Da Vinci Code

“Now that you are 18, the Council will be counting down the days for you to pick a husband” George said waking you up the next morning and getting right down to business.
“This isn’t a pleasant way to wake me up. There is one more person to try” you said sitting up and stretching, still happy from the night before.
“Two, you mean”
“No. just one” you sighed, knowing exactly who George was implying.
“There is still Joshua.” he made a point to mention.
“No, there isn’t. He is moving” George didn’t respond, but left saying he would setup date number three later this week.
“Good morning” your friend bounded into your room once again giving you a shock. She had fallen asleep watching a movie last night, and you assumed she would’ve just woken up and gone home.
“Did you stay the night?”
“Of course I did. George set up the guest room for me, so today we could have a girl’s day” she said.
“It isn’t my birthday the whole weekend, you know.” you said as she sat on your bed in her pajamas with you.
“What dates was George talking about, and why is he shipping you and Joshua so hard?” she asked having over heard the conversation.
“Nothing really”
“Have you been going on dates that you haven’t told me about? Where do you even meet these people, you never leave your house? ” She asked.
“I mean I don’t leave the house; they just come here”
“They know where you live? That’s weird. Why haven’t you told me?” she asked.
“Yes…uh…” you paused, unsure how you were going to get out of this one.
“They are old family friends that she has known for a while. The dates haven’t gone well which is why she hasn’t said anything yet.” Joshua said walking in and coming to your rescue.
“Right! I will fill you in today. Did you stay here too?” you asked him.
“Yes. George fixed up the other guest room for me” he said as he too walked over and sat on the bed with you.
“How many guest rooms does my house even have?” you began to ask but your friend cut you off.
“So, how did the dates go?” she was eager for gossip. You looked at Joshua before answering.
“Disastrous” you said and filled her in on the dates that had transpired and she was all ears.
“They sound awful, but why are you dating all of a sudden?” she kept prying. Just then, George could be heard coughing again as he headed towards your room.
“Lunch on the veranda?” he asked as he cleared his throat once more and entered your room.
“We can order pizza, George, please rest today” you said letting him know you had heard him coughing.
“Maybe you should see the doctor again. Your cold doesn’t seem to be getting better” Joshua added, sounding concerned.
“I am fine, you three. Lunch on the veranda in 10” he said and left the room not hearing anything you had to say about him resting.
“I don’t know why he has to make such a fuss about things.” you said standing up, and heading to the bathroom to brush your teeth but decided not change just yet.
“Let’s just wear pajamas, guys” you said not wanting to get dressed.
“I would have to wear just my boxers” Joshua said walking out of the room.
“Well, stay dressed then, please.” your friend said. Hiding your blush, still in a happy mood, the three of you headed to the veranda to see what George had decided to make for lunch.
As you walked out you noticed a lot of plates stacked with food that George had cooked. He must’ve been up for hours preparing everything.
“Why so fancy, George?” you asked as he placed food in front of each of you
“I like it! I feel sophisticated.” your friend said digging in to the closest plate.
“Just continuing the birthday weekend” George said, bringing you coffee, before heading towards the house.
“Coffee? But George-” you went to ask as you saw him collapse as he headed to the house. You sprang up and rang to his side.
“George!” you called as Joshua ran over next to you.
“I think he fainted. Call and ambulance!” you shouted to your friend who you knew had her phone on her.
You nervously paced the hall of the hospital still in your pajamas. Joshua and your friend were with you. They stayed in their seats and didn’t try to talk to you, knowing you were very much on edge and worried. It had been a whirlwind since the ambulance arrived.
They took you and George to the hospital and your friend and Joshua followed. They had rushed George straight into a room, and you were left to sit in the hall and wonder painfully what was going on. Every time a doctor walked by you held your breath hoping that they had information for you.
Begrudgingly you sat down, not having heard anything in over an hour. You let out a frustrated sigh as Joshua rubbed your back. Your friend excused herself after fake vomiting, and you ignored her.
“We will hear something soon” Joshua said softly.
“I know but it is torturous waiting like this” you said.
