A Melody, a memory, or Just One Picture...

Tonight was a Wednesday, the day the family and close friends always go out for a meal. James, dreading the fact that he might seem different, wasn’t looking forward to the meal. usually, he loved the idea of spending time with his family. But it’s going to get harder to not tell them he has cancer. A tight pain appeared in James’ chest. He held his skin over his lungs and breathed heavily. He knew he had to calm down. The doctor didn’t say that it was fatal, but he needs to help himself.
James pushed the thoughts of cancer to the back of his head and listened to the sound of his baby girl playing downstairs with Leana. He smiled. Kaylee screamed from Leana tickling her and giggled loudly. Leana joined her laughing and James heard the thud on the couch as they both fell on it.
He stood up to go and join them but suddenly the pain came back again. He knocked the lamp off the cupboard and it landed on the floor with a loud smash and broke into hundreds of small pieces. Leana and Kaylee didn’t hear the smash over the TV and their own giggling, but James son, jimmy, came round the corner and poked his head in.
“woah,” he emphasised. “What’s happened?”
“Nothing,” James croaked, bending down to attempt to pick up some of the broken pottery.
James groaned and sat up straight.
“What’s up?” jimmy asked through panicking eyes. “Dad?”
“Nothing im fine,” James forced a smile.
Jimmy sat next to his dad and put a supportive hand on his knee. “Dad,” he repeated. “are you okay?”
James nodded this time. He bent back down to pick up the pieces but failed again.
“I’ll do it,” jimmy offered, kneeling down and picking up the broken lamp.
“Thanks,” James smiled.
“promise me,” jimmy started again. “That if there’s something wrong, you’d tell me,”
His son sat back up to the bed. “I pro-” he found out then and there he cant lie to his son. “I haven’t told your mother or anyone else yet, so you need to promise not to tell them before I do,”
Jimmy nodded.
“When I went to the doctors yesterday, they diagnosed me with cancer.”
Jimmy’s forward creased in several places as his eyebrows narrowed. He seemed lost for words but muttered, “I feel sick…”
James knew this would be his reaction. Jimmy ran in the toilet and balanced himself over the sink. James followed him in slowly, “I didn’t want you to be upset,”
He didn’t answer, but his tears replied for him.
“They haven’t said its fatal jimmy,”
“That’s not the point dad,” jimmy said, now moving away from the sink. “You cant keep it a secret, you need to tell everyone else,”
“I will,” James swallowed the lump in his throat. “But it’ll be tomorrow, I don’t want to spoil the dinner.”
“I’m sure everyone will be more concerned about you rather then a meal,” with that jimmy picked up the rest of the broken pieces and left the room.

At the meal everyone was cheerful like usual, part from James and Jimmy. Jimmy played with his fingers under the table, refusing to make eye contact with anyone. James was upset because he hurt his son. God knows what everyone else will be like…
The waitress came to their booked table and took orders. After finishing the food, she asked, “Oh-what drinks would everyone like?”
Everyone, part from jimmy and Kaylee ordered their usual alcoholic drink.
“I’ll have a-” James paused, remembering what the doctor said about don’t drinking as much alcohol… “A glass of water,”
Suddenly the whole table stopped talking. Probably for a dramatic atmosphere, suddenly they all burst out laughing.
“No seriously,” Matt smirked. “What do you want?”
“A water,” James repeated. “I mean it,”
The waitress walked away with their orders and went through the door which was labelled ‘Staff Only’.
Brian leant over and sarcastically felt James’ forehead, “Yepp,” he sighed. “Definitely ill!”
Everyone laughed again, and jimmy stood up and left the table.
“What’s happened?” Leana asked, sensing the tension between Jimmy and her husband.
“I’ll explain later,”
James sighed. He’d have to tell everyone sooner or later.