I gasp awake in a quick motion like a zombie. I look around a see I'm in a field of white flowers. I pick one of the stem and see it's a lily. I look around and I'm surrounded by them.
I get up from the field and see a sunset but it isn't moving. I look around and see a tiny house in the distance. I begin to walk toward it with no other option.
There's a butterfly that flies in front of me and seems to lead to the house. As I get closer and closer, the air starts to smell sweet and I can hear laughing.
I step on the porch of the house and knock but it's already cracked open. I slowly push the door open and see someone moving from the living room to the kitchen. I walk in further and see her stirring a pot but facing the other direction.
"Excuse me?" I say quietly.
The woman jumps and turns around.
"Mom?" I see her smile at me. She walks around the kitchen table and hugs me. I just stand there in shock. Eventually, I wrap my arms around hers. I missed her so much.
"You've gotten so big," she releases me from the hug.
"Am I dead?" I ask.
"Not yet?" she walks back to the pot.
"Why did you say it as a question?" I follow her and sit by the kitchen table.
"Well because I don't know. I'm not even supposed to be here. I guess that you're slowly dying and you have to fix something so you can." she says.
"Ok then," I look at the tv. It's playing videos of us and my dad. I smile at them.
"Let's eat," she puts down two bowls of tomato soup and spoons. I take a spoon and begin to eat. It tastes amazing. " So tell me what's going on," she drinks her soup.
"Nothing much," I stir my soup.
"We wouldn't be here if it was nothing," she says.
"I'm- I'm sick again," I tell her.
"Mmm," she nods.
"What?" I look yo at her.
"I knew this would happen," she drinks.
"And you didn't think to tell me?" I get a little frustrated.
"I purposely didn't say anything because it would've stopped you from living your life. Like it already has," she gets up.
"You know," I get up too.
"Of course I do, I'm in your head" she puts the bowl in the sink.
"So why would you ask me if you already know?" I ask.
"Listen, I never got to listen to you talk about the guy you like or shopping or ask to go to parties, I want to hear it even if I already know," she says.
"Ok, I had a boyfriend, and I won the soccer game, and I went to Switzerland," I explain.
"Had?" she asks.
"It didn't uh really work out," I scratch my head.
"Are you sad?" she asks.
"Honestly?" I ask. She nods. "Yea, I really liked him," a tear falls down my cheek but I wipe it quickly.
"Let's play a game," she jumps up.
"What game?" I ask.
"Memory, I say something and you try to remember what happened next!" she claps.
"Ok cool," I prepare myself.
"Milk and dinner," she thinks.
"Um, when dad had milk come out his nose when we went out for dinner when I graduated kindergarten," I smile.
"Yes!" she claps.
"Party and dogs," I say.
"When the neighbor's dogs crashed my birthday party and there was cake everywhere," she laughs.
"Yea," I confirm.
"Alright, the last one, soccer and fight," she says.
"When I started a fight with a girl during a soccer game," I smile.
"Yes!" she cheers.
I think for a while and look down. "Mom, you weren't there, you were in the hospital at the time," I say.
"Really? I don't remember it that way," she says sadly.
"You don't remember it because you're not my mom." I walk to the middle of the kitchen.
"Yea I am," she follows.
"No, you're not, as much as I wish you were. My mom's gone and you're just a figure of my imagination," I smile at her with another tear building up. "You're the reason why I'm here, I have to move on and accept you're gone," I tell her.
"I love you, sweetie," she puts her hands on my face.
"I love you, mom," I put my hand on hers.
As the tears fall, my mom slowly fades away, and the butterfly that I saw multiplied and flew away with her. I turn around and walk out the door. I go towards the water and sit on the beach.
"I'm ready to live the rest of my life whether it's long or not," I say to myself. I lay back in the sand and close my eyes.
I slowly open my eyes. I look a little to my left with my blurry vision and see a vase of white lilies. The irony. I try and speak but I feel something blocking me. I become more aware and my vision becomes clear. I try and sit up but groan in pain.
"Nurse! She's awake! Hey honey," my dad stops me from getting up. I try to speak again. "Don't try to talk, you have a tube," he says.
I look down and see the IV in my arm and a bag of blood going into my other. I try and signal but it's no use, he won't understand me. The nurse walks into the room and stands above.
"This might be a little uncomfortable but you'll be able to breath better," she lifts my head and takes off the tape keeping the tube still. She counts to three and pulls the tube out of my throat. I cough once it's fully out.
I lay back and take a deep breath in. Much better. She takes the nasal cannula off and checks my heartbeat.
"Better?" she asks while putting the stuff away.
"Yea," I manage to get out.
YOU ARE READING
Yours, Truly
RomanceKayla Tyler is the new girl at Charleston High. She is getting a fresh start after beating her illness. Her dad is a businessman who is recovering from losing his wife to the same illness. She has her tough attitude and sarcasm as a wall for that s...
