A Fight to Remember

There's No Time Pt. 2

For Better, for Worse...

Ellis

The breeze was cool, but the sun shone on me in the swing bench like my personal heat lamp, and my wool sweater kept it in. I frowned and tilted my hat to better block the sun as I edited the pictures on my tablet. The book was almost done. It just needed my piece. My bit. The happy ending of a father returned.

But it was bittersweet. Now I was losing my mother. I shook my head. Focus, Ellis. But the words I typed seemed dry and emotionless and didn't connect with the pictures, so I gave up.

I heard the crunch of gravel and the familiar chugging of mom's car. Zola and dad approached up the driveway in the Lexus they'd left this morning to get some paperwork done. Dad got out, a file folder under his armpit. "Hey, I've been officially resurrected," he said excitedly.

"Oh?" I smiled at him.

"Yeah," he said. "How are you?" Dad handed the folder to Zola who mumbled something about making lunch and stepped inside.

"I'm okay," I said honestly. Hearing that your mother had a brain aneurysm that could burst at anytime was frightful news, even if the chance was slim. What was even worse was that even though there was a probable cure for her disease, it was looking more and more like it was too late.

"I know." Dad said, emotion edging his voice. He leaned over to look at the photos on my laptop. "What are you working on?"

"A story," I said simply, my gaze meeting his. But when I looked into his eyes, all I saw was a big black wave coming for us.

I looked down into my father's fearful eyes. I was holding his arm and he was hanging under me- my other arm gripped a metal bar.

"Ellis!"

"Ellis?"

I blinked, and shook my head. "Our story," I admitted.

He was slipping.

"Our story?"

Thoughts, emotions, memories were rising up, and I couldn't stop them. "You know, we should go fishing." I blurted. Anything, to get him to stop looking at me. Because then... I wouldn't see-

"Mm," he said, "It's still a bit too cool for the fish to be out."

"A walk, then," I suggested. So I wouldn't have to look at him. Why? Why was I suddenly afraid?

"Now?"

"Yeah... I need a break." Something was happening, and I didn't know what. It felt like the world was ending. I set the tablet aside and ran my fingers through my hair. We walked slowly down the path, our boots srunching in the mud. "Are they going to operate on mom?" I asked.

"It's very risky," he replied. "She could have a heart attack, or other complications." Dad didn't elaborate any further, and I didn't ask. What will be will be.

"It sucks. This whole thing sucks. You know, I used to hate her?"

"You did?" He said, surprised.

"It's just... that day... the tsunami... Do you remember? We went whale watching. Mom was supposed to come, but she was doing a book thing... and-,"

She wasn't there. My stomach curled inside with nausea. Why wasn't she there? Why couldn't she just be with us for one friggin' moment? None of this would've happened.I swallowed. She still would have Alzheimer's.

I wasn't strong enough. My grip on the bar was slipping. No one could help me. "Dad!" I called against the salty wind.

"El, You have to-"