Status: This story is the sequel to Washed Out Rock Song and is currently active.
Washed up Rockstar
Chapter Seven.
I rolled over in bed and squinted my eyes open to the blinding sun pouring through the window. I wasn’t used to sleeping like this anymore. My apartment in Chicago had windows, but any sunlight was blocked by neighboring buildings.
I looked at my black wrinkled bridesmaid dress on the floor and thought back to last night. I got so caught up in the moment, so caught up in feeling 18 again. But it didn’t mean anything. John and I had chemistry, that wasn’t new. But it didn’t mean we had to act upon that chemistry in a romantic way. Not anymore.
I kicked off my blanket and finally got out of bed. I picked up the dress and stuffed it into the bottom of my suitcase before pulling out a comfortable pair of sweats and and a loose tank top for the plane ride back to Illinois. I shoved any other clothes lying around into my suitcase and zipped it up.
I felt my stomach growl at me and I left my room to get something to eat. When I got to the kitchen my parents were around the kitchen table whispering to each other. My dad was sitting in his usual spot and my mom stood next to him.
“What’s going on?” My eyebrows raised and I slowly stepped towards them.
My mom looked up at me. “Leah,” she said. She glanced at my dad and then back up at me. “We have something to tell you.”
The look on my moms face was concerning and I immediately got worried.
“Well what is it?”
“You need to sit down,” my dad gestured to the chair in front of him.
“Okay…” I sat down in the chair and looked back and forth between my step-mom and my dad. “What’s going on?”
“Leah,” my mom started. She paused for a second and looked at my dad once more before ripping the bandaid off. “Your father has cancer.”
I shook my head. What she was saying, it couldn’t be right. My dad was healthy. He ate right, he exercised. There had to be some sort of mistake.
“Leah,” My mom asked, “Are you okay.”
“What do you mean dad has cancer?”
My dad sighed. “I have prostate cancer. I start chemo next week.”
“Next week?” I couldn’t wrap my head around this. “Chemotherapy? There’s nothing else? No surgery or radiation treatments?”
My mom shook his head. “His doctor says this is his best option right now.”
“How long have you known about this? Does Kira know?”
“We’ve known for a few weeks. We didn’t want to tell you guys until after the wedding.” My dad said.
“So Kira still doesn’t know?” I felt my voice rising.
I was angry at them, why couldn’t they tell me this sooner? Why didn’t they tell Kira? This isn’t something you just wait to tell your daughters.
I put my head in my hands and rubbed my temple. This couldn’t be happening.
“How serious is this?” I asked, looking back up.
My mom nodded. “It’s serious."
“But Dad,” I said, “You’re going to be okay, right?”
“Leah,” he looked at my mom and then back at me. “We need you to stay.”
“Stay here?” I asked. “For how long?”
My dad shrugged. “We just need help while I’m in treatment. Rides to the hospital, running errands. Things like that. We don’t know how long it will take."
“Okay,” I said softly. “Okay.”
I stood up and turned around.
“Leah,” my dad called after me, “Where are you going?”
I didn’t answer. A million thoughts were running through my head. I didn’t want to lose my dad. I had to get out of this house and wrap my head around this.
I looked at my black wrinkled bridesmaid dress on the floor and thought back to last night. I got so caught up in the moment, so caught up in feeling 18 again. But it didn’t mean anything. John and I had chemistry, that wasn’t new. But it didn’t mean we had to act upon that chemistry in a romantic way. Not anymore.
I kicked off my blanket and finally got out of bed. I picked up the dress and stuffed it into the bottom of my suitcase before pulling out a comfortable pair of sweats and and a loose tank top for the plane ride back to Illinois. I shoved any other clothes lying around into my suitcase and zipped it up.
I felt my stomach growl at me and I left my room to get something to eat. When I got to the kitchen my parents were around the kitchen table whispering to each other. My dad was sitting in his usual spot and my mom stood next to him.
“What’s going on?” My eyebrows raised and I slowly stepped towards them.
My mom looked up at me. “Leah,” she said. She glanced at my dad and then back up at me. “We have something to tell you.”
The look on my moms face was concerning and I immediately got worried.
“Well what is it?”
“You need to sit down,” my dad gestured to the chair in front of him.
“Okay…” I sat down in the chair and looked back and forth between my step-mom and my dad. “What’s going on?”
“Leah,” my mom started. She paused for a second and looked at my dad once more before ripping the bandaid off. “Your father has cancer.”
I shook my head. What she was saying, it couldn’t be right. My dad was healthy. He ate right, he exercised. There had to be some sort of mistake.
“Leah,” My mom asked, “Are you okay.”
“What do you mean dad has cancer?”
My dad sighed. “I have prostate cancer. I start chemo next week.”
“Next week?” I couldn’t wrap my head around this. “Chemotherapy? There’s nothing else? No surgery or radiation treatments?”
My mom shook his head. “His doctor says this is his best option right now.”
“How long have you known about this? Does Kira know?”
“We’ve known for a few weeks. We didn’t want to tell you guys until after the wedding.” My dad said.
“So Kira still doesn’t know?” I felt my voice rising.
I was angry at them, why couldn’t they tell me this sooner? Why didn’t they tell Kira? This isn’t something you just wait to tell your daughters.
I put my head in my hands and rubbed my temple. This couldn’t be happening.
“How serious is this?” I asked, looking back up.
My mom nodded. “It’s serious."
“But Dad,” I said, “You’re going to be okay, right?”
“Leah,” he looked at my mom and then back at me. “We need you to stay.”
“Stay here?” I asked. “For how long?”
My dad shrugged. “We just need help while I’m in treatment. Rides to the hospital, running errands. Things like that. We don’t know how long it will take."
“Okay,” I said softly. “Okay.”
I stood up and turned around.
“Leah,” my dad called after me, “Where are you going?”
I didn’t answer. A million thoughts were running through my head. I didn’t want to lose my dad. I had to get out of this house and wrap my head around this.
♠ ♠ ♠
Short, sorry!