restrictions - dm au

3:

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July 22nd, 2009
Ocean City Pier

"You better finish that cotton candy," Dad chuckled as we walked along the pier. I stared wide-eyed at my huge stick of pink and blue cotton candy. Mom would never let me eat this. She says I need to eat less.

"But it's so big!" I said. I ripped a piece off and shoved it in my mouth. Yum. While we were walking, I noticed the rollercoaster. "Daddy, that looks so scary! Everyone's screaming!"

"Oh, that one. They call it the Eye of the Storm. Haven't been on it in years! Brynny, you wanna try it with me?" Daddy asked.

"I don't think we should," I said shyly.

"Why do you think that?" Daddy smiled.

"I get sick on those rides..."

"You'll be fine."

We got in the seats of the rollercoaster. I gripped the bar super hard.

"Okay, 1... 2... 3..." Daddy counted. We immediately thrusted forward, it slowed down as it got ready for the drop. When we got to the top, it stopped for a quick second and th...

"AAAAAAAAAAHH," I screamed at the top of my lungs.

♡

"Did Dad go to work today?" I finally built up the guts to ask.

Mom hesitated. "No, Brynn. And... He won't be at work for a while."

"What's going on?" I said, trying to hold back tears. Dad never gets sick.

"We should tell you by now..."

That just made me more curious.

We went into the house, and she whispered something to Dad, who was sitting on the couch. He looked different. Ill, I guess.

Mom and Dad walked over to the dining room table, and I followed. They sat down, so I sat down across from them.

"Brynn, we... Have to tell you something," Dad said. This is the first time I'd heard him speak in a day and a half.

"What's going on? Why haven't you been at work?" I asked. Don't cry, Brynn. You are not crying right now. No.

"I'm sure you have noticed that your father is sick," Mom explained. Yeah I have, now just tell me what's wrong before I burst into tears. "It's something bigger than all of us expected. It's okay to cry. But we can't keep it a secret forever."

"I've been diagnosed with... Cancer. Stage 3 thyroid cancer." He took off the wig he was wearing, showing that he'd lost hair from chemo.

I couldn't speak. I tried to make words out but nothing happened. I looked down to notice I was shaking. Every single part of my body was shaking. No. This isn't real. This only happens in movies. This is just a nightmare.

Okay fine, it's real. But the chemo's gonna work. He'll be better soon. Everything will be fine. Everything will be fine.

It wasn't until now I noticed the cold tears streaming down my face. It wasn't until now I noticed Mom and Dad were hugging me.

I saw my face in the reflection of the mirror, but everything else seemed cloudy.

This isn't happening.