COSMOS | E. SMITH ROWE

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dog lover Emile

Hey Lily
Everything okay?
seen

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Starboy 💫

Lily why are you ignoring Emile?
Is everything alright?
seen

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Softly Bukayo knocks on the door of Lily's appartment. He rushed here immediatly after his best friend didn't answer his messages.

When she doesn't open the door, Emile,  who decided to join him, starts pacing up and down the hallway. "Something bad happened, bro. Why else would she close her shop?" Emile says.

"Calm down Emz," Bukayo takes the spare key out of his pockets and carefully opens the door. "Lily, you home?" he calls out.

They don't hear an answer and walk inside the appartment. It's quiet and everywhere there's stuff thrown in cardboard boxes. The moment they enter the living room, they spot Lily sitting on the couch with Basile on her lap. Tears are streaming down her face.

"Lily are you okay?" Bukayo asks worried while walking towards her and pulling her in a hug.

The girl starts sobbing even harder when she feels her best friend's arms around her. "My mum, she's ill," she says through the sobs.

In the mean time Emile has taken a seat on the other side of her and he puts a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Like really ill, not just some flu," Lily goes on.

"What does she have Lils?" Bukayo asks.

"Cancer, she has fucking cancer B," the sadness in her voice starts to fade away and is replaced by anger, which makes Basile jump of her lap. "Why her B? She doesn't deserve this,"

"Cancer?" Bukayo whispers. He's at lost for words. He always saw Lily's mother as his second mum, with the amount of time he spend at their place. So this comes as a huge blow for him as well.

Emile spots the devastated look on Bukayo's face. "Can they still do something about it?"

"They are going to operate her next week to remove the infected piece of her intestines and then she has to start therapy," Lily explains.

"So they can heal her?" he asks hopefully.

"Maybe. It's going to be so hard Emile. I don't know if I can do this again. Not after my dad," she lets herself fall into his arms and starts crying again.

"It'll be okay Lily. They're going to help your mum and she'll be as healthy as ever," Emile tries to console the girl in his arms.

"Emile's right Lils. Poppy is strong, she's going to get through this," Bukayo speaks up, after he's let it all sink in. "But what are all the cardboard boxes for?"

"I'm moving back in with my parents. They'll need all the help in the world when my mum starts her treatment," Lily answers. "I'll probably have to close the shop too. I can't do this on my own."

"Not your shop Lily, it's always been a dream to own a shop together with your mum," Bukayo says. "You have to keep it open for your mum's sake. Hire someone if you need to."

"I can't pay for that B," the girl says. "Employees are expensive."

"Well Emile and I will help you out then. Just don't close your shop."