Moving On

Chapter One

Anaya had just turned 7, in fact it was the morning of her birthday when her mother came in her room singing "happy birthday". It was not like Anaya was able to sleep or anything, the people next door were unloading their moving truck, new neighbors. Anaya was not happy about these neighbors, they were moving into her best friend Katie's house. Anaya was not happy at all, it was the beginning of summer vacation and her vacation started with her best friend moving away because her mom got a new job across town. Anaya however, noticed a boy with one leg, walking with crutches.

"Mom, that boy only has one leg."

"Anaya, that's Adam McCee, and his family. They are our new neighbors, him and his parents."

"Why does he have one leg?"

"Honey, you should go and be friends with him, it's not easy to be the new kid in town."

"They're moving into Katie's house."

"That's not their fault, especially not that little boy's. Now hurry up and get dressed, we'll go give them cookies." But Anaya had one more question to ask.

"Did dad call?" Anaya's father John Mason had left them when she was only two years old, he remarried and had two sons but he never seems to remember Anaya, not even on her birthday. Anaya does not remember how her father looks, but every year on her birthday, she asks her mother about him, who didn't tell Anaya much about her father, his name, or why he left. 

"No, he did not. But don't let that ruin your day. Now come on and get dressed." And so she did, and while her mother baked the cookies, Anaya wondered what she would ask Adam.

Anaya and her mother walked over to the McCee's house and her mother welcomed his parents to the neighborhood.

"Hi, I'm Niani Mason..." but Anaya didn't hear the rest of that introduction, she went over to speak to Adam, who seemed very shy.

"Hi, my name is Anaya Mason. I'm your neighbor and I turned 7 today."

"I'm Adam McCee. Happy birthday." Then there was a moment of awkward silence between the two kids.

"So how old are you?"

"I turned 9 last month." Anaya's eyes involuntarily went to his leg, and Adam noticed. "You can ask me about the leg."

"How come you only have one?"

"I lost it to cancer. It was bone cancer and they had to cut off my leg." Anaya understood cancer, her grandmother had breast cancer and passed away last year, she saw how her mother nearly broke. "But the doctors said they can fit a new leg when I turn 10."

"When did they cut it off?"

"About five months ago, they told me I had the cancer last year and they gave me chemo but it was spreading too fast and they decided to cut it off."

"I'm sorry."

"Nah, it's fine. I've met with kids who were younger and had it worse than me. There is a support group my doctor arranged for me, and that helped a little. At least I know that cutting the leg stopped the cancer from going to my other body parts." At 7 years old, Anaya did not realize it was admiration that she felt when she was listening to Adam speak of his cancer, the strength this little boy had. And then Anaya went over to Adam's house everyday, at first it was because her mother basically forced her to become friends with Adam, but Anaya soon realized that she liked spending time with Adam.

The months passed by way too quickly, and suddenly it was 12:00 AM, May 18th of the next year. Anaya walked to the next room and woke her mom up.

"I have to go and wish Adam, he turned 10." It took a few seconds for her mother to wake up.