Love, Simply - Chapter 16：Sweetest moment, hardest time, Sweetest moment

“Sometimes, the best way to comfort someone is to be near him,” Veronica Ruth, Divergent.

***

“I wish you’d come,” Cyrus sighed. They have not seen each other for a while, and they were going to separate again. It sucked. He hated that she was going to be away for so many days.

“I know! I am coming as soon as I get things done here. So wait for me, okay,” Louise comforted.

Cyrus nodded.

He never felt bothered by Louise’s height, but at that moment, he wished that he was a little bit taller.

He didn’t have a problem since she always did the hugging and kissing.

“Eh, do you wanna kiss me?” She thoughtlessly asked, seeing how Cyrus was attempting to ask.

Wasn’t she too direct?

“But—”

“I am too tall,” she frowned.

“It’s not like that,” Cyrus hastily defended. “Forget it,” he said, tip-toeing to kiss her.

A couple was passing by, awed at them, “They are so cute,” the woman said, she was holding a camera and unconsciously snapped a photo of them.

“Delete it. Why would you keep a stranger’s picture?” The man asked in a bored tone.

“I can ask them if they want it first,” the woman cried.

“You could have helped,” Cyrus said as he pulled away.

“I am sorry,” Louise grinned. “I forgot.”

“Delete it now,” the unknown man shouted at the camerawoman.

Seeing how the man did not look too happy about it, Louise decided to talk to the woman.

“Hi,” She greeted, “You have an Instax camera too. It’s cool,” Louise said. “It’s okay about the picture. Can I give you my number to send it to me? I will pay—”

“It’s okay,” the woman smiled, “I am a photographer. I usually post them on my Instagram. Would that be okay to post yours?” She asked.

“I am sorry for taking the picture without your permission.”

“It’s okay! Thank you. That’s my number and Instagram,” Louise said, handing her the sticky notes back. “The picture is very nice. Thanks again.”

“My pleasure.”

~~~

“I am leaving,” Cyrus said, pulling out of the hug. “Send me the picture when you get it.”

“Yeah! Here,” Louise handed him a car’s key.

“What for?”

“To drive. You take a taxi to school every day. Won’t you be penniless like that?”

“That’s too much. I can’t take your car to school. People would think I won the lottery or I am involved in some kind of—”

“You know what.”

“Alright! Take Kate’s car to school. I’ll let her know.”

“Too expensive.”

“What do you normally drive?”

“My car is a 2012 Toyota Camry.”

“But you let Peter use it since your workplace is closer. Don’t argue, okay, drive one of the cars in the garage.”

“I am leaving now. Really.”

“I love you,” Louise said, giving him one last hug.

“I know,” he said. “I love you,” he grinned.

~~~

Peter glared at Cyrus. He was so showing off.

Cyrus was all smile since he came back from France.

Ugh! Why wasn’t he dating too?

“Stop smiling like an idiot!” Peter yelled.

“Why are you yelling?” Cyrus yelled back. “Let me smile!”

“Ugh! Do you know that Louise is older than you?” Peter asked. He didn’t hate that he was happy. He hated that he always thought that dating was such a bad thing.

He loved seeing his friend happy, but he felt annoyed. He wanted to date too.

“No, it does not matter anyway,” he said, shrugging it off. “You should date too.”

“I am going to work. Your adoptive mother is coming back next week. She couldn’t reach you. Your ‘father’ is in a coma again.”

Almost a year, Cyrus found out that man was his biological father. He never blamed him. He couldn’t be—

But he wanted to meet him. Cyrus and Larson have only communicated on the phone.

Larson didn’t want the son he didn’t know he had to see him in the state he was.

