A QUIET KNOCK echoed through the ap

A QUIET KNOCK echoed through the apartment, and Marcus didn’t waste any time in jumping off the couch to answer the door. Seconds later, Brian appeared, following closely behind Marcus.
Brian’s eyes met mine, and he slowed slightly. “Still pacing the floors, I see,” he said as he adjusted a fussy Zander on his hip.
I ignored his comment and kept with my current plan of wearing a hole in the hardwood before the end of the day.
“You should have planned a morning wedding. Lailah’s a mess as well.”
My eyes darted up to Brian’s, remembering the errand I’d sent him on. “How is she? Is she okay?”
He smiled smugly. “Well, she wasn’t dressed when I saw her . . .”
My eyes widened as I took a wide step forward, intent on grabbing Brian’s neck, but then I stopped myself when I saw his innocent child between us.
His free hand went up like a white flag. “Kidding. Mostly. Shit, Jude. Relax. I’m just messing with you. She was in a robe, and she was getting her hair done. It’s too bad you don’t drink, man, ’cause you could use a little something for those nerves right now.”
My hands went through my hair, and I took a step back, falling into the oversized chair positioned by the large windows overlooking the city. “It’s not nerves. I’m just sick of waiting. I’ve been up since the crack of dawn. I just want to see her already.”
“I get it, Jude,” Marcus chimed it. “I waited over twenty years to finally marry the love of my life. The morning of, I was a nervous wreck.”
“We should have eloped.” I sighed.
“And left me to deal with Molly when she found out? You would have done that to me? After everything I’ve done?”
A small chuckle escaped my throat. “No, I guess not. But damn, if you could make that clock move a little faster, I’d appreciate it.”
He smiled warmly, moving toward the chair where I’d chosen to fall into a useless slump. “Come on, Jude,” he said, holding out a cupped hand.
I firmly gripped it, and he pulled me to a standing position.
“Let’s go get some lunch and see if we can’t talk away some of these hours. Sitting around here will be like watching a pot of boiling water.”
Brian sighed. “I’ll be right back. I’ve got to go take back a few snide comments.”
I had no idea what he meant, and before I had a second to ask, he was gone.
Marcus’s arm fell loosely around me in a fatherly gesture—one I’d seen but never really had the pleasure of enjoying as a kid. My father’s love had always been shown in his devotion to the family business, not in physical gestures.
“One must always provide for his family,” he’d once told me.
And he had. It had been his number one goal, his life’s ambition. Even though I’d missed out on an abundance of hugs and trips to the zoo, my father had shown his love in his own way.
Still, as Marcus looked at me with admiration and pride, like a father admiring a grown child, I couldn’t help but wonder what an embrace like this would have felt like from my own father.


“I never thought I’d be eating here on my wedding day,” I commented, looking around at the shabby interior of the hole-in-the-wall restaurant Marcus had chosen at random after we’d walked down the frozen streets of Manhattan.
“That’s exactly why I picked it. You’ll have plenty of time for that hoity-toity crap your mom has set up for later. Let’s just relax, play a game of pool, and talk.”
I nodded, feeling a bit calmer already, as I ordered a round of beers for Marcus and Brian. I indulged in my usual Coke, but since it was my special day, I added a cherry just for kicks. Seeing my fiancé die after the two of us had partied a bit too hard one weekend had officially ended my partying days in one devastating night. Nowadays, I just didn’t see the point.
I’d learned to move past my guilt, the all-consuming raw fear that my every action had caused that accident to happen that night. If I hadn’t introduced us to the group at the club, if we hadn’t stayed and followed them to their home, if I’d only gone back to the hotel when Megan asked, if we hadn’t been drunk . . . there were so many factors, so many reasons, and I’d decided it all came down to one guilty party—myself.
But over time, after much healing, I’d learned that blaming myself would never bring her back, and living in the mountain of regret I’d built around myself would never solve anything. Would Megan be happy to learn I’d given up my life as well?
So, I’d freed myself from the shackles I’d sentenced myself to and learned to live again—with Lailah.
But some things never change, and the idea of drinking scared me to death, especially since I’d been entrusted with the greatest gift on earth. If anything happened to Lailah because of me, I didn’t think I could live with myself. When it came to her, I could never be reckless.
As our drinks arrived and greasy burgers and French fries were ordered, we made our way over to an empty pool table and began setting up our first game.
