A thousand Boy Kisses

Poppy
Three Months Later
“Where’s my Poppy-girl?”
I wiped sleep from my eyes, sitting up on my bed, excitement zipping through
me at the sound of a voice I loved.
“Aunt DeeDee?” I whispered to myself. I tried to listen harder, making sure I
really had heard her voice. Muffled voices came from the hallway, then suddenly
the door flew open. I rose on my arms, the darn things shaking after I pushed my
weakening muscles too far.
I lay back down as Aunt DeeDee appeared in the doorway. Her dark hair was
pulled into a bun, and she was wearing her flight attendant uniform. Her makeup
was perfectly in place, as was her infectious smile.
Her green eyes softened when they landed on me. “There she is,” she said

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gently, walking to my bed. She sat down on the edge of the mattress and leaned
down to wrap me in her arms.
“What are you doing here, DeeDee?”
My aunt smoothed my hair back from its sleep-induced disarray and whispered
conspiringly, “Blowing you from this joint.”
My eyebrows drew together in confusion. Aunt DeeDee had spent Christmas
and New Year with us, and then a whole week with us, just two weeks ago. I
knew she had a busy schedule over the next month.
Which was why I was so confused about her being back now.
“I don’t understand,” I said, swinging my legs off the mattress. For the past few
days I had mostly been stuck in bed. After my hospital check-up at the beginning
of the week, we found my white blood cell count was too low. I had been given
blood and medication to help. And it had helped some, but it made me tired for a
few days. Kept me inside so infections were kept at bay. My doctors had wanted
me to stay in the hospital, but I’d refused. I wasn’t missing a second of my life
by being back in that place. Not now that I could see that my cancer was
increasing its grip on me. Every second was becoming more and more precious.
Home was my happy place.
Having Rune beside me, kissing me sweetly, was my safety.
It was all I needed.
Glancing at the clock, I saw it was nearing four p.m.. Rune would be around
soon. I had made him attend school these past few days. He hadn’t wanted to go
if I couldn’t. But this was his senior year. He needed the grades to get into
college. Even though he protested that right now he didn’t care.
And that was okay. Because I would care for the both of us. I wouldn’t let him
put his life on hold for me.
Aunt DeeDee jumped to her feet. “Okay, Poppy-girl, jump in the shower. We
have an hour before we have to set off.” She looked at my hair. “Don’t bother
washing your hair, I got a girl that can take care of that when we get there.”
I shook my head, about to ask more questions, but my aunt swept out of my

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bedroom. I got to my feet, stretching out my muscles. Taking in a deep breath, I
closed my eyes and smiled. I felt better than I had these past few days. Felt a
little stronger.
Strong enough to leave the house.
Grabbing my towel, I made quick work of having a shower. I applied a light
layer of makeup. I tied my unwashed hair back in a side bun, my white bow
firmly in place. I dressed in a hunter-green dress, sliding a white sweater over
the top.
I was placing my infinity earring in my earlobe when my bedroom door
suddenly opened. I caught the buzz of raised voices, my daddy’s voice in
particular.
Turning my head, I smiled when Rune entered, his blue eyes immediately
colliding with mine. Searching, checking, before brightening with relief.
Rune silently cut across the room, only stopping when he had threaded his
arms around my shoulders and pulled me to his chest. I let my arms hold his
waist and breathed in his fresh scent.
“You look better,” Rune said above me.
I held him a little tighter. “I feel better.”
Rune stepped back and placed his hands on my face. He searched my eyes,
before his lip curled up and he pressed the sweetest of soft kisses to my mouth.
When we broke away, he sighed. “I’m glad. I was worried that we wouldn’t be
able to go.”
“Where?” I asked, my heart kicking into a steady run.
This time Rune smiled and, moving his mouth to my ear, announced, “On
another adventure.”
My racing heart increased to a gallop. “Another adventure?”
With no more explanation, Rune led me out of my bedroom. His hand, so
tightly gripping mine, was the only indication he gave of how concerned he had
been over the past few days.
I knew though. I saw the fear in his eyes every time I moved in bed and he

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asked if I was okay. Every time he sat with me after school, watching me,
studying me … waiting. Waiting to see if this was it.
He was petrified.
The progression of my cancer didn’t frighten me. The pain and the near future
didn’t scare me. But seeing Rune look at me this way, so desolate, so desperate,
had begun to make me afraid. I loved him so much, and I could see he loved me
beyond measure. But this love, this soul-searing connection, had begun to anchor
the heart I had set free to this life.
I had never feared death. My faith was strong; I knew there was a life after this.
But now fear had started to creep into my consciousness. Fear of leaving Rune.
Fear of his absence … fear of not feeling his arms around me and his kisses on
my lips.
Rune glanced back as if sensing my heart beginning to tear. I nodded. I wasn’t
sure I had been convincing; I still detected concern in his expression.
“She isn’t going!” My daddy’s forceful voice carried down the hallway. Rune
pulled me to his side, lifting his arm until I was safely underneath. When we
arrived at the doorway, my mama, daddy and Aunt DeeDee were standing at the
mouth of the living room.
My daddy’s face was red. My aunt had her arms crossed over her chest. My
mama ran her hand down my daddy’s back, attempting to calm him.
My daddy lifted his head. He forced a smile. “Poppy,” he said and came closer.
Rune didn’t let go of me. My daddy picked this up and shot him a glare that
should have eviscerated him on the spot.
Rune didn’t even flinch.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, reaching for my daddy’s hand.
My touch seemed to have rendered him speechless. I glanced at my mama.
“Mama?”
Mama stepped forward. “It’s been planned since your aunt came a few weeks
ago.” I looked to Aunt DeeDee, who smiled mischievously.
“Rune here planned to take you away. He asked your aunt to help plan it.”

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Mama sighed. “We never expected your levels to fall this soon.” Mama placed
her hand on my daddy’s arm. “Your daddy doesn’t think you should go.”
“Go where?” I asked.
“It’s a surprise,” Rune announced from beside me.
Daddy stepped an inch back and met my eyes. “Poppy, your white blood cell
levels have dropped. It means the chance of infection is high. With your immune
system being at risk, I don’t think you should travel on a plane—”
“A plane?” I interrupted.
I looked up at Rune. “A plane?” I repeated.
He curtly nodded his head once, but didn’t explain any further.
Mama placed her hand on my arm “I asked your specialist and he said,”—she
cleared her throat—“he said, at this point in your illness, if you want to go, then
you should go.” I heard the underlying current of her words. Go before it got too