Chapter fifteen
The Magic Trick
Delilah's POV:
We went into the jazz club, Eric setting Dakota down. Sam sat down with a defeated sigh. Eric motioned for Samira to wait. She shrugged and Eric went to leave the jazz club. I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. I immediately followed him and grabbed his hand as we walked. He looked around and saw a pizza shop nearby. We went inside and he grabbed a box of pepperoni pizza. Someone tapped my shoulder and I turned around to see Blake with Haisley and an older woman. I was relieved they had found Haisley's mom. I held Eric's hand with two hands and nuzzled my face into his arm. Eric leaned his head on top of mine and Eric noticed Blake and Haisley. He set the box of pizza down and waved. Haisley waved and Eric pulled the notepad out of his pocket.

I wanna make Samira's day really nice today. I found this pizza and it's all she's been wanting. I want her to be happy. There's also some whiskey at the jazz club. Think she'll like it? Even if it's not Patsy's?

Blake nodded and I mouthed "for sure." Eric let out a relieved sigh. He picked up the pizza box again and we started to make our way back to the jazz club. Eric let go of my hand to write 'Patsy's' on the pizza box and handed it to Sam. I frowned at the loss of contact. Eric made jazz hands and bowed dramatically. Samira looked up at him in shock. He then grabbed the bottle of whiskey and some glasses. He carefully set a glass in her hand and poured some whiskey into it. Eric proceeded to pour glasses of whiskey for all of us. Frodo and the two kittens wandered the jazz club. Eric turned to me and I shook my head. I scrunched up my face at the whiskey. Eric gave me a look that said 'come on.' I of course gave into his big brown eyes and pleading look. He pouted playfully but quickly smiled when I accepted. He linked his arm with mine as he raised his glass. I sighed and we both took a shot of whiskey. I grimaced and shook my head in disgust. Eric held in a laugh and pulled me into him. I gave a thumbs down and Samira smiled really big. Blake shot it back with ease and I buried my face into Eric's striped button up shirt. Samira was cuddled up in his brown sport coat. I wrapped my arms around Eric, nuzzling my face into him. Eric hummed softly and kissed my forehead. Samira took a piece of pizza and Eric did the same. I reached for one and bit into the cold pizza. After being starving for a couple of days and craving some type of food that was decent, this cold pizza was doing it. This small moment was absolutely wonderful. I was attaching myself to Eric as much as I could. Haisley's mom introduced herself to us via notepad. Her name was Elisha. Brooke smiled at me and Eric. Eric nudged Samira with his knee and she rolled her eyes playfully. Dakota laid on the floor with the cats, the kittens laying in her hair. Samira took a sip of her whiskey and exhaled. Eric left me to go get another bottle. I followed him to the bar and reached for him. Eric gladly opened his arms and hugged me. "I kinda like you being like this." Eric whispered. I looked up at him and said "really need you right now." Eric kissed my cheek and said "I need you too. I'm usually the clingy one." I nodded with a smile. Eric gestured to himself and said "it's usually gross. Girls don't like it." I wrapped my arms around his neck and said "I don't mind it." "Yeah?" He pressed his forehead to mine. "Yes." I kissed his lips that tasted of whiskey. I hugged him and Eric pulled away. I furrowed my eyebrows and Eric quickly said "you're really cute when you do that." He then made weird shapes with his hands, his fingers bending in funny ways. I tilted my head in confusion and he then reached up into the air and a necklace appeared in his hand. My mouth parted in awe and he held it out to me. I looked at it. It was a silver chained necklace that had a cat charm on the end of it. "For you." He mouthed. I could feel myself almost start crying happy tears. I threw my arms around him again, hugging him. Eric hugged me back tightly. He rubbed my back and whispered "you're welcome." I blushed and said "thank you." I looked up at Eric and cupped his cheek, leaning up to kiss him. Eric cupped both my cheeks and melted into the kiss. I pulled away from him and Eric put the necklace around my neck. I swear my heart grew a size as Eric made the beautiful gesture. He then led me back into sitting area. He pulled a deck of cards out of his pocket. He made me sit down next to Blake and Haisley. Dakota perked up and sat criss cross applesauce in front of the stage. Eric held his hand out to Samira. She took it and he led her on the stage. He showed the deck of cards to the crowd and then had Samira pick one. He covered his eyes with his hand. Samira reached into the deck pulling one out. Eric gestured to us and Samira showed the card to us. Eric then held his hands out so she could put the card back in the deck. Eric shuffled them and did lots of gestures with his hands, the cards moving magically between his fingers. He then pulled her card out of thin air. I gasped and Dakota's mouth hung open. Samira smiled really big and looked at him in disbelief. I pretended to clap and Dakota did the same. Eric bowed and noticed Samira didn't move. He bowed again, nudging his head towards us. Sam bowed and he then held her arm up, smiling really big. Samira looked down as her smile spread across her face. Eric gestured to Samira and then pretended to clap. Frodo rubbed up against Eric's torn brown pants, seeming to accept the magic trick. The two of them stepped off the stage and I gave Samira a hug. She was taken aback but gladly accepted it. She then explained how her dad would play jazz in this club and the two of them would always go and get pizza after. She mournfully explained that her dad died of cancer as well. And now she was dying of the same thing. It broke my heart. I wiped a tear from my eye after reading the note. Eric had a sullen look on his face but then handed Samira her card. Samira put it in the pocket of her yellow cardigan. I leaned my head on her shoulder, wrapping my arms around her. Samira leaned into the touch and Eric did the same on the other side of her. I heard her sniffle softly and Eric rubbed her back, squeezing her. "Thank you, Eric." She whispered. Eric smiled and said "you're welcome, Samira."

The end is lame and I know this chapter is kinda short but can I just say I cried writing this chapter too! This is my favorite scene out of the whole movie. The underwater sequence is a close second but this scene captures humanity. It shows that Eric and Samira both found a way to live again. They needed to find each other and I so desperately wish Sam would've lived but maybe the movie wouldn't have hit as hard. This scene warms and breaks my heart at the same time. Seeing this on the big screen was surreal and as an avid cinephile I love seeing anything at the movies. This scene has to be my favorite scene out of all the movies I've seen this year so far. I know my authors notes are really long but I literally have no one to talk to about stuff like this. It would annoy the hell out of my friends. So maybe yall can enjoy my cringey notes😂
~Skylar🤎🛸🤎🛸