Hearts We Mend To Break (Book I)

.81.

💫ANGEL💫

Waking up to the sound of my mother's voice felt surreal. All in the same, hearing her voice full of happiness and affection was even more dreamlike. I rolled her, seeing Giselle was gone from the room, and suddenly, panic overcame me. I jumped from my bed, running out of my room and into the hall. There stood my father, peering into Lina's room. The room I dreaded seeing the most. I watched him fearfully, walking in his direction. It wasn't until I heard my mom calling Lina's name, Giselle responding, and my father pleading with her, that I damn near ran into Lina's room.

"What the hell is going—" I stood in the doorway. "Mom? Dad? Oh God, I..."

"Not now Angel. I have to get your mom to bed. We've had a long trip. Just—I'll be back. Get some clothes on and get out of your sister's room."

Clothes? I looked down at myself, realizing I was wearing nothing but boxers and my never disappointing morning wood was front and center to the madness in front of me. I stared down the hall as my father hurried my mother into their room.

"Goodnight my twins. Love you both." She sang out in the distance that grew larger and larger.

Confusion caused my head to spin, the room circulating at a rate faster than I was capable of keeping up with. Shutting my eyes tightly, I tried taking several deep breaths. The panic I was greeted with moments ago, when I was interrupted from my sleep, was back to haunt me. Gutted by my fears and worries, I began replaying the last few minutes over in my head. Why did she think she was talking to me and Lina? Why did she call Giselle Lina and refer to us as "my twins"? Why was my father hovering over her like she was a helpless toddler, needing guidance and supervision? What the fuck did I miss?

"Something's wrong." I ran my fingers through my hair as I began pacing the floor. "Something's not right. Why did she—"

"Shh." Giselle ran over to me, placing her hands across my mouth. As she peeped down the hall towards my parent's room, she looked just as scared as me. "If she catches your mood, she'll be set off. Keep it down. Come in here." Giselle pulled my arm, forcing me deeper into the center of the four walls I was completely frightened of.

"What's wrong with her?"

"Dementia or Alzheimer's, I'm guessing. She thought I was Lina. Now even though I don't look anything like her, she associated me being in her room as me being her. Your father didn't want me to correct her. That means her memory is affected by whatever is going on and she may have fits when something confusing happens."

"What the fuck?" I began pacing the floor, sound dissipating from my ears each as a muffled ringing brought me to my knees. "What the fuck?" I cried out, fighting the urge to cry or scream or both.

"Calm down. It's okay. Just—" Giselle tried to comfort me, squeezing me in her arms as she kneeled down on the floor where I sat.

"Angel! What are you doing here?" My dad finally burst into the room. "And who is—"

My father must've realized the state I was in, sitting on that floor in Giselle's arms as I lost my mind. He stood silent for a second, watching the both of us. Finally, his concern turned to sadness, sharing the feeling I felt as the room fogged with pain.

"Son, I tried telling you. I'm sorry. I know I—"

"How long has she been like this? Can this been fixed? Is she—"