“Remember when I met you?” he began talking to take your mind off things.
“Vaguely” you said not buying into the conversation much, but he continued despite your reluctance.
“It was at the Christmas party that your parents were hosting. I had to give you a toy that my mom had picked out. I was so shy, but she made me. You sat down right then and there and opened the present instead of saving it for Christmas.”
“Oh right! Everyone said I should be a good girl and wait, but my mother let me open it.”
“And that’s when your mom handed me my present that I sat down and opened right then and there” he had managed at this point to actually bring a smile to your face.
“We got matching presents that night as well, didn’t we?” you asked as you recalled what they had been.
“Mine was a ring with a cross and you had the necklace with a matching cross on It.” he said and pointed to his ear.
“The ring broke years ago, but I had it made into an earring.” you reached from around your neck and grabbed the cross chain that you had never taken off, and had just about forgotten. You and Joshua leaned closer to each other as he spoke, making you feel as calm a she could in such an awful place.
“I forgot I was even wearing this” you admitted.
“that was gross” your friend said, having returned from the snack machine making you and Joshua look away from each other as you sighed and became nervous again.
A doctor walked over and asked for the family of George. With the moment between you and Joshua completely ruined, you sprang up and shouted that it was you. The doctor walked over to you. You felt sweaty all of a sudden and you tried to read the doctors expression, which made you feel worse. You grabbed Joshua’s hand for support as the doctor sighed before addressing you.
“We tried everything but from the cancer-”
“Cancer?” you asked not having heard anything about George having cancer before.
“Yes, his stage four lung cancer that he had been diagnosed with a year ago. It was too far along for us to do anything. His heart was too weak and there was nothing we could do to revive him today from collapsing. I’m very sorry but you can say good bye to him if you’ll follow me” you were frozen.
Completely frozen.
You hadn’t heard correctly what the doctor had just told you. He had to be wrong. Joshua squeezed your hand and motioned for your friend to stay seated, which she did, not knowing what to say.
“We will follow you.” Joshua said placing a hand on your back to gently push you forward. He began leading you to the room, your feet wouldn’t have moved you forward on their own, and the doctor motioned for you to enter.
Inside lay George on a hospital bed. His hair looked disheveled and without thinking you immediately began to fix it, putting it in place where it had been every morning for as far back as you could remember.
“Say hi to mom and dad for me. I wish you had told me. You always made a fuss over me. I wish there was something I could’ve done for you.” you wanted to say more, so much more, but you couldn’t find the strength. You grabbed George’s hand and squeezed it. There was no friendly and helpful response from George as he lay there so still.
You turned and buried your face into Joshua shoulders as you sobbed openly. You couldn’t help but feel his frame shake as he held you as he too had started crying.
“How did I not know” you broke apart from Joshua still sobbing but asking questions out loud, feeling mad at yourself.
“He probably didn’t want you to know. He knew you would worry.” Joshua said wiping the tears from your cheeks with his thumbs.
“He was the only family I had left. Joshua, I can’t lose you too and I know you are moving and I won’t stop you but will you please marry me? You are the only one I truly have left” you said hugging him and crying harder again, letting your emotions get the better of you.
“You have me, silly” your friend said entering the hospital room. You looked up at her as she held George’s hand briefly and then walked over to where you and Joshua stood.
“Did I ever mention, that in fourth grade, I read your diary? You shouldn’t leave evidence of your ‘blood status’ in ink like that” she said sarcastically, hugging the two of you tightly and making you aware that she had known everything all along.
“I’m so sorry I never told you. You sneaky little gremlin” you said momentarily shocked out of crying.
“I understand why you couldn’t because of the Council and whatnot” she continued letting you know she knew a lot more than you gave her credit for.
The three of you hugged and sat with George until you couldn’t take it anymore. You said your proper goodbyes to him and headed back to your place. You figured the Council will be in touch with you at some point and you, honestly, just wanted to head back to a familiar place and lay in bed. You didn’t want to go to the house alone, though, and Joshua and your friend were more than happy to accompany you.

Notes