she’ll make it. I am hoping, anyway. Lake grabs his backpack as we head out the door. Kelly will meet us at the hospital later; she was going to go home to unpack her car.

  An hour into the drive and the boy is sleeping, so Mom figures this is the best time to discuss my love life or lack thereof. “What was that kiss about yesterday? Afterwards, you all barely spoke two words to each other.” I’m not sure how to describe it to her even if I want to.

  “Mom, it was just a harmless kiss to appease Lake. Nothing more, nothing less.” Hopefully, that answer satisfies her.

  “Creek Hollis, that girl turned pink, and your eyes went from almond shaped to hearts. Don’t tell me it was nothing. I tell you all the time, boy, I’m your mother, and I can read every emotion that crosses your face.” Yes, Ms. Teri Hollis knows me too well.

  “Mom, please. It was nothing. Now can we drop it?” I know she can hear in my voice that I am uncomfortable talking to her about it. She changes the subject, and I’m relieved.

  A little while later, we get all checked in, and my boy is happy with the room they’ve put him in. It’s the Dr. Seuss room. There are life-size wall stickers of The Cat in the Hat, The Lorax, even The Grinch, displayed over every wall in the room. His hospital gown has Fox in Socks on it.

  Dr. Courtney and Dr. Stokes walk in to explain what the procedure will entail. “Lake will receive the marrow through his port, or central venous catheter. This is what we call engraftment, and he will have these sessions daily during the upcoming week. There is no reason for him to be anesthetized. The procedure itself is fairly straightforward, but the recovery time can be a challenge. Side effects during the infusion of the marrow can include pain, chills, fever, hives, a drop-in blood pressure, and possibly chest pains.

  “Now, the hardest part is going to be staying here for several weeks so we can keep an eye on him and make sure the cells are doing their thing. Also, we have him on medication to prevent graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). Sometimes, the transplanted new cells (the graft) may attempt to attack the patient's tissues (the host), even if the donor is a relative. Lake will be confined to this room, and any visitor must wear a gown, mask, and gloves to prevent germs and keep him healthy.

  “He will have regular blood draws, vitals checked. Of course, Creek, you already have one of our parent suites that will be yours for as long as your son is here.

  “We will monitor him through the night, and when the donor cells get here in the morning, we will begin. Do you have any questions for us?” Dr. Stokes asks before he does a listen to Lake’s heart.

  “No, I think you covered everything, but if I think of anything, I’ll let you know. Thank you.” Just then, Kelly walks into the room, and Lake smiles instantly. I have to admit; I do as well.

  *****

  After many hours of playing board games with Mom, Kelly, and me, Lake finally falls asleep. I keep checking my phone to see if I have any messages from Cindy, and there are none. I sent Mom back to the suite to get some rest, but I can’t slow down. Walking out into the hallway, I see Kelly standing at the nurses’ station. Realizing I hadn’t eaten since breakfast, I that way to let them know I will stepping away to go to the cafeteria.

  “Hey, Kelly, I’m going to go to the cafeteria; I will be right back. If he wakes up looking for me, can you call my cell phone or text me?” She looks at her watch then back at me.

  “The cafeteria is closed, but there’s a diner about two blocks down that’s open twenty-four hours. Can I tag along? They have the best Greek salad there.” I nod, and she grabs her coat.

  The elevator ride down to the lobby is quiet except for the soft sound of classical music playing. Once outside, Kelly follows me to my vehicle. It’s been sitting awhile, so we hover inside, giving the engine time to warm up.

  “Creek, this doesn’t have to be awkward, you know.” I look at her, trying to see where she is going with this conversation. “You’ve barely spoken to me since the kiss. It was a harmless kiss,” she says looking down at her gloved hands.

  “A harmless kiss that made your face turn pink and my stomach flutter.” Oh no, why did I say that? I look over at her and the shocked expression on her face.

  “Your stomach fluttered, too?” she asks in a low, shy voice. We sit looking at each other for a brief moment before something comes over us and laughter erupts.

  “Kelly, I find you beautiful, smart, and so kind-hearted. Maybe these feelings stem from seeing you with Lake, and as you’ve noticed, his mom isn’t around much.”

  “Or maybe, you like me,” she says leaning over her seat to kiss my cheek.

  “Or maybe, I like you. We’ve only known each other a week,” I respond, holding her face in between my hands.

