Trust And Hope

Chapter 23

My parents had found sugar cookies in the pantry. They told us we could decorate them, but that they were probably not good to eat.

"What do you think?" Andrew held up his cookie. It was a reindeer that was partially covered with runny, red icing. "It's Rudolph after he crashed Santa's sleigh!"

I wanted to slap him. "Man that's depressing," I muttered, leaning back over to steady Gabby's hand.

"Do you like it?" He shoved it in Andrea's face.

Andrea glared at him. "Insubordinate."

"I don't speak vocabulary," Andrew said.

"Good, because that wasn't exactly a compliment," Sadie commented.

"Here," I stood behind Gabby, holding her small hand steady as she slowly iced the cookie.

"Girls," Aunt Lilah said. "Richelle, Sadie, and Gabby come with me."

Aunt Lilah led us into Mom and Dad's bedroom, the only place in the entire cabin that was people-free. Mom and Dad stood there with big smiles on their faces.

"We've been saving these gifts until we believed you were ready," Mom said, smiling at each of us.

I knew what this was. I was the one who had given them these things to hold onto. Dad handed Sadie a box. Sadie opened it to reveal a golden charm bracelet with a microphone attached.

"It was Eva's favorite," I said softly.

Sadie looked at me and hugged the box closely to her chest.

"And Gabby," I handed her a box similar to Sadie's. Eva had asked me to save Gabby's locket for when she was older and ready to have it. Well I thought she was ready.

Gabby looked down at the locket, then up at me. "Thank you Richelle." She turned her head toward the sky. "And thank you Eva."

"And Richelle," Mom handed me a book with Richelle Elizabeth scrawled across the top in bold letters.

I stared at it. Eva had saved this? I opened it and let my eyes pass over each word, taking it all in. I let out a shaky breath and closed the book. "Thank you," I said, running to my parents and wrapping my arms around them.

This summer was, hands down, the best summer I've ever had and surprisingly enough, it might've been because of Miles. Huh. Never thought I'd say that. Miles wasn't overeager to be my friend like Jocelyn, and he didn't try either. He was just... Miles. And I was just Richelle.

I was disappointed when we had to come home. I wish I could've stayed forever in a world where it was just me and my family. But alas, back to reality.

*POV Sadie*

Richelle's next and last cycle of chemo had started just a few days after we got back from vacation, so while she was getting chemo treatments, Mom and Dad took Gabby and I to get our hair and nails done and everything.

I kind of felt bad that while Gabby and I were getting all dressed up and all beautified, and getting our parents' attention for the day, Richelle was in the hospital, getting poison pumped into her veins. They weren't sure on whether to send her into chemo or not, because she'd caught a cold a couple days prior, but they figured her body could fight off the infection, and that the infection had probably run its course mostly.

We walked into the salon, and I was entirely in awe of the place. The only word I could think of was snazzy.

Black and white stripes and polka dots filled the place. Decorated on the walls, on the rugs, even on the back of some of the chairs.