THE STERILE WHITE OF THE HOSPITAL room was a stark contrast to the storm of emotions raging within Felicia Hardy. The fifteen year old sat with a rigid posture next to her mother's hospital bed, her hands clenched tightly in her lap to stop their trembling.
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Her mother's breathing was shallow, each breath a labored whisper that seemed to echo too loudly in the quiet room.
Beside her, Walter Hardy maintained a vigil, his face the very image of stoic heartbreak, a dam holding back a flood of despair.
"Dad. . ." Felicia called, her voice barely above a whisper, the question in her eyes directed at the frail figure on the bed.
Walter took a deep breath, steadying himself before he turned to his daughter, his voice a practiced calm.
"She's still with us, 'Licia. She's fighting. You know how your mom is—stronger than the rest of us put together."
"But she looks so pale, so. . . s-still." Felicia's voice broke as she looked up at her father. Tears brimmed in Felicia's eyes, "I'm trying to be strong, Dad, for her, for you. B-But what if—"
"No 'what ifs' Felicia." Walter interrupted gently, "Your mom's here now. That's all that matters. We've got to focus on the good times—the vacations, the birthdays, all the times she made us laugh until we cried. That's how we'll get through this.
He paused, the strain in his eyes betraying the pain his voice hid so well, "She's still teaching us, you know? Teaching us how to face the hardest parts of life head-on."
Felicia nodded, wiping her tears as she sniffed, "As she always says, 'When life knocks you down, stand up taller and put on some lipstick.'"
Walter lets out a watery chuckle.
"That's my girl." He said, his thumb brushing away a tear from Felicia's cheek, "You're every bit as fierce and beautiful as she is."
The room fell into a heavy silence, save for the life-sustaining machines. Walter never took his eyes off his wife, even as he spoke.
"She's given us so much, Felicia. She's given us a lifetime of love. Lifetime of memories to cherish no matter what happens. We owe it to her to be brave and to carry on her strength."
Felicia leaned her head on her father's shoulder, the two of them a tableau of shared grief and unyielding support.
"I don't know what I'd do without you, Dad." She murmured.