“So, seeing as I’ll be a married man in a few hours,” I said as I rubbed a little blue chalk along the tip of my pool stick, “how about you entertain us with a few stories about my beautiful bride, Marcus? Tell me something I might not know.”
His motions mimicked my own as he readied his pool stick, and then he began to collect the scattered balls that had fallen into the pockets from a previous game.
“Hmm . . . let me think,” he answered, placing each ball into the triangular form before sliding it up to the silver marker on the table.
Each painted ball rolled and spun around as they made their way across the green felt. He lifted the triangle and centered himself, leaning over to take in the perfect position.
Crack.
The balls flew perfectly across the table, and several immediately fell into pockets.
“Damn, man. Give us a chance.” Brian laughed.
Marcus smirked as he walked around to find another angle. “Did she ever tell you that she went through a rather impressive Twilight phase a few years back?”
I nodded. “Well, she didn’t exactly tell me. It was more like I found the mound of books, DVDs, and even an Edward doll in a box shoved in the back of the closet. Do they really sparkle?”
“I’m afraid so. She made me stay late one night after my shift, and we watched every single one—or at least the ones that were out. When I asked where their fangs were, she hushed me and said to keep watching.”
“She’s moved on, and now, she makes me watch The Vampire Diaries every week.”
“Oh, I remember. She pulled me into that a few times. Just be glad they don’t sparkle.”
“Are we playing pool or turning into teenage girls?” Brian asked, raising his pool stick in the air for effect.
I laughed and motioned for Marcus to continue his turn. He knocked around a few more balls, but none scored, so it was my turn.
“Here’s something you might not know. When she was younger, there was a time when she had to sleep with the aid of an oxygen tank. She’s always had to use one from time to time, but around when she was seven, it became a nightly ritual.”
I frowned, trying to imagine my angel, young and frail, chained to a bed each night, breathing through an oxygen mask.
“After about two weeks, she became so angry—with me, her mother, and even the noisy metal tank by her bedside. At seven, she’d endured more than most had in a lifetime, and I think she’d just decided it was enough. It was one of the few times Molly ever reached out for me for non-medical help when it came to Lailah.”
I took my turn, barely interested in the game anymore, and it was soon Brian’s turn. Taking a sip from my soda I sat down and listened to Marcus as he continued his story.
“I ended up calling one of my buddies up at the Children’s Hospital at Stanford. I knew Molly asking me for help was huge. It meant that she trusted me beyond the realm of a doctor-patient relationship. This was something she was asking of a family member, and I didn’t want to mess it up.”
“What did you do?” I asked.
“With a bit of borrowed advice from my friend, I showed up at their apartment with balloons and dress-up clothes in hand. Molly opened the door and thought I’d gone insane. I was wondering the same as I entered Lailah’s bedroom and found her sitting there, curiously staring up at me. When I told her we were going to meet a new friend, her eyes perked up and darted to the door. They immediately fell when I explained that this friend was someone she already knew but just hadn’t been properly introduced to.”
“The oxygen tank?” I guessed.
He nodded, taking his second shot, having already sunk a few balls in his first turn. Then, he darted across the table to land a few more. “I explained to her that her oxygen tank was a superhero, and it had a big job to do—to keep her alive. I said that, sometimes, superheroes had to go into the real world in disguise, so I was there to help give her oxygen tank the superhero look he or she deserved. We spent the entire evening decorating that tank and giving it a name. She happily spent the rest of the summer with Oxy the Oxygen Tank. We’d secretly switch the outfit every time the tank needed to be replaced, and she never complained again.”
“Oxy, huh?” I grinned.
“Yep. She was seven,” he added.
“I like it.”

