Six-

Skylar turning one is a big deal apparently. Mom wants to throw her this big party with all of our friends, but does she really need that? She's one, it's not like she'll remember any of it. She can barely even enjoy it.

Her birthday falls on a Thursday. Crystal and I are going to leave Wednesday night, skip school Thursday and Friday, and leave to go back home Friday morning. Friday afternoon is when mom is planning the big hoopla.

Trinity's excited about seeing Skylar again, and I love seeing how happy Skylar gets when we mention 'mommy', like she really knows what we're talking about. Sometimes I think she really does understand, especially the times at night when we're alone and I just vent to her. She's a good listener, never interrupts me.

I find it odd that Crystal's excited though. She rushes around my room, packing a bag for Skylar, while Skylar's attempting to stand on her own. Mom says she'll be ready to walk any day now, and I can't wait for that day.

"I think Sky's all packed," Crystal says, placing Skylar's backpack and diaper bag on the bed, where our bags already sit.

I thank her before throwing on a shirt. Crystal picks up Skylar and I pick up the bags.

In the living room Mom's cross-stitching something on the couch while Chelsea plays with some toys and Christian watches TV beside Mom. "We're leaving," I announce. Mom jumps up and hugs me.

"Be careful." She kisses my cheek before moving to Skylar. "Have a good birthday my little princess." After Mom showers her with kisses she looks at me and says sternly, "send me pictures tomorrow. I can't believe I'm missing her first birthday."

"It's going to be one depressing birthday," I mumble, thankful no one heard me. Her first birthday is going to be spent in a hospital room with her sick mother. It's going to be a real hoot.

I place the bags in the trunk of the car before taking my place in the driver's seat. After Crystal snaps Skylar in her car seat, she climbs in beside me and we're off.

I have no idea how Trinity's going to react when she sees Skylar again. She has grown a lot since the last time we visited, more hair has grown, and she is coming close to her first word, which is leaning towards momma more than anything else.

We make great time and get there around ten. Both Crystal and Skylar are asleep and have been for the last hour. I really don't want to wake Crystal, I love watching her sleep, as weird as that sounds, but I can't carry her and Skylar plus our bags. We're staying at the same hotel Skylar and I stayed at last time, only a little way from the hospital.

They both pass out immediately on the queen sized mattress, leaving me chuckling. I change into some floral pajama pants and a plain white tee before climbing into bed beside Skylar, who is now between Crystal and I. When they both let out a little snore I can't help but smile. It's hard not to love both of these girls in front of me, and I'm one lucky guy to have them in my life.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••

We're doing drills when Little Miss Late comes running down the hill, dark purple lacrosse stick in hand. "Sorry I'm late, I was using the little girls room!" That always seems to be her excuse.

The coach rolls her eyes, but let's it slide since she's late everyday. Derrik and I continue throwing the ball back and forth as I watch Trinity walk up to Haleigh Richard to start their training.

"Dude, just make a move already," Derrik says, and I groan when I feel the ball connect with my head, making me scowl at my so-called friend.

"What are you talking about?"

"That chick you're always staring at. Trinity. I know you like her."

Scoffing, I shake my head. "I do not like her. I barely know her." I hate those people who claim they like someone they just met. You don't know anything about them, how would you know if you liked them romantically or not?

At noon we take a break for lunch. I somehow end up squished between Derrik and Rob, and across from Trinity and her friend, Danielle. I find myself creepily staring at her for a while, only to be stopped by Derrk, who hits me.

I finish eating rather quickly and continue the bracelet I'm making that's attached to my water bottle right now. It's the one with little hearts. I don't plan on keeping it, but I'm not sure who I'm making it for yet.

I look over at Derrik, who smirks. He's about to say something but I beat him to it. "Don't you dare say a word," I warn, knowing he was going to say something about the bracelet I was making. It's summer camp! Making friendship bracelets is the number one past time.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Derrik says, holding back a smile.

I shake my head. "You're only jealous because you know you can't make them." He has tried, and he has failed.

