Trust And Hope

Chapter 11

*Charlotte POV*

 "What?" I asked, my nine-year-old voice squeaking into a whine as my father held my hand in his own hands and told me I couldn't see my twin sister Cici, who was in the hospital battling ALL, a form of leukemia, at only nine years old.

"Charlotte-" Dad called after me, but I pulled away from him, running down the hall, my pale blonde hair swirling out behind me.

I threw myself on my bed and beat my fist on my pillow. "It's not fair!" I screamed over and over. I knew it wouldn't help but I couldn't help it. My frustration was bubbling up to the surface.

I felt so alone at that point. It felt like there was an empty void where Cici should have been. Something inside me whispered I wasn't alone but I pressed against it. I pushed it out of my mind. There was always someone telling me I wasn't alone. The truth? I was. My sister could die and I was alone. No one else understood. Part of me wanted to believe I wasn't alone, but the rest of me pushed against it.

I knew that the voice could only belong to God and I didn't want to hear Him. I'd grown up in a Christian home. My dad, Dr. Daniel Griffin was working on a device to test for hereditary cancers, like Cici, who had Hereditary Leukemia Syndrome, but was facing conflict from a man named Shane, so my dad brought in a lawyer, Tyler Cleveland, who supports him completely. His own daughters, twins Eva and Richelle were diagnosed with Li-Fraumeni Syndrome, another cancer disorder. Eva died from it three years ago and Richelle had been diagnosed with it a little under six months ago apparently.

"Charlotte," Mom said, coming in and resting her hand on my back.

"I want to see Cici," I said automatically.

Mom sighed. "I know you do, Char," Mom said. "I know you do." Mom fell silent and just kept rubbing my back.

"Mom, why can't I see Cici?" I asked.

"Honey, Cici's very sick-"

"Stop acting like I'm four years old!" I snapped.

Mom sighed. "Charlotte, please change your attitude. You know why we can't let you see Cici. Her leukemia destroys her white blood cells. She's extremely vulnerable to disease and with little to no white blood cells she has no means of fighting it off."

I nodded. I understood that, but even so, I couldn't stop missing her.

Red rimmed my mother's eyes. Before Cici went in the hospital, crying wasn't usual with my parents. After...well, they spent all of their energy trying to keep Cici alive, and didn't have any left for staying strong for me.

That was all I really wanted too. To keep Cici alive. I couldn't lose her. I'd lose myself if I ever lost Cici.

I sucked in a sharp breath and slowly breathed it out. Cici...

"I'm so sorry," Mom whispered to me, her arms around me. "I couldn't begin to guess how hard this is for you."

"It's hard," I whispered. "It's so hard."

*Sadie POV*

I breathed in the wonderful scent of Mrs. Wallace's freshly baked chocolate chip cookies. Oh, I loved them so much. So fresh and hot and wonderful. She always baked cookies for our annual summer day camp. They smelled amazing.

"Oh my gosh," Jazmine sighed happily. "It smells so amazing here."

"Doesn't it," I said. "Absolutely heavenly."

"Mrs. Wallace is amazing at baking chocolate cookies," a voice said behind me. "And amazing at making me hungry."

I turned around, smiling to face a woman. She had an air of friendliness about her. She had kind, blue eyes, and blondish brown hair that brushed lightly against her shoulders. She was so pretty. I felt like I had seen her somewhere. But where...