Hasil (Bahasa Indonesia) 1:

KNOCK tenang bergema melalui apartemen, dan Marcus tidak membuang-buang waktu dalam melompat dari sofa untuk menjawab pintu. Beberapa detik kemudian, Brian muncul, berikut erat di belakang Marcus.Brian mata bertemu saya, dan ia melambat sedikit. "Masih mondar-mandir lantai, aku melihat," katanya sambil ia disesuaikan Zander rewel di pinggul.Aku mengabaikan komentar dan tetap dengan rencana saya saat ini memakai lubang di kayu keras sebelum akhir hari."Anda harus telah merencanakan pernikahan pagi. Lailah's berantakan juga."Mataku kecilpun hingga Brian, mengingat tugas saya telah mengutusnya. "Bagaimana Apakah dia? Apakah dia baik-baik saja?"Dia tersenyum puas. "Yah, dia tidak berpakaian ketika aku melihatnya..."Mataku melebar karena saya mengambil berbagai langkah maju, maksud di meraih Brian leher, tetapi kemudian saya berhenti diriku sendiri ketika aku melihat anaknya tidak bersalah antara kami.Tangan yang bebas naik seperti bendera putih. "Bercanda. Sebagian besar. Sial, Yudas. Bersantai. Aku hanya sedang bermain-main dengan Anda. Dia memakai jubah, dan ia semakin rambut dilakukan. Hal ini terlalu buruk Anda tidak minum, manusia, karena Anda bisa menggunakan sedikit sesuatu untuk saraf tersebut sekarang."Tangan saya pergi melalui rambut saya, dan saya mengambil langkah ke belakang, jatuh ke dalam kursi kebesaran diposisikan oleh jendela-jendela besar yang menghadap ke kota. "Hal ini tidak saraf. Aku hanya sakit menunggu. Aku sudah sejak fajar. Aku hanya ingin melihat dia sudah.""Saya mendapatkan itu, Yudas," Marcus menimpali itu. "Aku menunggu selama dua puluh tahun untuk akhirnya menikah dengan cinta hidupku. Pagi, aku gugup.""Kita harus memiliki kawin lari." Saya menghela napas."Dan meninggalkan saya untuk berurusan dengan Molly ketika dia tahu? Anda akan melakukan itu padaku? Setelah semua yang telah kuperbuat?"Tertawa kecil melarikan diri tenggorokanku. "Tidak, saya kira tidak. "Tapi sialan, jika Anda bisa membuat waktu bergerak sedikit lebih cepat, aku akan menghargai itu."Dia tersenyum hangat, bergerak menuju kursi di mana aku telah memilih untuk jatuh ke dalam keterpurukan sia-sia. Ayolah, Yudas,"katanya, memegang tangan menangkupkan.Tegas mencengkeram itu, dan ia menarikku ke posisi berdiri."Mari kita pergi mendapatkan beberapa siang dan melihat jika kita tidak dapat berbicara dari beberapa jam-jam tersebut. Duduk-duduk di sini akan seperti menonton panci air mendidih.Brian menghela napas. "Saya akan segera kembali. Aku harus pergi mengambil kembali beberapa sinis komentar."Aku tidak tahu apa yang dia maksud, dan sebelum aku punya kedua untuk bertanya, dia sudah pergi.Marcus's lengan jatuh longgar di sekitar saya dalam sikap kebapakan — satu aku pernah melihat tetapi tidak pernah benar-benar merasa senang menikmati sebagai anak-anak. Cinta ayahku selalu telah diputar di pengabdian untuk bisnis keluarga, tidak dalam gerakan fisik."Salah satu harus selalu memberikan untuk keluarganya," ia telah pernah mengatakan kepada saya.Dan dia punya. Sudah nya nomor satu tujuan, ambisi hidupnya. Meskipun saya telah terjawab di kelimpahan pelukan dan perjalanan ke kebun binatang, ayah saya telah menunjukkan kasihNya dengan caranya sendiri.Namun, sebagai Marcus menatapku dengan kekaguman dan kebanggaan, seperti ayah yang mengagumi anak dewasa, aku tidak bisa menahan bertanya-tanya apa merangkul seperti ini akan merasa seperti dari ayah saya sendiri.“I never thought I’d be eating here on my wedding day,” I commented, looking around at the shabby interior of the hole-in-the-wall restaurant Marcus had chosen at random after we’d walked down the frozen streets of Manhattan.“That’s exactly why I picked it. You’ll have plenty of time for that hoity-toity crap your mom has set up for later. Let’s just relax, play a game of pool, and talk.”I nodded, feeling a bit calmer already, as I ordered a round of beers for Marcus and Brian. I indulged in my usual Coke, but since it was my special day, I added a cherry just for kicks. Seeing my fiancé die after the two of us had partied a bit too hard one weekend had officially ended my partying days in one devastating night. Nowadays, I just didn’t see the point.I’d learned to move past my guilt, the all-consuming raw fear that my every action had caused that accident to happen that night. If I hadn’t introduced us to the group at the club, if we hadn’t stayed and followed them to their home, if I’d only gone back to the hotel when Megan asked, if we hadn’t been drunk . . . there were so many factors, so many reasons, and I’d decided it all came down to one guilty party—myself.But over time, after much healing, I’d learned that blaming myself would never bring her back, and living in the mountain of regret I’d built around myself would never solve anything. Would Megan be happy to learn I’d given up my life as well?So, I’d freed myself from the shackles I’d sentenced myself to and learned to live again—with Lailah.But some things never change, and the idea of drinking scared me to death, especially since I’d been entrusted with the greatest gift on earth. If anything happened to Lailah because of me, I didn’t think I could live with myself. When it came to her, I could never be reckless.As our drinks arrived and greasy burgers and French fries were ordered, we made our way over to an empty pool table and began setting up our first game.