He scoffs before finishing his sandwich.

At the end of lunch one of the girl counselors, Vicky I think, goes up to the front and grabs the microphone hanging above the window where you get you're food. "I was just informed that we have a birthday today!"

There are a chorus of oohs before Trinity is dragged to the front by her friends. "There's this weird tradition for birthdays here," Derrik explains quietly. Trinity is sat in a chair and is given a tiara that says Birthday Girl. She smiles as most of the counselors make their way up there. They crowd around her, lock arms, and sway back and forth as they seem some ridiculous version of the birthday song about people dying. It's pretty amusing.

Trinity walks back to the table, tiara still on her head. "Nice tiara," Derrik says and smirks at her.

Trinity grins back. "You're just jealous because all they give you on your birthday is a cookie." With that she sticks her tongue out playfully.

Something bubbles up inside me as I watch them interact. They've been going to camp together for a while now and they're kinda friends, and they kinda hate each other.

"Hey, you've met Colton, right?" Derrik asks her, bringing me into the conversation.

Her icy blue eyes find my own dull brown  ones. A small smile forms on her face, showing a little portion of her teeth. "I think we have."

I nod in agreement. "Happy birthday."

"Thanks." We're released back to the fields for some more practicing.

Right before dinner is pool time, at least for my cabin, and a few others, it is. That happens to include Trinity's cabin, so I get to spend two hours watching her strut around in a bikini. The one she has on today is new, it has stars and stripes, looking like the flag, and it's strapless. She looks cute in it. Her hair is how it always is, in a messy bun, sunglasses covering up her eyes. I watch, mesmerized, as she laughs at something her friend her friend says. She's in the pool, leaning on the side and talking to her friend who has her feet in.

"Dude, this is getting weird," Derrik says, snapping me out of my Trinity Trance.

"Fuck off." I want to see her smile again.

Derrik laughs. "Man, go talk to her!"

I roll my eyes because of his stupid answer. I have wanted to talk to her ever since we met, I'm just... Nervous? Which is absurd since I have never been nervous around girls before.

Before I know what's happening, Derrik is waving Trinity over. She hops out of the pool and wraps her baby blue towel around her body. That body...

"Hey guys," Trinity says, coming up to us.

I wave awkwardly. I never really learned how to wave correctly, every time I do it it just looks weird.

Trinity finds it amusing and laughs before sitting down in between us on the warm concrete.

She turns to me. "Colton, is it?" I nod dumbly. "So, Colton, what is it that you like to do?"

"Lacrosse," I say without thinking, then smack myself for being so dumb. Obviously I like playing lacrosse.

To my surprise, and happiness, Trinity laughs. "Besides lacrosse."

What do I do besides play lacrosse? "I like to cook."

She seems impressed. "Nice."

Somewhere in the middle of our game Twenty Questions, Derrik leaves. I'm not sure when, it's not like I was paying much attention to him, not when this hot, interesting, smart blonde is sitting beside me.

My counselor tells us it's time to leave all too soon. I didn't want my time with Trinity to end. To my pleasant surprise she hugs me. I expect her to pull away after a second, but instead she whispers in my ear, "meet me at the gazebo at midnight."

Midnight comes and my whole cabin is sleeping. You're not suppose to leave your cabin after eleven unless you're using the bathroom, so I quietly sneak out.

Why am I risking the chance to get in trouble just to see her? For all I know this could be some kind of joke.

Trinity's already at the gazebo, sitting with her legs hanging off the edge, looking out into the lake. I take a seat beside her. "You're cool," is the first thing she says.

Chuckling, I say, "thanks, you are too."

I notice her staring so I stare back. I find myself looking away quickly from her intense gaze.

"You like me, right Colton?" She asks.

Gulping, I say, "yeah, you seem great."

I feel her touching my shoulder and nudging it, signaling for me to turn my body her way, which is exactly what I do. She does the same. "Do you ever think about kissing me?"

My eyes almost bug out of my head, and I'm positive I have miss heard her, but her expectant eyes are waiting for an answer.

