‹ Prequel: Full Life Circle
Status: Work In Progress

Dash of Reality

It's Going to be a Good Day

Today started out as any other day. I awoke next to the man I call my boyfriend and the father of the darling little girl in the next room. He looked exhausted from the game he and the team managed to pull together for a win in San Jose before flying in late last night. I had been long passed out in the bed we have been sharing since November. While Jon had hockey as a release from all of this sadness and frustration that came with Brooklyn’s diagnosis, all I had now, in January, was Jon and our blossoming relationship. It wasn’t easy between hockey and the trips to the hospital for treatment. However, we both cared enough for it to happen. And like I said, it was my release. It made my life have just a sliver of hope that wasn’t totally shredded apart by biology.
On a whim, I decided to crawl out from under Jon’s arm around my waist and check on Brooklyn. She sleeps a lot more these days because of the medication and treatment regimen, so when I find her, she is still fast asleep. I feel her forehead carefully, as to not wake her, and note that it isn’t warm. It is the first day this week that she hasn’t had a fever during the first morning check.
I return to the shared bedroom and dress for the day. I decide to not dress in what I will be wearing to Brooklyn’s birthday gathering because I am still in charge of taking care of a cancer-stricken little girl and making sure the party gets started without a hitch. So I go for comfort at this early hour of 9 am.
Once clad in a pair of black leggings, an oversized hoodie of Jon’s, and my warmest socks, I take off for the main level of the place that Jon and I picked out last January to live in. It was a choice we made, technically it was Jon’s choice but I definitely influenced him that I liked this house, on what was supposed to be the trial weekend for me to be Brooklyn’s nanny. It hasn’t even been a complete year since that weekend, but it feels like eternities have already gone by.
Once downstairs, I make my way from the stairs by the front door back to the kitchen at the rear of the house. I start the coffee pot, extra strong like Jon likes it, and sit at the breakfast bar with a pad of paper and pen. I jot down the to-do list before the party can begin.
-Last minute clean-up -Prepare vegetable tray -Prepare cheese and crackers
-Marinate the meat for the grill (Jon) -Whip up brownies -Send Abby for cakes
-Put Brooklyn in her birthday outfit -Open the blinds
Izzy is coming to the house a little later, but is not here to work. I have given her the day off, but because of her giving personality, I know that she will lend a hand anyways. I’m sure I’ll be grateful, but it is her day off. We should really separate the duties of her as a family friend and those as our chef, but I don’t know if it is even worth it. She realizes the pain and suffering we have gone through since we hired her, has basically gone through the same with us as she becomes closer. So that’s why she always helps out way more than necessary. When we hired her, she was supposed to come in and make lunch and dinner – an 11am to 6pm job with clean up. However, she now takes the liberty of coming in earlier and staying later on the days we spend at the hospital to make sure the house is well kept and that there is always a fun snack for Brooklyn to come home to. It makes my life that much easier too.
After thinking about all that needed to be done, I went about the simplest one on the list that I could do with the rest of the house still asleep, opening the blinds on the main level of the house. I started with the back door that would lead to the pool in the summer, but now just was a path to small backyard rink that Jon had paid the ice crew at the UC to put up for the kids who would be coming today. The team wasn’t allowed to actually get on it because it isn’t official ice and it’s the middle of the season, but it’s a gesture for the kids.
After the kitchen windows are all open and letting the light shine through, I move into the attached family room. This is a grand room, and my favorite in the entire house. There’s a fireplace, a sectional, long, comfy couch, and it is in the most comforting color scheme too. I also made sure that when we furnished the room, we set up a reading nook with a super comfortable older recliner that one can just curl up in and read by moonlight, or the light we got specifically great for reading in the dark. We will mostly have the guests in here today with the weather being what it is. Only the kids and parents who venture out to the ice rink will be outside of these connected rooms.
Just as I am finishing up with the blinds in the living room, I hear Jon moving around upstairs. I hear him running the water in the bathroom which means that he is probably brushing his teeth so I move back into the kitchen to start on breakfast.
I make a simple egg over easy and toast for Jon who is coming down the stairs just as the toast pops up in the toaster. I plate his breakfast and set it next to the coffee cup on the breakfast bar. I am surprised to see him carrying Brooklyn when he enters the room, shirtless and in just his boxers. This isn’t unusual, but usually he puts sweats or shorts on over his boxers before coming down.
“Good morning, handsome! Did you notice our little princess didn’t have a fever this morning? Maybe it is going to be a good day?” I was hopeful that we could get the princess through the early activities and then down for a nap in early afternoon. It was going to be a lot for that many people to be around her in this state, but we couldn’t leave anyone out of the celebration.
“Morning beautiful. I noticed that she looks happy this morning on top of the no fever thing. Looks like the day is going to go great. I’m sure of it.” Jon replied as he kissed my cheek and I took Brooklyn. He then sat down to eat his breakfast while I took Brooklyn to do her tummy time in the family room where we turned on the Wiggles episode.
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Here's the next installment of the cutesy story. Hope everyone enjoys! I should have another chapter cranked out around V-Day!