Noah's Winter

Chapter Thirty Three

I was laying on the sofa in the living room. The fire was crackling and I enjoyed the heat it gave me. It had been a couple of days since I attempted to go to school. I had been vomiting lots of blood, and this time I had let my family know. My mother didn't try to pressure me into going back to the hospital this time, and I was forever grateful. We had set up hospice so a nurse was checking on me every day. She had given me strong pain pills to help but it was becoming too much. She said I would need to start morphine soon, and had warned my family that my time was soon. I wasn't sad anymore, and I was not scared. I was ready. I was done fighting and I was ready for peace. All that was left was my goodbyes to my family. I only hoped that they could understand where I was coming from and I hoped that they could once again be happy.

"Mom?" I whispered and she got up from her chair quickly. She grabbed my cold hand and warmed it with hers.

"I would like to talk to everyone one on one." I said weakly and her eyes told me that she knew why. She smiled sadly at me with teary gray eyes. She nodded her red head.

"Who first?"

"Jake." She stood up and ushered everyone out of the room except Jake. He walked over to the sofa and sat on the ground next to my head and grabbed my hand gently.

"Hey loser." He said with a smile but it didn't reach his eyes.

"Hey nerd." I said with a raspy laugh. We simply stared at each other for a while before I began to speak again.

"Hey, Jake? Can you promise me something?"

"Of course." He said quickly and I looked in his brown eyes intently.

"Take care of Mom and Dad. This is going to be the hardest on them, I think. So, just take care of them. Show them as much love as you can." I said quietly and his eyes watered.

"I promise." He said quietly.

"Start swimming again too. And, be happy. Okay? You have been the best brother I have ever had and I want you to know that you are my best friend. Thank you for everything." I said.

"You have been the best sister too." We cried together for a moment while he held my hand.

"Hey, Jake?"

"Yes?"

"I love you."

"I love you too." He said quietly and we just sat there enjoying each other's presence one last time.

My dad walked into the room and Jake got up. He kissed me on the forehead,

"I love you, Winter." He said as he stood up, wiping away tears, and walked out of the room. My dad came and sat next to me now.

"Hi guppie." He said and kissed me on the cheek.

"Hi, daddy." I said and I grabbed my dads aging hand. He squeezed mine gently.

"I'm sorry I didn't do the last treatment." I said.

"Don't be sorry. No one blames you. You have been through so much and you are so strong...I've never been more proud of you, honey." He said as tears spilled over his brown eyes.

"Thank you for being the best dad in the whole world."

"It is you I should be thanking. You lit up our whole world since the first day you were born. I'll never forget all the times you slept on my chest. You were the best gift I could have ever gotten." He said as his voice cracked. I sat up slowly and my dad got on the sofa with me. I leaned my head against his chest, feeling his warmth, and listening to the soothing pound of his heart.