“It’s okay. Everything will be fine.” His dad and mother left, so he didn’t want his father to be gone too.

~~~

A week later

“Your father sent this to you,” Mrs. Smith said, handing Cyrus an envelope.

“What is it?”

“Your inheritance,” she said. “This house included.”

“What? He’ not dead. Why would—I don’t want his money. I want to meet him. Why won’t he let me see him?”

“He is dead,” she said, looking away.

“He is dead. How could he be?” He shouted.

His father died.

Cyrus didn’t get the chance to meet him.

All he wanted was to meet him.

“What am I supposed to do with all that money? All I wanted was— isn’t this unfair? He didn’t even know he had a son. Why is he dead?”His voice broke.

No, he has never met his father, but for almost a year, they communicated with each other. His father’s voice was warm and loving, filled with affection.

“I am sorry.”

“Not again…” Cyrus clenched his chest as he was not able to breathe.

“Hey! Cyr,” Mrs. Smith yelled in a panic. “Look at me! Focus. Breath, okay.”

“Oh, God! What am I supposed to do? Think of happy things. Good memories, you must have a lot with Peter.”

Cyrus couldn’t think of anything as he gripped his chest tighter.

“Excuse me! Move aside, please.” Louise flew back the same day she received the news from Kate to accompany Cyrus, knowing that he would have had a hard time accepting it.

“Darling! I am here. I am Cahir. Breathe for me, please,” she said, hugging him. She put light kisses on his lips and rubbed his back gently.

“Okay, you’re okay!” She assured him, “It’s okay.”

“He’s dead,” Cyrus said, burying his face into Louise’s neck. “I couldn’t—”

“Shh! It’s okay. Don’t speak,” Louise said. “Ma’am, I am going to accompany him to his room. I am sorry we had to meet like this.”

“We’ll talk later.”

~~~

Louise didn’t know what to tell Cyrus to make him feel better.

She said nothing but just held him in her arms.

It was the most comfortable thing she could have done for him.

Louise’s presence was all Cyrus needed to soothe him.

~~~

“It will get better.”

“I didn’t know him, but why is it so painful?”

“It’s okay. Cry all you want. I will be here to wipe your tears away,” Louise said, “Crying will make it all better.”

“Men do cry. It does not make you weak. It proves that you’re human. It hurts, it’s painful, and you’re feeling it.”

~~~

Mrs. Smith had a harder time dealing with her husband’s death. After the funeral, she shut herself in her bedroom and never came out for a week.

She was angry and furious.

She wished that in the end, he would have made it, but she couldn’t be too optimistic, knowing how bad her husband’s health had deteriorated.

She only wanted to spend more time with her husband.

Tell him how much she loved him.

Mrs.Smith regretted it not doing so more often.

Did he die not knowing it? Not knowing if she loved him.

It didn’t matter that he was in love with another woman before.

She was her friend.

And Mrs. Smith knew that Larson loved her too.

~~~

“How’s your stepmother doing?” Louise asked.

“She came out of her bedroom this week,” Cyrus said, “It’s hard on her.”

“I know. I was young when my mother passed away, but—the pain I felt.”

“I am sorry!”

“Will you stop apologizing to me? Take care of your mother. I will visit your mom when I have time.”

“I love you.”

“I love you.”

~~~

“Mom?” Cyrus called, knocking on Mrs.Smith’s door. “Father wouldn’t want to see you like this.”

“Go away, please!”

“What about me? You still have me, the kids, and your family. You’re hurting people who love you by doing like this.”

“Mom, come out! Open the door, please!”

“Larson was in so much pain and spent most of his life in a hospital,” she sobbed.

“His pains and sufferings are over now. I hope he’s at peace. As much as I’d love him to be here with us, I wouldn’t want him to suffer,” Cyrus said.

“Can I come in?”

“Yeah!”

“Son, thank you,” Mrs.Smith said.

“For what? I haven’t done anything for you,” Cyrus said.

“You called me mom,” she smiled. “I know I’d never compare to your mother.”

“Don’t! Don’t think that way.”

“Although your father is gone, my affection for you won’t change. I’ll move out next week,” she announced.

“For what?”

