Dear Universe

Chapter 3

Chapter 3! Who's a closeted lesbian? BRYSON! When will you find out? THIS CHAPTER! Who is her crush?

YOU!

WILL!

SEE!

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 "AGH!"

I was lying on my bed, it was 2:30, I had just gotten home from school. I was lying down, reading a book on Libby and my phone buzzed and I dropped it on my nose.

I rolled over, and it slid off my face and bounced on the bed. I rubbed my nose and groaned.

"Ow..."

Stupid phone...

Dad was supposed to be home in a few minutes if something terribly horrific didn't happen along the way home and he had to drive right back to the hospital.

Which... would... suck...

I was hoping to have dinner with him, then maybe we could go watch a movie together, get a bunch of candy, and feel like we're going to throw up while driving home but we never do because we're both just happy. To then just sit on the couch and talk to each other, catch up, you know? Talk about school and work until I smack him with a pillow and then sit there in silence for a while before he smacks me back with a pillow and then falls asleep on the couch.

It's all very... routined, but it's our little Friday night tradition when he's home. We have to take advantage of that because it doesn't come often.

Suddenly, I heard the door click open. It took my brain a second to register it, but I jumped off my bed and rushed down the hallway and stairs to see the exhausted face of my father closing the door behind him. I smiled when he looked up, his eyes lit up and a smile crossed his face from ear to ear.

"Dad!" I walked up and hugged him, and he wasn't even out of his scrubs yet. I could feel his smile, and I stupidly asked "How'd it go today?"

He laughed and that made me laugh as we faced each other, and I grabbed his bags from him. Despite being at the hospital for more than 60 hours (almost) straight, his smile still brightened the room and besides from the light bags under his eyes, he looked better than he should for a man who had just been doing surgery on a woman who got into a car accident with a drunk driver and she was bleeding into a cavity. Then there was that other man whose appendix burst...

Life's never boring when you're a surgeon, so I've seen and heard!

"It was good, kiddo," he said, then backtracked, "It wasn't good! The situations were terrible, but both surgeries were successful, which is a huge relief..."

We both hung our heads and took a moment of silence. Her name was Jalayla-she went by Layla-she was only 11 years old when it was discovered there was a blockage in her small intestine because of some scar tissue deformities. The surgery was unsuccessful, she passed away at 3:09 pm on Saturday, July 17, 2022 (yes, I made this in the future because I didn't want to make it in the past, and I didn't want to make it in the present).

She was the first patient my dad had lost as lead surgeon, and it weighs down on him every day. We both went to talk to the family that same day, we both wanted it to be personal, and so we got to know the family and that's how I met Da'nya; Jalayla was her younger sister, and at first we just came to their house every week to talk and just keep them company, but then Da'nya and I started really hanging out and I realized that I really did like her.

I took a breath and looked back up at my dad, his eyes were watery and I gave him a sad smile. I hugged him again, and he cleared his throat. "How was school today?"