“So, seeing as I’ll be a married man in a few hours,” I said as I rubbed a little blue chalk along the tip of my pool stick, “how about you entertain us with a few stories about my beautiful bride, Marcus? Tell me something I might not know.”His motions mimicked my own as he readied his pool stick, and then he began to collect the scattered balls that had fallen into the pockets from a previous game.“Hmm . . . let me think,” he answered, placing each ball into the triangular form before sliding it up to the silver marker on the table.Each painted ball rolled and spun around as they made their way across the green felt. He lifted the triangle and centered himself, leaning over to take in the perfect position.Crack.The balls flew perfectly across the table, and several immediately fell into pockets.“Damn, man. Give us a chance.” Brian laughed.Marcus smirked as he walked around to find another angle. “Did she ever tell you that she went through a rather impressive Twilight phase a few years back?”I nodded. “Well, she didn’t exactly tell me. It was more like I found the mound of books, DVDs, and even an Edward doll in a box shoved in the back of the closet. Do they really sparkle?”“I’m afraid so. She made me stay late one night after my shift, and we watched every single one—or at least the ones that were out. When I asked where their fangs were, she hushed me and said to keep watching.”“She’s moved on, and now, she makes me watch The Vampire Diaries every week.”“Oh, I remember. She pulled me into that a few times. Just be glad they don’t sparkle.”“Are we playing pool or turning into teenage girls?” Brian asked, raising his pool stick in the air for effect.I laughed and motioned for Marcus to continue his turn. He knocked around a few more balls, but none scored, so it was my turn.“Here’s something you might not know. When she was younger, there was a time when she had to sleep with the aid of an oxygen tank. She’s always had to use one from time to time, but around when she was seven, it became a nightly ritual.”I frowned, trying to imagine my angel, young and frail, chained to a bed each night, breathing through an oxygen mask.“After about two weeks, she became so angry—with me, her mother, and even the noisy metal tank by her bedside. At seven, she’d endured more than most had in a lifetime, and I think she’d just decided it was enough. It was one of the few times Molly ever reached out for me for non-medical help when it came to Lailah.”I took my turn, barely interested in the game anymore, and it was soon Brian’s turn. Taking a sip from my soda I sat down and listened to Marcus as he continued his story.
“I ended up calling one of my buddies up at the Children’s Hospital at Stanford. I knew Molly asking me for help was huge. It meant that she trusted me beyond the realm of a doctor-patient relationship. This was something she was asking of a family member, and I didn’t want to mess it up.”
“What did you do?” I asked.
“With a bit of borrowed advice from my friend, I showed up at their apartment with balloons and dress-up clothes in hand. Molly opened the door and thought I’d gone insane. I was wondering the same as I entered Lailah’s bedroom and found her sitting there, curiously staring up at me. When I told her we were going to meet a new friend, her eyes perked up and darted to the door. They immediately fell when I explained that this friend was someone she already knew but just hadn’t been properly introduced to.”
“The oxygen tank?” I guessed.
He nodded, taking his second shot, having already sunk a few balls in his first turn. Then, he darted across the table to land a few more. “I explained to her that her oxygen tank was a superhero, and it had a big job to do—to keep her alive. I said that, sometimes, superheroes had to go into the real world in disguise, so I was there to help give her oxygen tank the superhero look he or she deserved. We spent the entire evening decorating that tank and giving it a name. She happily spent the rest of the summer with Oxy the Oxygen Tank. We’d secretly switch the outfit every time the tank needed to be replaced, and she never complained again.”