How the hell are you supposed to answer a question like that? And what kind of girl has the guts to ask a question like that?

Since she was brave enough to ask I decide to be brave enough to answer honestly. "All the time." With a grin, she leans in.

Before I know it we're having our first kiss under the stars.

To answer my own question, I'm risking getting in trouble because she's worth it.

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

I firmly grasp Crystal's hand as she knocks on the whitesh-gray door. I can tell her nerves have kicked up these last few minutes, hospitals are intimidating and scary. "Calm down," I say to her when I hear trinity's voice from inside, telling us to come in.

"What if she doesn't like me?" Crystal asks worriedly. I'm not sure why she cares about Trinity's opinion so much, I have learned not to argue with her about things like that.

"What's not to like?" With that I open the door.

Trinity doesn't look much different, same pale skin and frail body. Her eyes light up when we walk in. "Oh my, she's so big," she says with tears in her eyes. I place Skylar on the bed and she immediately wraps her small arms around her mother.

Crystal stands nervously in the corner until I motion her over. "Trinity, I would like to introduce you to my girlfriend, Crystal."

Trinity turns her attention away from the little girl. "It's nice to meet you," she says with a smile.

Crystal returns the smile. "You, too. We brought balloons and a cake." The cake is simple, pink fondant with a dots, a purple number one for the candle, butterflies, and flowers at the bottom. Crystal wanted to make it more extravagant, but I told her it would melt on the way here and would take too long.

She takes out the cake and Trinity gasps. "That's really good, where'd you get it?"

"Crystal made it," I say because I know she won't. She's an awesome baker, she just doesn't see it in herself.

When her face heats up I pull her onto my lap with a chuckle, she shouldn't be embarrassed.

That's how we spend the day, and how Skylar spends her first birthday. Dad gave me his camera to use and I take a ton of pictures of the three girls. There's this great one I took on my phone of all three of them. Skylar's on Trinity's lap, her cake in front of her. We just finished singing happy birthday and Crystal was going to cut the cake, but Skylar beat her to it. She grabbed a handful and shoved it in Crystal's face. Skylar and Trinity are laughing, and Crystal has a shocked yet amused look on her icing-covered face.

Something amazing even happens. Skylar's crawling around, which I'm conveniently video taping, when out of the blue she stands up, and takes a few steps. Trinity squeals, hops out of bed, and grabs a hold of Skylar. "My baby took her first steps!" I'm glad Trinity got to be a part of that experience.

It's a bitter moment when we have to say goodbye. Skylar's asleep beside Trinity, who looks like she's about to pass out herself. "Do you guys have to leave now?" Trinity asks, looking at the sleeping beauty in her arms.

I nod. "Yeah, it's getting late." I watch as Trinity sighs and begins to sit up. "She can spend the night, if it isn't any trouble."

The wide smile on Trinity's face tells me she's grateful for my offer. "Thank you."

I leave Skylar's diaper bag, and with one more goodbye to Trinity, Crystal and I make our way out of the hospital.

I have no idea how I'm going to tell Trinity about Jamie and Chloe. She has told me many times that it's my choice, but I know she was hoping, praying, that I would make the decision to keep her.

I have met with the couple. They're mid-thirties with no kids. They've had many tests done and all the results have showed that they have a slim chance on conceiving children. Jamie is an English teacher at a local high school and Chloe is a social worker. They're great people.

Crystal pulls me out of my thoughts by kissing me deeply. We're back at the hotel, in bed. "What are you thinking about?"

Sighing, I wrap my arm around her and pull her against my chest. "Jamie and Chloe."

Crystal tenses. She wasn't exactly happy when I told her about the couple, but she's being as supportive as she can be, which I'm grateful for. Boy has her opinion changed since the first time she found out about Sky.

"Trinity's nice," Crystal mumbles, her body relaxing as she gets closer to sleep.

"She is," I agree.

"I wish she wasn't dying," she mumbles again, quieter this time.

I hear her soft snore moments later, and that's when I answer, "me, too."