Gina sat on the edge of the bed in the guest room. She watched as Danielle set her bags on the floor and and sat down next to her. They arrived at AJ's house, which was now home to Gina as well, just a few moments ago. Running water could be heard coming from down the hall and in the bathroom of the master bedroom. AJ was setting up a nice bubble bath for Gina. She told him she was fine a didn't need one, but he wouldn't take no for an answer.
Danielle sighed and gave Gina a hug. After they pulled away Gina smiled softly. "Thanks." Danielle nodded. "I have to leave tomorrow." She told her. Gina bit her lip. "Stay for a few more weeks. Please?" Danielle shook her head. "I can't. I'd feel like I'd be imposing on you and AJ. Besides, I have to go home and get back to work." Gina pulled her legs up onto the bed and hugged them close to her body. Danielle noticed the sad look appear on her face. "I'll come back next month. Hows that?"
Gina quickly lowered her eyes and hugged her legs tighter. "I won't make it that long." She said softly. Danielle got confused. "Make what?" And suddenly she caught on. "Oh Gina, you're fine for now. The doctor said you..." Gina interupted her by grabbing her hand. "I can feel it Danielle. I just know that I won't make it that long." Danielle quickly wrapped her arms around her and hugged her tightly. "Don't talk like that." After a moment of silence Danielle sighed lightly. "I'll stay for as long as you want me here." Gina nodded and smiled. Just then AJ walked in the room. "Baby, your bath is all set." Gina slowly slipped of the bed but turned back to look at Danielle. She mouthed the words 'Thank you' and then reached for AJ's hand and walked with him out of the room.
"AJ, I really don't need a bath." Gina told him. AJ sighed lightly. "It will relieve some of your stress and make you feel better. Besides, I was hoping that I could join you." He whispered in her ear as they made their way down the hall. Gina giggled and swatted his arm playfully. "You're bad." A sly smirk appeared on AJ's face. "Yeah, but you still love me."
AJ gazed up at the moon and sighed. Gina sat quietly on his lap with her body leaning back softly against his. After their bath they decided to sit out on the balcony outside of the bedroom. They both wore their bath robes and sat queitly looking at the nights sky. AJ turned his head to look at the clock on the dresser. The bright red numbers read 2:47am. He couldn't believe that only four hours ago he was on stage thinking his life couldn't get much better. Now, here he was holding the love of his life in his arms knowing he could loose her any day now.
"Tired?" Gina asked, breaking the silence. "Actually, no. Why are you?" Gina shook her head. "Are you awake enough to hear about my past?" AJ nodded and held her tighter. After a few minutes Gina let out a sigh and started. "My parents died in a car accident when I was 9. They both were only children and both of my mom's parents and my dad's father had passed on the year before. So, I had to go live with my Grandmother. She basically was my only family from then on. She was everything to me.
I met Danielle in high school. She was a year older then me and stood up for me like an older sister. The summer after my senior year was pretty hard for me. My Grandmother died and Danielle was at school in New York, so I was all by myself. I knew I couldn't stay in Philadelphia. There was nothing there for me. I didn't want to go to college. At least not right away and my Grandmother had left me a good amount of money to get me around. So I moved up to New York with Danielle for about a year. Soon, though, I got bored of the city. I opened up a map one day and saw the Bahama's. I thought 'Why not?' and decided to move there."
She paused for a moment to collect her thoughts. AJ took the opportunity to ask a question. "Weren't you goning to miss Danielle?" Gina nodded. "Of course, but for some reason I just needed to do that. I felt like I needed to start over, yet I needed to keep Danielle in my life, ya know? It was hard on both of us but I think made our friendship so much stonger. Anyway, about a year and a half after I moved there I found out that I was sick." Gina bit her lip and continued.
"I remember the doctor's face when he told me. I knew it by just looking in his eyes that there was nothing they could do. We were to late. They told me I just would have to sit back and wait." AJ shook his head. "No, Gina. There has to be something." Gina shifted her body so she could face him. "There isn't. They told me I had a year, a year and a half tops." Tears feel from AJ's eyes. "You told me you take pills. What do they do?"
"Get me through the day. I would be in a lot of pain if I didn't take them everyday." AJ sighed. "I just can't believe I never realized that something was wrong." Gina placed her hands lighty on his face. "Baby, I've been sick for as long as I've known you. You haven't known me any other way. There is nothing you could compare me to." AJ nodded. She made sense but he was just so angry that something so terrible was happening to her. He would give anything to take her place so she could live on. Gina kissed him softly. "It's late. Lets go to bed." AJ nodded and followed her inside.