“Oxy, huh?” I grinned.
“Yep. She was seven,” he added.
“I like it.”

Hasil (Bahasa Indonesia) 2:

Sebuah KNOCK tenang menggema melalui apartemen, dan Marcus tidak membuang-buang waktu di melompat dari sofa untuk menjawab pintu. Beberapa detik kemudian, Brian muncul, berikut dekat di belakang Marcus.
Mata Brian bertemu saya, dan dia sedikit melambat. "Masih mondar-mandir di lantai, saya melihat," katanya sambil disesuaikan dengan Zander rewel di pinggulnya.
Aku mengabaikan komentar dan disimpan dengan rencana saya saat mengenakan sebuah lubang di kayu sebelum akhir hari.
"Anda harus memiliki merencanakan pernikahan pagi. Lailah ini berantakan juga.
"Mataku melesat hingga Brian, mengingat tugas aku mengirim dia. "Bagaimana dengannya? Apakah dia baik-baik saja?
"Dia tersenyum puas. "Yah, dia tidak berpakaian ketika aku melihatnya. . .
"Mataku melebar saat saya mengambil langkah lebar ke depan, berniat meraih leher Brian, tapi kemudian aku berhenti sendiri ketika saya melihat anak yang tak berdosa di antara kami.
Tangan bebas Nya naik seperti bendera putih. "Kidding. Kebanyakan. Sial, Jude. Bersantai. Aku hanya bermain-main dengan Anda. Dia berada di jubah, dan ia mendapatkan rambutnya dilakukan. Ini terlalu buruk Anda tidak minum, manusia, karena Anda bisa menggunakan sedikit sesuatu untuk mereka saraf sekarang.
"Tanganku pergi melalui rambut saya, dan saya mengambil langkah mundur, jatuh ke kursi besar diposisikan oleh jendela besar menghadap ke kota. "Ini bukan saraf. Aku hanya muak menunggu. Aku sudah bangun sejak fajar. Aku hanya ingin melihat dia sudah.
​​"" Aku mengerti, Jude, "Marcus menimpali itu. "Saya menunggu lebih dari dua puluh tahun untuk akhirnya menikah dengan cinta dalam hidup saya. Pagi, saya gugup. "" Kita harus kawin lari. "Aku mendesah." Dan meninggalkan saya untuk berurusan dengan Molly ketika dia tahu? Anda akan melakukan itu padaku? Setelah semua yang saya lakukan? "Sebuah tawa kecil lolos tenggorokanku. "Tidak, saya kira tidak. Tapi sialan, jika Anda bisa membuat jam yang bergerak sedikit lebih cepat, saya akan sangat menghargainya. "Dia tersenyum hangat, bergerak menuju kursi tempat aku memilih untuk jatuh ke dalam kemerosotan berguna. "Ayo, Jude," katanya sambil mengulurkan tangan tertangkup. Saya tegas mencengkeram itu, dan dia menarikku ke posisi berdiri. "Mari kita pergi mendapatkan beberapa makan siang dan melihat apakah kita tidak bisa bicara lagi beberapa jam ini. Duduk di sini akan menjadi seperti menonton panci air mendidih. "Brian mendesah. "Aku akan segera kembali. Aku harus pergi mengambil kembali komentar sinis beberapa. "Aku tidak tahu apa yang dimaksud, dan sebelum aku memiliki kedua untuk bertanya, dia sudah pergi. Lengan Marcus jatuh longgar di sekitar saya dalam gerakan-satu unutk aku akan dilihat tetapi tidak pernah benar-benar merasa senang menikmati sebagai anak-anak. Cintaku ayah selalu ditampilkan dalam pengabdian kepada bisnis keluarga, tidak di gerakan fisik. "Salah satu harus selalu menyediakan untuk keluarganya," dia pernah mengatakan kepada saya. Dan dia punya. Sudah tujuannya nomor satu, ambisi hidupnya. Meskipun aku rindu di kelimpahan pelukan dan perjalanan ke kebun binatang, ayah saya telah menunjukkan cintanya dengan caranya sendiri. Namun, sebagai Marcus menatapku dengan kekaguman dan kebanggaan, seperti seorang ayah mengagumi seorang anak yang sudah dewasa, saya tidak bisa membantu tetapi bertanya-tanya apa pelukan seperti ini akan merasa seperti dari ayah saya sendiri. "Saya tidak pernah berpikir saya akan makan di