  “They say all it can take is a glance.” She is right. The first moment I met her in that room, I felt something—a pull.

  We continue to stare into each other’s eyes for a few more moments before my stomach growls so loud that Kelly lets out a hearty laugh.

  “I think my butterflies have turned into lions. Let’s go eat.” I let her face go and put the car in drive in order to satisfy the beast in my belly.

  Chapter 13.

  Lake’s transplant has begun. This session will take about two to three hours. He’s been watching the Christmas parade on the wall-mounted television. They had me, Mom, and Richard put on sterile hospital garb and masks to help keep him infection-free.

  This morning, the hospital had a Santa making room rounds, talking to all the kids. Lake was over-joyed to see the jolly fellow.

  Kelly and I had a good, guess you could say, first date at the diner last night. We talked and laughed until tears were streaming down our faces. She is here now, taking vitals and watching the parade with the others. I am observing them all interact. Mom and Richard are talking politics and retirement. My mother says that retirement is for old folks, and to hear her tell it, she’s a spry chicken. My boy is just enjoying having his family with him. All except for Cindy.

  I can see in Richard’s face that he is disappointed with his daughter not being here, but he doesn’t let his grandson see it. I need coffee. Kelly must recognize my need for caffeine as she waves me out into the hall.

  “Let’s go to the Starbucks down in the lobby. My treat,” she says. I begin to remove the mask and hospital clothes that I had to put over my street clothes and toss them in the dirty laundry bin. But as we walk past the nurses’ station, a blonde calls my name, holding an envelope out to me.

  “Mr. Hollis, this was just dropped off for you,” she comments as I walk over to get the envelope. I look at it front and back. It just says my name on the front, so I open it to see who it’s from.

  Dear Creek,

  I’m sure by now you’re upset with me for not showing up for Lake’s transplant. I wholeheartedly understand. But I couldn’t come today because I am recovering from a procedure myself. Creek, I was our son’s donor. I wanted to stay anonymous. Daddy doesn’t even know. I don’t wish for Lake to look at me as some type of hero. You, Creek, are the only hero in this story, and that’s how I want him to view you.

  What I did was what any person with a caring heart should do. What you do is what I, as a mother, never could, and that was care for that beautiful boy. I gave him the gift of life, but you, you gave him the gift of love. I can never get back those years I chose to stay away, all I can do is be there for the next ones. Please don’t tell him I am the donor; I did nothing spectacular. Again, you are the rightful hero. I will be to visit him as soon as I can.

  Cindy

  I can feel the tears rolling down my cheeks. “She was his donor,” I say softly as Kelly stands beside me.

  “Who was?” she asks while wiping my tears away.

  “His mom. She came back to be his donor. She doesn’t want him to know.” I look at Kelly and hand her the letter. She reads and begins to cry herself, then she grabs my face between her hands and places a soft kiss on my lips in front of all her colleagues.

  “You, Creek Hollis, are truly The Gift of Love.”

  Lake

  Six months later…

  My transplant took, and I’m in remission. My mom came to see me in the hospital to tell me she was back in Glorieville for good. She said she missed me, and well, I missed her a lot, too.

  Dad and Kelly are boyfriend and girlfriend now, and my dad smiles a lot more now. Kelly is so fun. She comes over to cook for the two of us. She makes good soup, too. Don’t tell Grandma.

  When we came home from the hospital, Dad forgot about the envelope that Ms. Mary had given him at the diner, and it said not to open ‘til Christmas. He did finally open it, and surprise, there were papers for him to sign to become part owner of the Country Kitchen. He cried.

  Ms. Mary came over and brought me a strawberry cream pie and told my dad there was no one more responsible than him, and it would be an honor to have him help her run the diner.

  Since I am in remission and there were no long-lasting side effects to my transplant, I will go to an actual school in September with other kids. I’m excited about that. Well, I need to go get in the car; Dad, Kelly, Mom, Nana, Papa, and I are going to a leukemia walkathon. For every mile I walk, money gets donated to help find a cure for this childhood disease. I’m going to walk hundreds!

  Thank you for reading A Gift of Love.

  Thanks to my family, for supporting me and my dreams! I love you sooo much!

  To my reader family, you guys are the ones that keep me going and always striving to do something new! I Love each and every one of you!

 

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