Cherry

Chapter 28

Cherry

At the beginning of the summer, Momma had her luscious, dirty blonde hair. Granted, there were a few grey hairs, but she looked amazing for her age. Now, her hair is completely gone. Sometimes I catch myself looking at her and not recognizing her. I know that's a horrible thing to think, but I can't help it. Cancer has taken over her, and she's become someone that I don't know. She hardly leaves the house anymore because all she wants to do is rest, which is understandable. It just upsets me how the light has gone out in her. But, she cooked her first meal the other night since her radiation, so it seems like she's finally starting to feel better from her cancer, which is a miracle in itself.

At the start of the summer, I had never heard of the name Ethan Wright. I hadn't experienced adventure with another person who I truly adore. I had always been alive, but the late-night car rides with him and sunny afternoons by the water truly made me live.

I just wasn't ready for it to come to an end.

I leave for my last year of college tomorrow, and I'm dreading it. I know I should be ecstatic, but I'm the farthest from it. It just feels like I'm leaving so much behind. I'm leaving the guy I fell in love with, my mother who has cancer, and my sister who will do God knows what without me being able to tell her to stop. I can't help anyone with me being thousands of miles away. I'm not even able to work while managing five classes, so I can't even help Momma with her bills.

Enough of the worrying. While Ethan is in the bathroom, I decide to go downstairs, finding Cora sitting on the sofa. I sit beside her, followed by her asking, "Where's Ethan?" since apparently he and I are sewn together by the hip.

"Upstairs getting dressed for work," I answer.

"Do you not work today?"

"No."

"Perfect. We can watch a movie together," Cora grabs the remote and turns on the TV. "It is your last day at home, after all."

That it is.

"Okay, sure," I tell her and lean back on the sofa. When Cora and I were younger, we'd have movie marathons every weekend. We have most likely seen every movie that's ever been made. However, when I got a job, and started school, it got harder to maintain our schedule. So, whenever we have a free moment together, we take it. "What movie?"

"Hmm," Cora leans back in her seat and stares at the blank TV screen. "We need to watch something with a hot guy."

My eyes practically roll to the back of my head while I let out a chuckle. "Oh my God. Is that all you care about?"

"No," she looks at me and smiles. "It's just nice to have some eye candy while you watch a two-hour-long movie, you know?"

"I've never once debated on watching a movie based on the main actor, but alright," I feel my eyebrows rise as I grin.

"Well, that's the difference between me and you," Cora points the remote at me and smiles. "We could watch something with Liam Hemsworth, or maybe Jacob Elordi?"

My face shrivels up. "The movies they're in are basically all horrible."

"Ooh!" I watch Cora's face light up. "What about Harry Styles?"

"Isn't the only movie he's in a war movie?" Not my cup of tea.

"Um, no! He's in a new movie and looks so hot in it, like I would let him-"

I cut her off by throwing my hands up and laughing. "Okay, whatever! Just put the movie on!"

Cora laughs and begins to search for the movie, which I find out is called Don't Worry Darling. I tend to stay off social media, so it makes sense how I knew nothing about this movie coming out.