sini pada hari pernikahan saya," aku berkomentar, melihat-lihat di interior lusuh lubang-dalam the-dinding restoran Marcus telah dipilih secara acak setelah kami telah berjalan menyusuri jalan-jalan beku Manhattan. "Itulah mengapa saya memilih itu. Anda akan memiliki banyak waktu untuk itu omong kosong hoity-toity ibumu telah diatur untuk kemudian. Mari kita bersantai, bermain game pool, dan berbicara. "Aku mengangguk, merasa lebih tenang sedikit sudah, karena saya memesan putaran bir untuk Marcus dan Brian. Aku terlibat dalam saya biasa Coke, tapi karena itu adalah hari istimewa saya, saya menambahkan ceri hanya untuk iseng. Melihat tunangan saya mati setelah kami berdua telah berpesta sedikit terlalu keras satu pekan memiliki resmi berakhir hari berpesta saya dalam satu malam yang menghancurkan. Saat ini, saya hanya tidak melihat titik. Aku belajar untuk bergerak melewati rasa bersalah saya, semua memakan takut baku bahwa setiap tindakan saya telah menyebabkan kecelakaan itu terjadi malam itu. Jika saya tidak memperkenalkan kita kepada kelompok di klub, jika kita tidak tinggal dan mengikuti mereka ke rumah mereka, jika aku hanya akan pergi kembali ke hotel ketika Megan bertanya, jika kita tidak pernah mabuk. . . ada begitu banyak faktor, begitu banyak alasan, dan aku memutuskan itu semua datang ke satu bersalah partai-sendiri. Namun seiring waktu, setelah banyak penyembuhan, aku belajar bahwa menyalahkan diriku sendiri tidak akan membawanya kembali, dan tinggal di gunung penyesalan aku dibangun di sekitar diriku tidak akan menyelesaikan apa-apa. Akan Megan senang mengetahui saya sudah menyerah hidup saya juga? Jadi, aku membebaskan diri dari belenggu aku dihukum diri untuk dan belajar untuk hidup lagi-dengan Lailah. Tapi beberapa hal tidak pernah berubah, dan ide minum takut mati, terutama karena saya telah dipercayakan dengan hadiah terbesar di bumi. Jika sesuatu terjadi pada Lailah karena aku, aku tidak berpikir aku bisa hidup dengan diriku sendiri. Ketika datang padanya, aku tak pernah bisa sembrono. Sebagai minuman kami tiba dan berminyak Burger dan kentang goreng diperintahkan, kami berjalan ke sebuah meja biliar kosong dan mulai menyiapkan pertandingan pertama kami. "Jadi, mengingat saya akan menjadi pria yang sudah menikah dalam beberapa jam, "kataku sambil mengusap kapur biru kecil di sepanjang ujung saya kolam tongkat," bagaimana Anda menghibur kita dengan beberapa cerita tentang pengantin yang indah saya, Marcus? Katakan sesuatu yang saya mungkin tidak tahu. "Gerakan-Nya menirukan saya sendiri saat ia disiapkan nya kolam renang tongkat, dan kemudian ia mulai mengumpulkan bola yang tersebar yang jatuh ke kantong dari pertandingan sebelumnya." Hmm. . . biarkan aku berpikir, "jawabnya, menempatkan setiap bola ke dalam bentuk segitiga sebelum meluncur hingga penanda perak di atas meja. Setiap bola dicat digulung dan berputar karena mereka membuat jalan mereka di seluruh hijau terasa. Dia mengangkat segitiga dan berpusat sendiri, mencondongkan badan untuk mengambil dalam posisi sempurna. Crack. Bola terbang dengan sempurna di seberang meja, dan beberapa segera jatuh ke dalam saku. "Sialan, man. Beri kami kesempatan. "Brian tertawa. Marcus menyeringai sambil berjalan sekitar untuk menemukan sudut yang lain. "Apakah dia pernah memberitahu Anda bahwa dia pergi melalui fase Twilight cukup mengesankan beberapa tahun yang lalu?" Aku mengangguk. "Yah, dia tidak benar-benar memberitahu saya. Itu lebih seperti saya menemukan gundukan buku, DVD, dan bahkan boneka Edward dalam kotak