“Well—”

“Mom, don’t be like this. Don’t mention this anymore. I’ll go see if dinner is ready,” Cyrus said.

~~~

“Baby, what’s wrong?”

“My water broke,” Kate yelled. “Hurry up!”

“Where are you?” Louise asked, running out of the house.

“Aunt Evangeline’s, but she’s out right now. Cyrus’s sleeping. The kids are in school,” Kate groaned.

~~~

“Kate!” Louise yelled. “Hey, Cyrus, get your lazy bum up. Your cousin is in labor,” she kicked his door.

“This hurts.”

“I know. Deep breaths, slowly. You got this. Cyrus—”

“What!”Cyrus swung the door open, “Which crazy p—Oh, Cahir, you’re here.”

“Come here!” Louise tossed the keys to him. “Drive to the hospital.”

~~~

“How’s my wife?” Robert asked. He left his meeting as soon as he got news from Louise.

“I don’t know yet. Louise’s and Diane in there with her.”

A while later, Louise and Diane came out.

“How’s my sweetie?” Robert asked. “The baby?”

“They are both fine. It’s a girl,” Louise smiled.

“Thank God!” Robert sighed in happiness, a smile on his exhausted and fatigued face. “I’ll go see them.”

“Loulou, thank you for taking care of my wife while I was absent,” he smiled gratefully at her.

“It’s nothing,” she nodded. “I’ll go arrange the baby’s room. I’ll come back later.”

“Thank you!”

~~~

Cyrus leaned his head against the window, his eyes shut. Diane was out of it in the back; she had to stay up late these past few weeks to study for Cyrus’s exam.

“What’s wrong with them?” Louise mumbled.

~~~

“Hey, what’s wrong with you guys?” Louise said, slamming the car’s door.

“You’re so noisy,” Diane said, stretching out. “What’s wrong with him?” She pointed at Cyrus. Louise shrugged.

“Darling!” She called and kissed his cheek. He didn’t move, and his body was cold. “Cyrus!”

“Nephew!” Diane shook him, anxiously, “Don’t scare us!”

“Cyr!” Cyrus still didn’t move.

“Drive him to the hospital,” Diane said.

“Darling! Cyrus, answer me, please,” Louise was starting to get scared. She touched his forehead, and it felt cold.

“Why are you guys acting like I am dead?” Cyrus whispered, his eyes still closed.

“Why didn’t you answer? You scared me.” Diane yelled. “You’ve been giving people homework nonstop, and you scared me to death.”

“I am sorry. I feel dizzy.”

“What’s wrong?” Louise asked. “Are you sick? Do you want to go to the hospital?”

“I took some cold medicines. I feel dizzy.”

“Take him home. I’ll take care of things here,” Diane offered.

“Thanks, aunt,” Louise smiled.

~~~

“You scared me.”

“I am sorry—”

“Don’t talk!” Cyrus pulled Louise closer to his chest and wrapped his arms around her. “I was so scared that something happened to you.”

“I am sorry.”

“You talk too much,” Louise covered his lips with hers.

“I am sick!” Cyrus protested. “Don’t blame me if you get sick,” he said, flipping Louise onto her back. “I want you, but—”

“But,” her breath hitched as she looked up at him.

“I know you’re not ready,” he said, but deepen the kiss.

“You’re killing me,” he whispered as his heart beat faster and faster,

Huh! Cyrus cupped Louise’s face and kissed her again.

“Cyr!”

“Mmh!”Louise moaned under him. Cyrus didn’t want to take things too far, he gently tugged at her hair, and kissed her slowly and tenderly.

“Let’s stop here!” he said. He rested his head on her chest, listening to her heartbeat.

“I will sue you if I am sick.”

“Gladly!” He smiled. “Do you want to continue so you can have more reasons to sue me?” He asked, pouncing on her.

“Darling!”

“What?”

“You’re sick.”

“You started it.”

“And? I am sorry,” she hugged him, “Let’s go see Kate tomorrow.”

“Yeah!”