Page 114 of Love Unwritten
I want to pull him into my arms and never let go, but I remain in my seat. “That does sound scary.”
His chin trembles. “One time, I was lost at the mall. All of a sudden, everything went dark. No one could help me find you.”
I reach for his hand. “I’m sorry you’ve been having nightmares like these.”
He stares down at his lap. “I don’t want everything to go black.”
I shake my head. “The doctor told us that won’t happen.”
“I know, but what if they’re wrong?”
“No doctor can tell the future, but they have the science that shows you’ll be able to still see. And there are things we can do to help you.”
“But it won’t be the same. It’ll just keep getting worse.”
“You’re right.” Another sharp pain ricochets through my chest, but instead of allowing my grief to consume me, I channel it into helping my son process his fear. “But we will make the most of the vision you have.”
His frown morphs into a smile. “Does that mean we can go on vacation all the time?”
I laugh, which only makes his grin widen. “I’ll think about it.” While I can’t go on vacation as often as Nico would like, I can make them a top priority for us, ensuring he makes as many visual memories as possible.
We move on to lighter topics, like our future trip to the Mexico City Grand Prix with Ellie in October, before heading to the pickup location for our ATV tour.
Nico and I have a blast exploring the scenic valleys, dirt roads, and iconic movie locations in our two-passenger buggy. Nico’s smile never drops, his laughter is constant as I drive us around, and I enjoy making him squeal with sharp turns and small jumps.
We haven’t had this kind of long-lasting fun together in months, and I’m reluctant to drive us back to the drop-off location solely because I don’t want today to end.
You don’t need ATVs or a beach to make Nico happy. You just need to be you.
“You’ve got some dirt in your beard.” He laughs as he brushes my chin.
“Maybe I should shave it all off.” While I keep my beard nicely trimmed, sand or dirt like today’s still get caught in it, making for an itchy experience.
“Really?” His eyes go wide.
“Yeah.” I scratch at my cheek.
His smile expands. “Yay!”
“You don’t like it?”
His face turns red. “I didn’t say that.”
He didn’t have to.
“Okay then. Do you like it?”
He bites down on his bottom lip.
“I thought so.” I pull him in for a hug and rub my face against his, earning a loud laugh and a hard shove against my shoulder.
“Stop!” he squeals as I spread dirt across his cheeks.
“What did you say?”
“I said stop!” He speaks louder this time.
I release him. “You should have told me you didn’t like it sooner.”