mendorong di belakang lemari. Apakah mereka benar-benar berkilau? "" Aku takut begitu. Dia membuat saya tetap terlambat satu malam setelah shift saya, dan kami menyaksikan setiap satu-atau setidaknya orang-orang yang berada di luar. Ketika saya bertanya di mana taring mereka, dia terdiam dan berkata untuk tetap menonton. "" Dia pindah, dan sekarang, dia membuat saya menonton The Vampire Diaries setiap minggu. "" Oh, saya ingat. Dia menarik saya ke dalam beberapa kali. Hanya senang mereka tidak berkilau. "" Apakah kita bermain kolam renang atau berubah menjadi gadis remaja? "Tanya Brian, mengangkat nya kolam renang tongkat di udara untuk efek. Aku tertawa dan memberi isyarat untuk Marcus untuk melanjutkan gilirannya. Dia mengetuk sekitar beberapa bola lebih banyak, tetapi tidak mencetak gol, jadi itu giliran saya. "Inilah sesuatu yang Anda mungkin tidak tahu. Ketika ia masih muda, ada waktu ketika ia harus tidur dengan bantuan tabung oksigen. Dia selalu harus menggunakan satu dari waktu ke waktu, tetapi sekitar ketika ia berusia tujuh tahun, itu menjadi ritual setiap malam. "Aku mengerutkan kening, mencoba membayangkan malaikat saya, muda dan lemah, dirantai ke tempat tidur setiap malam, bernapas melalui masker oksigen . "Setelah sekitar dua minggu, ia menjadi sangat marah-dengan saya, ibunya, dan bahkan tangki logam bising di samping tempat tidurnya. Pada tujuh, ia mengalami lebih dari kebanyakan memiliki dalam seumur hidup, dan saya pikir dia baru saja memutuskan itu sudah cukup. Itu adalah salah satu dari beberapa kali Molly pernah mengulurkan tangan bagi saya untuk bantuan non-medis ketika datang ke Lailah. "Aku mengambil giliran saya, hampir tidak tertarik dalam permainan lagi, dan itu segera giliran Brian. Meneguk dari soda saya duduk dan mendengarkan Marcus sambil terus ceritanya. "Saya akhirnya menelepon salah satu teman saya sampai di Rumah Sakit Anak di Stanford. Aku tahu Molly meminta saya untuk membantu besar. Ini berarti bahwa dia mempercayai saya di luar bidang hubungan dokter-pasien. Ini adalah sesuatu yang dia minta dari anggota keluarga, dan saya tidak ingin mengacaukannya. "" Apa yang kamu lakukan? "Tanya saya." Dengan sedikit saran dipinjam dari teman saya, saya muncul di apartemen mereka dengan balon dan pakaian dress-up di tangan. Molly membuka pintu dan berpikir aku sudah gila. Aku bertanya-tanya sama aku memasuki kamar tidur Lailah dan menemukan dia duduk di sana, anehnya menatap saya. Ketika saya mengatakan kepadanya kami akan bertemu teman baru, matanya ceria dan melesat ke pintu. Mereka langsung jatuh ketika saya menjelaskan bahwa teman ini adalah seseorang yang sudah tahu tapi hanya belum benar diperkenalkan ke. "" Tangki oksigen? "Saya menduga. Dia mengangguk, mengambil tembakan kedua, karena telah tenggelam beberapa bola dalam bukunya giliran pertama. Kemudian, ia melesat di atas meja untuk mendarat beberapa lagi. "Saya menjelaskan kepadanya bahwa tangki oksigen nya superhero, dan itu pekerjaan besar yang harus dilakukan-untuk tetap hidup. Saya mengatakan bahwa, kadang-kadang, superhero harus pergi ke dunia nyata menyamar, jadi aku ada di sana untuk membantu memberikan tangki oksigen nya superhero tampilan dia layak. Kami menghabiskan seluruh malam dekorasi tangki itu dan memberikan nama. Dia dengan senang hati menghabiskan sisa musim panas dengan Oxy Tank Oksigen. Kami akan diam-diam beralih pakaian setiap kali tangki perlu diganti, dan dia tidak pernah mengeluh lagi. "" Oxy, ya? "Aku menyeringai." Yap. Dia tujuh, "tambahnya." Saya menyukainya. "