From Mountains to Lone Stars

My parent's house sat only a few blocks away from the beach. Growing up in this area had always been a pleasure. Our family got to run out to the beach every summer before it got crowded with tourists, and we got to enjoy bonfires during the winter.

I smiled at Maverick as her face broke into a grin. It was the first time I had seen her genuinely smile in quite a few weeks. Her blue eyes lit up at the sight of mountains. Who knew it was that easy?

"How are you feeling, Maverick?" I picked up her hand, pressing a kiss to the back of it.

She turned to face me, a grin still on her face. Last week had been her last round of chemo and radiation and her surgery was scheduled for next week. Her once long purple hair was now shaved down. I could tell she was nervous and uncomfortable about the hair situation because she had stolen one of my black bandannas and hats to cover her head.

"Are they going to like me, Matt?" She ignored my first question. "Do they know about my cancer?"

Squeezing her hand, I flashed my dimples at her. "They are going to love you, Alexa. I told them a little bit about it, but it's your story." I kissed her forehead. "Are you ready to go in?"

She nodded and took a deep breath. The nerves were very clear in her every movement. I smiled as she jumped out of my truck. At least she had put a little weight back on. Mav was still skin and bones, but her collarbones weren't nearly as prominent anymore. She was starting to look like herself again.

I grabbed her hand again as we headed to my front door. Once the door was open, the strong scent of cookies filled my nostrils. I had to fight back a laugh, knowing my mother was no doubt baking up a storm. In high school, she had always been the mother that cooked and baked for everyone. Jimmy, Johnny, Brian, and Zacky were always over at my house.

"MOM!" I yelled as I guided my girl down the hallway. "Alexa and I are here!"

We walked into the kitchen where dozens of cookies were stacked on the counter. My mom was wiping some flour on her apron when she spotted the two of us. She instantly dropped the spoon in her hand and pulled me in for a hug only mothers could give.

When she saw my Maverick, she did the same thing. Maverick looked at me from over my mother's shoulder, a look of pain, confusion, and happiness mixing in her eyes.

"It is so nice to meet you, Alexa." My mother motioned for us to sit. "Matty has told me so much about you."

She blushed. "Oh, he has?"

"He's never talked about a woman so much!"

"MOM!" It was my turn to blush. "No secret sharing, okay? We don't want to overwhelm her with my weirdness."

"She's been with you this long," Mom said, patting my cheek. "So, when do you graduate, Alexa?"

Before my girl could answer, the back door slid open and my father walked in holding some burgers. "SON!"

What could I say? We were a loud family. The two of us hugged it out and soon Mav was wrapped in the arms of my father. More pain entered her eyes and it was then that I remembered how bruised and battered her body was.

"Dad, cool it on the hugs. Maverick is still recovering."

My dad instantly unwrapped his arms from around her. She sent him a soft smile. "It's okay, Matt. Basically everything hurts, so why not do everything? And Mrs. Sanders, I graduate in May, hopefully."

My mom smiled at her. "Congrats, dear. Please call us Kim and Dave. We're a very informal family here. Do you mind if we ask about the cancer?"

"MOM!" I grabbed Mav's hand. "Come on."

Maverick squeezed my hand. "It's okay. It's stage three going on stage four. I've been doing chemo and radiation and will have surgery next week."

Dad and Mom looked at her, tears already in their eyes. They knew everything about Maverick. I was in love with her, and I didn't keep that a secret from them. She was the love of my life, and before she came, I had to tell them that Maverick might die.

"Oh honey," Dad said, "Here, Kim's snickerdoodles will take away all those thoughts!" He handed her a cookie, making Mav laugh at his antics.
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"Where's your sister?" Maverick asked, pulling one of my tee shirts over her head.

I smiled at her, folding down the covers to my old bed. "Her spring break is next week. She's playing basketball games though, so she won't be coming home."

Maverick climbed into bed, instantly cuddling into my chest. Her bald head felt weird but it was oddly comforting to see. I think a lot of other men would have been weirded out at the sight, but seeing her head, only made me love her more.

"That's nice." Maverick yawned. "I like your mom. Your dad kind of reminds me of mine."

I laughed. "I think all dads are the same, babe. Go to sleep, honey. You have all the time tomorrow."
********************************************************************************************************I I woke to the sound of coughing. The bed next to me was freshly warm as if Maverick had just woken up. Yawning, I rolled out of bed and moved to my bathroom.

Alexa was huddled over the toilet, coughing and coughing. I sat down next to her, rubbing her back as bile rose out of her stomach and throat. Tears were in her eyes, clearly from pain. She sniffled and coughed again. This time red hit the water in the toilet.

A gurgled sob came from Mav's throat. "Matt, is that blood?"

"Yeah..."

Notes

Okay, again, I know it's short, but we are getting to the TISSUE PART