Mother and Son
There was something about having his mom there in Chicago with them that made DJ feel so secure that, when she mentioned she would be leaving Monday afternoon DJ had asked her to stay for a few more days. At once she had said yes, a little surprised by his request, but then she quickly added how she 'wanted to spend more time with her grandchildren' anyway.
On Monday, at around noon, it was her turn to surprise him when she showed up at the restaurant and asked if he would have lunch with her. He had agreed and, after lunch, they went to the park that was close to the house to walk around. It was then that Aida started the conversation.
"So," she said as she watched her son, "Can I ask you why you wanted me to stay in Chicago a while longer?"
DJ smiled over at her. "What, I can't miss my mother?" When she smiled and just shook her head a little, DJ chuckled quietly. "I just...miss you. You didn't come up here for my birthday."
"Ah. Well, your father and his new wife were here, I didn't want to intrude."
"You know, I hate the fact that you can't be here because of him..."
"It's not him, DJ. It's..." She sighed after a moment. "I'm sorry, I should have been here."
He sighed as well, turning to look at the lake. "If it makes you feel any better Michael didn't come, either. Not how he had lanned before anyway, because dad was here. Heh, and all dad wanted was to talk to him." Sighing, he sat down with her on a bench and leaned against it. "I hate how complicated it all became."
"I know," she responded sympathetically, patting his knee gently. "I know, baby, I'm sorry."
DJ smiled very slightly and shook his head. "It's not your fault, it's just..."
She waited for him to continue, but when he didn't she her brow furrowed. "It's just what, sweetheart?" When he would only look away she kept her eyes on him, biting the inside of her bottom lip. "How long?" she whispered, something that caused DJ to turn to her at once. "How long..."
"What? How..."
"I had an idea since...since I got here, but I didn't... Oh, baby..." At once she hugged him to her, but instead of her being the one needing the support how DJ had figured she would need it was him who felt as if he was crumbling as each second passed. Instead of saying anything for a long while she just held him, rubbing his back soothingly.
DJ just stayed there, silent, until he turned to look at her. Seeing her putting up a strong front pained him in the worst possible way, but he didn't look away. "They say it's bad, mom. I don't...know how long, but..."
"And Heather, the kids...? Your brother. They don't know?"
"No!" DJ's eyes widened a little, sitting up straighter. "No, they...no. Not right now."
Aida frowned. "Why not? They're your family, they-"
"Michael lost his son in May, mom, I can't...bring it up now."
"DJ-"
"And in the family, Jenna's getting married soon to Fillip. And I don't want to ruin that, I don't... I already did once, and-... Oh God. Mom, what if I don't... I have to-"
"DJ?"
"I have to be there. I have to...be there. I have to be there."
His words caused the tears that she had been holding back to suddenly rush out at once, which sobered DJ up. Immediately DJ hugged her, his heart breaking as she cried into his shoulder. The park wasn't too busy, but the quick glances by some people didn't go unnoticed. Not like he cared - he had bigger things to worry about. Once Aida composed herself, she dried her tears and they each smiled as bravely as they could at each other. Even if telling her hadn't been part of the plan for the day, DJ felt a new sense of relief that now someone other than his doctor knew what was going on.
"Mom," DJ said after a moment, "please don't tell them. I- I'll tell them, just...not now, okay?"
For a second she hesitated, but after a moment she just nodded. "Of course. You tell them when you're ready. But if things get worse, or-"
"I'll tell them. I promise."
She nodded and kissed his forehead, something that caused DJ's eyes to water again as the kiss suddenly took him back to his childhood all over again. "I love you, mom."
Aida smiled at her son and kissed his cheek. "I love you too, my boy. I'll be here, baby, for whatever you need."
"Just...stay a while...?"
Without hesitation she nodded, not planning on leaving anyway. All that mattered to her was her son.
On Monday, at around noon, it was her turn to surprise him when she showed up at the restaurant and asked if he would have lunch with her. He had agreed and, after lunch, they went to the park that was close to the house to walk around. It was then that Aida started the conversation.
"So," she said as she watched her son, "Can I ask you why you wanted me to stay in Chicago a while longer?"
DJ smiled over at her. "What, I can't miss my mother?" When she smiled and just shook her head a little, DJ chuckled quietly. "I just...miss you. You didn't come up here for my birthday."
"Ah. Well, your father and his new wife were here, I didn't want to intrude."
"You know, I hate the fact that you can't be here because of him..."
"It's not him, DJ. It's..." She sighed after a moment. "I'm sorry, I should have been here."
He sighed as well, turning to look at the lake. "If it makes you feel any better Michael didn't come, either. Not how he had lanned before anyway, because dad was here. Heh, and all dad wanted was to talk to him." Sighing, he sat down with her on a bench and leaned against it. "I hate how complicated it all became."
"I know," she responded sympathetically, patting his knee gently. "I know, baby, I'm sorry."
DJ smiled very slightly and shook his head. "It's not your fault, it's just..."
She waited for him to continue, but when he didn't she her brow furrowed. "It's just what, sweetheart?" When he would only look away she kept her eyes on him, biting the inside of her bottom lip. "How long?" she whispered, something that caused DJ to turn to her at once. "How long..."
"What? How..."
"I had an idea since...since I got here, but I didn't... Oh, baby..." At once she hugged him to her, but instead of her being the one needing the support how DJ had figured she would need it was him who felt as if he was crumbling as each second passed. Instead of saying anything for a long while she just held him, rubbing his back soothingly.
DJ just stayed there, silent, until he turned to look at her. Seeing her putting up a strong front pained him in the worst possible way, but he didn't look away. "They say it's bad, mom. I don't...know how long, but..."
"And Heather, the kids...? Your brother. They don't know?"
"No!" DJ's eyes widened a little, sitting up straighter. "No, they...no. Not right now."
Aida frowned. "Why not? They're your family, they-"
"Michael lost his son in May, mom, I can't...bring it up now."
"DJ-"
"And in the family, Jenna's getting married soon to Fillip. And I don't want to ruin that, I don't... I already did once, and-... Oh God. Mom, what if I don't... I have to-"
"DJ?"
"I have to be there. I have to...be there. I have to be there."
His words caused the tears that she had been holding back to suddenly rush out at once, which sobered DJ up. Immediately DJ hugged her, his heart breaking as she cried into his shoulder. The park wasn't too busy, but the quick glances by some people didn't go unnoticed. Not like he cared - he had bigger things to worry about. Once Aida composed herself, she dried her tears and they each smiled as bravely as they could at each other. Even if telling her hadn't been part of the plan for the day, DJ felt a new sense of relief that now someone other than his doctor knew what was going on.
"Mom," DJ said after a moment, "please don't tell them. I- I'll tell them, just...not now, okay?"
For a second she hesitated, but after a moment she just nodded. "Of course. You tell them when you're ready. But if things get worse, or-"
"I'll tell them. I promise."
She nodded and kissed his forehead, something that caused DJ's eyes to water again as the kiss suddenly took him back to his childhood all over again. "I love you, mom."
Aida smiled at her son and kissed his cheek. "I love you too, my boy. I'll be here, baby, for whatever you need."
"Just...stay a while...?"
Without hesitation she nodded, not planning on leaving anyway. All that mattered to her was her son.