Love is Only Sleeping

Part 10

Tracey awoke in her old bedroom in a twin bed. Everything looked the same. The walls were painted a light pink. Old posters of The Beatles hung on her wall, old trophies decorated her shelves. Friends pictures from high school scattered on her dressed mirror. Remnants of her childhood which seemed like a lifetime ago.

She took a shower, made herself some coffee, and decided to call Mike before she left for the hospital to see her mom. It had been a late night, and her mother didn't get out of surgery until 1am. The doctors told her to go home because she was to be heavily sedated for hours. They found the cancer had spread, and wouldn't let Tracey in on any details until they told her mom.

She sat at the kitchen table while looking out the window. It was cold and gray outside, and it started to rain. 'What a perfect dreary setting to dreadful day,' she thought.

She picked up the phone and dialed Mike's number.

"H-hello?" Mike's groggy voice answered.

Just hearing his voice made her long for him, long to be laying next to him , especially after her horrible, agonizing day of waiting for her mother to get out of surgery, waiting for the doctors to give her answers.

"Hey sweetie, I'm sorry, did I wake you?"

"Hey baby," Mike said, his voice sounding gravely, but then perking up.

"The surgery lasted for five hours, me and my aunt were just sitting there waiting for answers, it was awful," Tracey said, her voice sounding exhausted.

"Oh honey, I wish I could've been there with you," Mike said, feeling horrible.

"They said the cancer spread, and they wouldn't say anything until she came out of her anesthesia," Tracey said, crying. "I'm so afraid of what they are going to say. What if she only has months to live?"

"Baby, don't think that way, just be there for your mom," Mike said reassuringly.

"Mike?"

"Yes baby?"

"I-I, really missed you last night. I wanted so badly to just collapse in your arms after yesterday," Tracey said, sniffling and wiping tears off her face with her sleeve.

"You know I'm always with you, even if I'm not there physically," Mike said. He also missed her and wished he could be there to take care of her.

"You think maybe you can come visit in a few weeks? I don't know what's happening here or when I'll be able to come back to LA, but I just need to know I'm going to see you," Tracey said, scared for what lie ahead.

"I'll check out the flights and we can talk about it later, ok baby?"

"That's all I want to hear," Tracey said, feeling a little less anxious. Mike always knew what to say to keep her calm, and she needed his reassurance during this uncertain time.

She walked into her mother's hospital room. It was dark with a faint light coming in through the drawn curtains. Her mom had her eyes closed, and her aunt was sitting by her bedside.

"Sweetie, let's go out in the hall," her aunt whispered softly.

"Is she still out of it?" Tracey asked her aunt while they stood outside of her mother's hospital room.

"Well, she came to, but she fell back asleep," her aunt said. "Listen, the doctor came to talk to us before you got here."

"So, what did he say?"

"He said the cancer spread to her lymph nodes, and they are still trying to determine what stage it is, but, she will most likely need six months of chemo to get the rest. Not sure about radiation yet," her aunt said.