𝙇𝙊𝙑𝙀𝙍 𝙊𝙁 𝙈𝙄𝙉𝙀, conrad fisher ¹

024. soon you'll get better

𓍊𓋼𓍊𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊𓋼

⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ lover of mine.

024. soon you'll get better

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STELLA CONKLIN'S POV

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Belly, my Mum and I were all in Belly's room after we told her about Susannah's cancer. Belly broke down in tears as my mother brought us all into a hug, needing this right now. I can't imagine how she must have felt all summer carrying this burden by herself.

"I feel so stupid," Belly says through the tears. My mum was stroking both of our hair trying to calm us down.

"Honey, why would you feel stupid?"

"Because, all summer long, I've been thinking about myself, and Susannah was sick. and I didn't even know."

"She didn't want us to know Belly. She wanted us to have one last summer all together," my mum smiles down at me.

"I'm sorry about how I've been since the spring towards you stella. The cancer was just all I could think about and I didn't think about how I would affect you, I love you my Stella Daisy,"I smiled in shock at my mum. She kisses my forehead as more tears stream down my face.

We sit in silence for a few minutes before Steven stands next to the bed.

"She's not going to get better is she?"

"She has to, she's our Susannah!" I yell, not to anyone specifically. just the universe.

I don't get how it could just take her away from us like that, we needed her. I needed her. My mother needed her, my siblings, her kids, we all needed her. She couldn't go. She had to beat it.

Steven lays down next to me as I turn over and clutch onto his shirt. He tightens his grip around me as we all break down. This wasn't fair.

We all stayed together for a bit longer before my mum got up and went downstairs. Steven made me go and check on Conrad, and I left after I hugged Belly tightly.

I found him sitting by himself on the couch in the living room. I run over to him and he pulls me into a hug. Even though we had known for ages, it doesn't make any of this any easier to grasp. I couldn't understand any of it yet.

"She will get better, Connie. She has to, right?"

He smiles and nods and he pushes my hair out of my face and we both wipe the tears off each other's faces.

"Jeremiah convinced her to do the trial," a huge smile makes its way onto my face. Susannah was going to try.

"What?! That's great. Where is she?"

"In the kitchen, come on," he pulls me up off the lounge and doesn't let go of my hand until I reach Susannah's arms.

She gave me the best hug I had ever had, her hugs were always the best.

"I should have known you knew Ell, I'm really sorry."

"Don't apologise Anna. You're going to get better,"I cry into her chest, making her run her hand down my head to soothe me.

"Everything will be okay," I pull away as Susannah calls over Conrad for another hug. We all stand there, just savouring it.

We had pulled every leftover possible out of the fridge and set it up on the table. We had plates and utensils ready to go from when I set it yesterday, clean of course. We had all the kids at one end and Conrad kept feeding Steven pizza, making us all laugh.

This summer was one of a kind. And I wasn't ready for it to be over yet.

This summer was the start of Conrad and I, the huge fight between me and Belly. I got to see Susannah and Jeremiah after a year of face-times and phone calls. I got closer with Shayla and all my summer friends, forming friendships that would last forever.

This summer everything changed.