A Thousand Boy Kisses(86)

Poppy was happy. Even with this diagnosis, even with all the pain and disappointment of her treatment, she was happy.

“I’m glad you returned, son. You’re making Poppy’s final days, in her words, ‘as special as special can be’.”

Mr. Litchfield got to his feet. In a move I’d only ever seen from his daughter, Poppy, he tipped his face to the setting sun and closed his eyes.

When he brought his head back down, he walked back toward the door, looking back to say, “You’re welcome here as much as you like, Rune. I think with you by her side, Poppy will come out of this. She’ll come out of this just so she can spend a few extra days with you. I saw that look in her eyes as she lay on that bed; she isn’t going anywhere just yet. You know as well as I do, if she’s determined to see something through, then she’ll damn well see it through.”

My lips lifted into a small smile. Mr. Litchfield left me alone in the garden. Reaching into my pockets, I pulled put my smokes. As I went to light the end, I stopped. As Poppy’s smile filled my head, her disapproving scrunched nose every time I smoked, I pulled the cigarette from my mouth and threw it to the ground.

“Enough,” I said aloud. “No more.”

Taking a long breath of the fresh air, I got to my feet and went back inside. As I entered the family room, Poppy’s family was sitting on one side and on the other, my mamma, pappa and Alton. As soon as my baby brother saw me, he lifted his head and waved.

Doing what Poppy would have wanted me to do, I sat down beside him. “Hei, buddy,” I said, and almost lost it when he crawled onto my lap and pushed his arms around my neck.

I felt Alton’s back shaking. When he pulled back his head, his cheeks were wet. “Is Poppymin sick?”

Clearing my throat, I nodded. His bottom lip wobbled. “But you love her,” he whispered, cracking my heart in the process. I nodded again, and he laid his head against my chest. “I don’t want Poppymin to go anywhere. She made you speak to me. She made you be best friends with me,” he sniffed. “I don’t want you to be angry again.”

I felt each of his words like a dagger to my chest. But those daggers only let in light when I thought of how Poppy had guided me to Alton. I thought of how disappointed she’d be if I ignored him now.

Holding Alton closer, I whispered, “I won’t ignore you again, buddy. I promise.”

Alton lifted his head and wiped at his eyes. When he raked his hair back, I couldn’t help but smirk. Alton smiled in reply and hugged me tighter. He didn’t let go of me until the doctor entered the room. He told us we could go in and see her two at a time.

Mr. and Mrs. Litchfield went in first, then it was my turn. I pushed through the door and froze in my tracks.

Poppy lay in a bed in the middle of the room. Machines were hooked up all around her. My heart cracked. She looked so broken lying there, so quiet.

No laughter or smiles on her face.

I walked forward and sat down on the chair beside her bed. Taking hold of her hand, I brought it to my lips and pressed down a kiss.

I couldn’t stand the silence. So I began to tell Poppy about the first time I’d kissed her. I told her about every kiss I could remember since we were eight—how they felt, how she made me feel—knowing that if she could hear me, she’d love every word of what I had to say.

Reliving every single kiss that she held so dear.

All nine hundred and two that we’d achieved so far.

And the ninety-eight we’d still collect.

When she woke up.

Because she would.

We had a vow to fulfill.





Rune

One week later



“Hey Rune.”

I looked up from the paper I was writing to see Jorie at the door to Poppy’s room. Judson, Deacon and Ruby were standing behind her in the hallway. I flicked my chin in their direction and they all walked in.

Poppy was still in her bed, still in her coma. After a few days, the doctors had said the worst of her infection had passed, and other visitors had been allowed in.

My Poppy had done it. Just as she’d promised, she’d fought to keep the infection from taking her down. I knew she would. She’d held my hand when she’d made that promise. She’d met my eyes.

It was as good as done.

The doctors were planning on bringing her slowly out of her coma over the next few days. They were going to gradually lessen the dosage of anesthetic, beginning later tonight. And I couldn’t wait. This week had felt like an eternity without her, everything felt wrong and out of place. So much had changed in my world by her being gone, yet by contrast, nothing on the outside really had.

The only real development was that the entire school now knew that Poppy didn’t have much time left. From what I’d heard they were all predictably shocked; everyone was sad. We had been at school with most of these people since kindergarten. Although they didn’t know Poppy like our small group of friends did, it had still rocked the town. People from her church had gathered to pray for her. To show their love. I knew if Poppy knew about it, it would warm her heart.

The doctors weren’t sure how strong she would be when she woke up. They were reluctant to estimate how long she had left, but her doctor told us this infection had severely weakened her. He told us we had to be prepared: when she finally woke up, we could be facing only weeks.