Crimson Lace

2

I woke up at nine o'clock and went to check in on my mom. She was still sleeping peacefully. I sat in the chair Kendrich pulled out for me the night before and grabbed her hand just like I did the night before.

I pulled my phone out from my purse and called Kendrich's boss and asked him if Kendrich could leave early. He said he would if Kendrich came to work today. I nearly dropped my phone in surprise at what he said, Kendrich not at work? Maybe he doesn't feel good, or maybe he's worried about my mom and decided to stay home. Then I sat there and remembered he calls or texts me when he doesn't go, so I was confused. I go to my contacts and look for 'Baby' and click on it and I went straight to voicemail. I write my number down and run out.

I smell myself in the car "I need a shower too, ugh!"

20-minute drive yet again to my house. I open the door and ran up the stairs to our bedroom to check if he was there, he wasn't there. I can't worry about what he is doing right now, I need a shower and new clothes and then I need to rush back to the hospital to see mom. I throw my dress, purse, and shoes onto the queen-sized bed. I take a steaming hot 10-minute shower, I put on a creamy long-sleeved blouse, red velvet suspender shorts, see-through sheer mesh pants leggings, and Alasdair brown suede lace-up high heel booties. I grabbed my vintage crushed velvet double gold chain purse and some food.

I see all three cars in the driveway. A black 2018 Audi A4, I drive a black 2018 Chevy Camaro, and in the summer months we drive a 2018 Chevrolet suburban(we don't use the last car as much unless a bunch of us are going on a road trip or there's just a lot of people.) I go into the backyard to look for him there, no luck yet again. 'Oh well, I'll try and call him one more time.' Again straight to voicemail 'I'll leave him a voicemail this time.' I get in the car and drive back to the hospital.

I get there and go to my mom's room, remembering the directions the receptionist gave me the day before. I see a doctor in my mom's room. I knock to signal the doctor that I was coming in.

"You must be Lilyana. My name is Dr.Luciano Manzanares. Your mother was telling me all about you and kept asking for you. I was about to leave and call you."

"Thank you, Dr. Manzares."

"No problem, that's my job... but there is one thing I should tell you." I nodded to him to let him know to continue.

"Just be careful when you go see your mother. She's in a fragile state right now. Other than that, she's fine. " Again I nodded and said thanks as the Doctor moved aside and let me walk towards my mom's bed.

My mom was sitting straight up and was staring out the window.

"Hey momma, how are you feeling?" I ask quietly. Mom turns around to look at me and rolls her nearly black dark brown almond-shaped eyes

"I feel like shit." Turning her head and slightly lifting her arm to smell herself "And I smell like shit." I lightly laugh,

"You also look like shit." She narrowed her eyes at me but had a smile on her face.

"Yea, yea laugh it up jackass." We both laugh at her weak attempt to insult me. Her laughing soon turned into blood infested coughs. I panicked and called for a nurse. My mom tried to wave me off, but the cough was getting worse. Two nurses came rushing in, one pushed me out of the room and quickly went back in to help the other nurse. I look through the window in hopes of seeing what was happening, sadly the window was closed.

I felt silent tears run down my face. I try and call Kendrich one more time.

"Hi, baby. What's wrong?"

"I've been calling and all you can say is 'What's wrong?' You couldn't have called me back?! We'll talk later. My mom woke up, but after spending a couple of minutes together she laughed and started coughing up blood. I'm scared Kendrich, I can't lose my mom. She's all I have left."

"...I'll be down there in a few, alright? We're a team, we're in this together. Alright? I got your back and you have mine. We'll talk more when I get there. I love you."

I breathe a deep sigh and say "I love you too." and hung up. I take a deep breath trying to figure out where everything went wrong. I've been dating Kendrich for five years going on to six years. We met in college when I did cheerleading. I had a scholarship for cheering leading and I moved through the ranks and eventually become the cheer captain. I remember the first time I met him too.

I was running to my math class (the captain at the time had demanded that we meet up and work on our routine before classes.) I was already fifteen minutes late, but as I turned the corner I ran someone down. He was hot, but I couldn't get distracted. I quickly grabbed my books ran past him and shouted an apology over my shoulder and continued running and dodging people trying to get to class.

I'm standing outside the f*****g door and this asshole isn't even in school today! I slide down the door and pulled out my study materials and studied, I had no more energy after that run and cheer practice. I go to grab the planner and my writing notebook. I have neither... a deep growl comes from the back of my throat as I look down onto the floor when I realized my books were with that guy I ran down earlier "f**k me!!"

"I'd like to take you on a date before that." My head shot up and looked at the man before me, he held out my planner and my writing notebook.

"Lilyana, it's a really beautiful name for a lovely lady." I look down at my sweatpants, and fuzzy shoes, then my black tank top, and then back at this boy completely and utterly confused.

"Maybe when I'm out on the field. Right now I look like a bum." He laughed slightly causing my face to break into a smile. I get up and dust off the imaginary dust off my pants and stick my hand out to shake his hand.

“I'm Lilyana Green and you are?"

"Kendrich Hairston." Grabbing my hand to kiss it. I smiled and rolled my eyes at him, that day forward we were inseparable.

I was kinda scared to date Kendrich because he would be the second guy I dated. Let me honest I'm bisexual, and before Kendrich and that one mistake of a boyfriend, I had only dated girls. Kendrich doesn't mind my sexuality and finds it cool. Kendrich was sweet, caring, and romantic now he's rude, disrespectful, secretive, and just a general pain in the ass. I'm brought out of my thoughts when muscly arms are wrapped around my waist.