Page 50 of Be With Me
Buddy stopped beside Mooney and spoke quietly, “Debbie doesn’t know anything. Marion didn’t want to tell her over the phone and wants these holidays to be all about the joy and family. Help make that for her, Debbie and the boys?”
Mooney nodded with a plan already forming in his mind. He’d need the heptad’s help, but they’d be here for him, Debbie, and the boys. “The best I can make it. The best.”
§ § §
Debbie turned as Luny entered the kitchen carrying the boys’ sippy cups. Ah, must be juice refill time. She moved over to the fridge and pulled out the apple juice they’d pre-watered down. There was no way she wanted to see her boys on the full-sugared version of the juice with the way they drank the stuff.
Luny put the cups on the counter and pulled her into his arms with a kiss. Mmm, kisses from her husband. A happy squeal from the living room had her pulling back.
“Did Danny arrive with more ducks?”
“No, Danny isn’t here yet. Your mom and uncle did. Lord knows what they brought for the boys this time,” he said shaking his head. “What did your uncle send them for their birthday this year? Oh yeah, bath finger paints.” He shivered as if the painting in the bath was horrifying. The only thing that annoyed Debbie about the paint was getting it off the ducks.
Debbie poured the juice in the cups and after clicking the lids in place, grabbed them up and started to head to say hi to her mom and uncle. Luny pulled her to a stop and into his arms.
“Luny? Not the time. Let me go say hello.” Debbie frowned at her husband. This wasn’t like him. He seemed to be struggling with something. “What’s going on Rafael Stefano Luna?” Oh yeah, she pulled out his full name, this didn’t seem to be something to tap dance around.
“Debs, your mom is sick.”
Debbie stood there blinking for a minute. She couldn’t have heard Luny right but a look at his face told her that she’d heard correctly. Tears formed in her eyes and she looked around the kitchen, anywhere but at Luny. Trying to deny what he’d just told her. She knew he wouldn’t lie but her mom couldn’t be sick. There was so much left for them to do. The boys were going to play sports in a year or two, if Luny had anything to say about it, and she needed to be in the stands with Debbie. Watch them grow into responsible adults with her. Debbie was going to need her mother’s wisdom when the boys were teens. She started shaking her head.
“She can’t be sick. The boys need their nonna and I need my mother,” Debbie said, as tears formed.
Luny pulled her close and she buried her face in his chest. He rubbed his hands up and down her back, like she did with the boys when they cried.
“I don’t know what she’s got, Debs, but there’s something going on. Marion looks frail and I was afraid the boys were going to knock her over when they rushed her. She told me that we’d have time to talk.”
“Why didn’t she tell me?” Debbie barely made a sound with her question.
“Buddy said that she didn’t want to tell you over the phone. That she wants this time with us,” he finished and kissed her softly on the head. Luny pulled back and reached for a napkin. He wiped her cheeks and put a peck on her nose. “Now, before our boys think I’ve lost their juice, I better get back out there. Coming?” He held out his arm to her, holding one of the twins’ cups in his free hand.
Debbie took a deep breath and linked her arm with Luny’s, grabbing the other cup. She could do this. She could do anything with this man by her side.
