Home is wherever i'm with you

Beneath the shelter of the trees

Nina clung to her mom. Both was crying silently, but happy to be in eachothers embrace. Maya rubed Ninas back, while Nina snuggled in her neck. "It will be okay. I will get the treatment. I will be okay." She wispered. "I can't loose you. I'm sorry. i am being so selfish. I just... I can't loose you. I need you." "I know, and you aren't selfish. I love you. Okay. I am fighting and i will be okay in the end." "I love you, mommy." "I love you, too." Maya kissed Ninas head and brushed trough her hair. Nina sat up. "Imma say hello to my sisters." "Do that. They are in the playroom." "All of them?" "Yes. Its friday."

Maya took a few minutes for herself and read through the foulder. She had never had anyone go through cancer exept her old captain. Andys father. Captain Herrera was suffering a lot during his treatment. Maya saw the person, that was something like a parent for her vanish and then die. Even if he didn't die of the cancer, it felt kind of like it. Maya pressed her lips together and put the folder away. She walked down to the playroom and joined her girls in playing.

The bell rang. Carina was helping Meena at the Monkey bars and so Maya walked up the stairs. When she reached the end, she was out of breath. She bent over on to lean on the handrail, to get some air in her lungs. Somehow she felt more sick, now she knew she was sick. She opened the door, it was Amelia and Teddy with Allison. "Hey. Come in. Carina is downstairs with the girls,  why don't you join them Alison." The blonde girl nodded and went downstairs. "Hey." Amelia said. "How has it been?" Maya said nothing. "I thought she was doing better?" Teddy asked. "She is. Carina is amazing. Why don't you come in first. Sit down. Would you like something to drink?" Amelia and Teddy looked at eachother. "No. Its okay." Amelia said and Maya nodded. She yelled for Carina to come up.

"Teddy. I am talking to you as my friend now, and then later as my boss okay?" "Sure? What happend? Carina?" Maya stared at her hands in her lap. She really tryed to say it, but she couldn't. Carina put her hand over Mayas and squeezed it. Maya looked up at her and nodded. "Okay. Maya had a bloodtest done after she collabsed on a call." Carina explained everything that had happend to her friends. Resulting in tears and comforting words. Maya couldn't take it. She got up and excused herself. She went downstairs to her daughters. Nina immediatly senced, that they had just talked to Amelia and Teddy and warpped Maya in a hug.

"This now goes to boss you, Teddy." "I am already struggling. I am doing well right now, but it is extrmely hard that this is not becoming something that pulls me down again. I need to be able to be there for my kids and Maya. I might need days off. I want to be with Maya, when she gets treatment. I want her to know she is not alone and i want to hold her though all of this and i can not do this on my scedule now." "I know. Carina don't worry. You have PTOs and if you call in sick noone will question it." "Thank you, Teddy." "I would say, i'd cover your service, but i'd honestly be no help." Amelia said. Carina chuckled. "I will have my departement staffed, but i need you on my side." Carina looked at Teddy. "Don't worry, Carina. This is not something you need to worry about." "Thank you. I am going to check on my wife."

Carina and Maya came back upstairs. Maya again gasping for air. "Are you okay, Maya?" "Mhm. Just out of breath. Who though having cancer makes climbing stairs exhausting?" Maya joked. Carina rubbed Mayas back, but then Maya stopped catching her breath. "I have cancer." She said silently. Carina nodded. Maya slid down the wall of the staircase. "I... I.. i...have...c...cc...cancer." Maya gasped out. Carina pulled Maya in and held her tightly. Maya sobbed and her entire body shook.
When Maya calmed down, she was completly wiped out. Carina helped her up and guided her to the sofa. They stayed there and soon all four of their kids joined them and the spend the afternoon reading books, watching some tv and cuddling. Teddy had taken Alison home, but Amelia had stayed and made dinner with Carinas and Louises help.

During the weekend the mood was mellow. Carina and Maya took the girls to the childrensmuseum and after that they hung out with the station. They were all kind of unsure how to behave near Maya, but ended up having a nice evening with tablefootball tournaments and fun games.

When the girls were in bed, Carina and Maya snuggled up on the sofa. Nina was with Tucker and promised to be home at 10.
"Did you read what the girls teachers wrote?" Carina asked "No." "Mr. Cowahan wrote an email, saying they would do their best to support us." "That is nice." "They are offering to take Meena and Louise in the afternoon class." "Okay? I mean it is nice, but how would it work. I remember all the paperwork we had to fill out to prove Ellie was eligible, but the other two?" "Apparently children in danger of psychological disability can be added to the special ed class. Preventativly. They will not stay forever just for some time." "Great. So we are making our children disabled." "Noone is making our children disabled. They would just get more support. But they would need to be added to the spechial ed school for the funding. Nothing changes for the girls in the mornings. But in the afternoon, they would be looked after. He said, they could also get talk therapy or play therapy." "I like the idea. I am not sure." Maya shrugged.
"I am not sure either. I like that they are thinking of us. But it feels like we are giving our kids away." Carina said. Maya sighed." I hate that they will have to suffer under this." "I mean our friends would surely take them, but a routine might be good for them. They work well on routine." Carina added. Maya nodded. "I felt like we are giving her away with Ellie aswell." Carina nodded in agreement. "We would have to take them out of their hobbies though." Carina rememebered. Maya sighed. "Right. I didn't think of that." "They love their programms." "Mhm. Meena could still go to her track practice on friday. She would just miss the tuesday practice. And Louise could go to her piano lesson, because its half past 4." Maya suggested "And they would have swimming. Ellies class goes swimming Wednesday afternoon. They like water, we don't go swimming very often, but i am sure, they'd like it." Carina nodded. Maya frowned. "That is also my fault. I just hate not being able to understand you all." "I know. That was no front." Carina hugged Maya tightly.

On Sunday the weather was nice and they did a nice long walk during the snowy park. The girls built a snowman and after that they watched a movie and drank hot chocolate.