Hold On I Still Need You

-Sophie's Bucket List-

Sophie's POV: 

I stepped inside the familiar warmth of our cozy home, after Keefe dropped me off. My shoulders were slumped, tears still fresh on my cheeks. Doctor Vackers words lingered in my mind like a bitter taste. The diagnosis wasn't good today. My heart felt heavy with the weight of uncertainty. As I made my way to the living room where Edaline , sat reading a book. I tried to compose myself. 

"Hey, Edaline," I called softly, my voice wavering slightly. She looked up, concern immediately etching lines on her face at the sight of my tear-stained cheeks. "What did the doctor say, Sophie?" she asked, setting her book aside and motioning for me to join her on the couch. I sat beside her, taking a shaky breath before recounting the difficult news. 

She wrapped me in a warm embrace, her embrace a lifeline in the storm of my emotions.  I tried to speak, to articulate the words that would make sense of this senseless tragedy, but all that escaped me were choked sobs. Edaline held me tighter, offering silent comfort in the face of my pain. "He said......he said the disease has spread more aggressively than we anticipated. I'm afraid we are running out of treatment options. The only hope was the cure, but the chances are very slim." 

Edaline's eyes brimmed with unshed tears, a mirror to my own grief, her love and anguish mingling in the air between us like a tangible thing. She promised to stand by me, to support me in whatever way I needed, but I could see the fear lurking in her gaze, mirroring my own inner turmoil. Without a word, she guided me up the stairs to my room, a sanctuary where I could seek solace from the harsh world outside. Alone in my room, I collapsed onto my bed, the weight of my mortality pressing down on me with suffocating force.

 Why me? I thought, my hands trembling as I traced the edges of the framed photographs adorning my walls. I wasn't ready for this, for the limited time that now stretched out before me.  I wasn't ready to face the abyss that yawned before me, to confront the finite nature of my existence. But the truth remained unyielding, a cruel reminder of my inevitable fate. 

I sighed, needing to clear my head, I rose from my bed and made my way to my desk, where a blank sheet of paper and a pen awaited me. With trembling hands, I began to write, listing out all the things I had dreamed of doing, all things I wished before time slipped through my fingers like sand. Each item on the list was a beacon of hope, a reminder that there was still beauty to be found in the world, even in the face of darkness.

Sophie's Bucket List

1. Star gazing

2. Swimming with Dolphins

3. Watch the sunrise from a top of a mountain 

4. Go on my dream vacation. 

5. Spend every moment I can with the people I love. 

6. First Kiss? 

7. Dance under the stars with Keefe

8. Do some of my favorite things. 

9. Live each day as if it is my last. 

10. Sleepover at Biana's. 

Looking over the list a quiet acceptance of the path laid out before me. I knew the road ahead would be fraught with challenges, with pain and heartache waiting at every turn.  I closed my notebook, the ink still wet with the words of my bucket list. I knew that the days ahead would be filled with both joy and sorrow, with moments of absolute beauty and heartbreaking pain.

The next day at school, I found myself sharing my bucket list with Keefe. His mischievous grin faltered as he read the items scribbled in my messy handwriting. "Sophie, are you serious?" he exclaimed, his blue eyes widening in disbelief. I nodded, a small smile tugging at the corners of my lips. "I want to make the most of the time I have left, Keefe," I replied softly, watching as understanding dawned in his gaze. Keefe's expression softened, his usual playful demeanor giving way to a rare seriousness. "Then count me in," he declared, determination etched on his features. "I'll help you tick off every single item on this list, Foster." My heart swelled with gratitude.