Breakdown Buddies

Chapter 8 - Can't Catch A Break

Recap -

I set down my phone, smiling to myself as I slowly drift off to sleep.

(Yeah, I'm doing a time skip to a couple days before school starts. Sue me.)

Waking up, I smell something delicious wafting through the house. I slowly get out of bed and make my way downstairs, just to find my mom standing at the stove making pancakes.

"Mmmm, smells good mom," I mumble.

"Oh, good morning, sweetie! How did you sleep last night?"

"I slept well," I reply. That was an understatement. I had a nice dream where Dabi and I were hanging out, so it was a great night's sleep. "How'd you sleep?"

"Oh, it was okay. Could've been better, y'know? Just one of those nights, I guess."

After plating the pancakes, we sit down at the dinner room table. While I'm eating, I can't help but notice that my mom isn't eating a whole lot. She's mainly just pushing the food around her plate.

"Mom, is everything okay?"

"Yeah, everything's fine, sweetie," she says. After a couple of seconds, she adds, "You know I love you right? And I'm so proud of you for getting into your dream high school."

"Yeah, I know mom. Now what's bothering you? You've been reminding me about that more and more the past couple of months."

She sighs to herself and suddenly has a serious and sad look on her face.

"Izuku..." she starts before pausing, seeming to be thinking over her phrasing or choice of words before she continues, "I... I'm not gonna be here for you forever. We already know that. But... I may be leaving you sooner than expected."

Everything goes quiet as I sit there in shock.

No. This can't be happening. I can't lose one of the few people who mean everything to me.

"Wh-what a-are you t-talking about m-mom?" I ask as tears slowly start to fall down my face.

"Oh sweetie," she says, getting up from her side of the table and hurrying over to me, pulling me into a hug as she stands next to me. She holds my face to her shoulder, and I wrap my arms around her, holding on for dear life.

"W-what d-do you m-mean by th-that, mom? T-this c-can't be h-ha-happening."

"I'm so sorry sweetie, but I was recently diagnosed with cancer."

"N-no... no no no no no! I-I c-can't l-lose y-you!"

After about an hour and a half, she finally manages to calm me down enough for us to talk about her situation.

"W-what stage is it and what t-type?"

"Stage 3, and it's lung cancer."

"S-so there's still a small chance of recovery then?" I ask, praying for a miracle.

"Yes, there is, but most cases of stage 3's don't recover."

(Do not quote me on this! This here is all hypothetical! Though, I have had a loved one die of lung cancer so I'll try my best to make it realistic.)

"W-well then, we'll just have to do our best to make the best out of the time we have left together."

She smiles slightly at me, "Yes, we will."

I stand up from my chair and grab the plates from the table before proceeding into the kitchen to do the dishes. Once they're done and put away, I walk to my room, grab a blanket, and then head to the living room where mom is. I'd been doing a lot of training with Aizawa-sensei so I'm sure he'll understand me taking a day off. I shoot a quick text to him, and he says not to worry and that he understands my situation. He says to tell my mom that he hopes she gets better soon.