An Open Window

Chapter 7

I wake up that night to my phone buzzing like crazy.

Myles' name flashes across the screen, and I quickly answer it.

"Hello?" I ask, rubbing my eyes.

"Sally, you need to come to the hospital. Now. It's my mom..." Myles cries, and my heart drops.

"I'm coming now." I say, and he sobs on the phone.

"Please, stay on the phone with me. I can't be alone right now."

"Where's your dad?"

"That dick is in Seattle right now, on a business trip. I can't believe it, I called him five times, all straight to voicemail." He rants, and I leap out of bed, putting on my shoes and racing out of the house, leaping onto my bike and riding to the local hospital.

———

I lock my bike at the entrance, running to the emergency room, still on the phone with him.

"I'm coming in now, Myles, you can hang up now." I say, entering the emergency room.

I immediately see him pacing the floor, his eyes red and puffy. As soon as he sees me, he runs over and envelops me in a hug, sobbing against my shoulder.

"Sally, she took a turn for the worst. I woke up to her screaming in pain and begging to die....I took her straight here. Sally, what if this is it?" He sobs, and I hold him, shedding my own tears as well.

Mrs. Jensen has been like a mother figure to me, always calling me to check in on me and helping me grocery shop when I run out of food for myself, and being the most generous, caring person alive. I've known her forever, but she means the world to Myles, and losing her would completely break him.

She's had brain cancer since she was thirty, and she's had spurs similar to this, but always bounced back stronger. It's never, ever, been this bad before.

"Myles Jensen?" A doctor calls out, stepping out of the hallway through the doors. Myles steps out of my arms, and we rush over to see him.

"Yes, that's me, is my mom okay?" He asks, and the doctor gives him a sympathetic look, almost as if what he's about to say is painful.

"We ran every test and did as much as we possibly could, Mr. Jensen, and I'm afraid that your mother's days are now limited. We'll keep her here at the hospital for now, trying even more to help her turn around and keep her alive. Until then, she only has two months to live, discharging her on her last week to be with family. We'll call to see if any major changes occur, whether good or bad, but I am truly sorry."

That's when Myles breaks down, crashing to his knees and loud, rough sobs emit from his broken form, and I cry with him, taking him to a nearby chair and he leans into my chest, staining my shirt with his tears, but I don't care.

"I'm so sorry, Myles." I whisper, and he continues to sob, and people around me wince in empathy.

"Did you take your car here?" I ask, and he nods.

"How about I take you home, and you can visit her tomorrow after school?" He sniffles, and slowly stands, slouching.

"Can...can I stay with you tonight? I really, really don't want to come back to my house tonight." He chokes, and I nod, escorting him out to his car, grabbing my bike on the way.

I load it into his trunk, and go to the drivers side of the car, and he hands me his keys from the passenger side.

We drive back in silence, except for the occasional sob from Myles next to me.

———

I can't believe that Mrs. Jensen, the one who's shown nothing but kindness and compassion, was the one to be stricken with incurable brain cancer, to be greeted with such a painful fate. I can't believe that such a God is making an innocent, amazing boy lose his own mother, leaving him with his father who hasn't been there for him since he was thirteen, and I hate it.

Once we pull up to my house, Myles can barely stand, and I have to lug him onto the couch, and he crashes immediately, exhausted from the stress. I rustle his hair a bit, and whisper a goodnight to him, going upstairs.

When I know I'm out of earshot, I let the tougher exterior I've kept up all night fall and break down into my own sobs, and hold Portly as I cry, and I grow a mixture of anger and sadness.

Two months. They said they ran every test they could, but still said they're trying. But we all know. We all know what's going to happen. Two fucking months, with the exception of that one last week. None of us are ready to lose her. No one is. She's a joy to this town, and Myles can't live without her. She's been a mother to everyone.

I cry myself to sleep on the floor, and the last thing I see before I close my eyes is a soft snowfall start outside, in great amounts.

———

"Due to weather conditions, all schools in the region will be cancelled today until further notice...." I wake to hear that next morning. My eyes feel heavy, and so does my chest.

I'm laying on my side, still in front of the door. My neck hurts so bad, and so does my back. I stiffly stand, and I walk downstairs to find Myles sitting at the kitchen table, swirling creamer into a steaming mug of coffee.

I don't even like coffee, I just keep it there for him.

"Hey, Myles." I say, my voice hoarse. He looks up at me, and a small smile crosses his face.

"Hey, Sally. Thanks for bringing me here, and letting me stay the night. I really appreciate it." He says, his voice as bad as mine.

"Of course, I mean, you asked me to, anyways. You fell asleep really fast, pretty much as soon as your head hit the couch." I turn to get some water, when he asks a question that makes my body go cold.

"Why is it now that I have to lose my mom?"

I turn back around, and I squeeze my eyes shut.

"I don't know, Myles. It's not fair. It really isn't." I whisper, a tear sliding down my cheek.

"I know. But she wouldn't want us crying over her. She wants us to live our lives." He says, crossing to hold me.

"Myles, you don't have to be so strong in front of me, you know." I say into his chest, and he sighs.

"Sally, as much as I want to cry, I won't. I still have my mom for two months, and even then I'll always have a mom. I'll cry when I know it's okay."

"It's always okay to cry."

I feel a droplet on my head, and I know now that he's crying, and we just stand there in silence, holding one another as we cry.

"How about you go take a shower, and we can do something today, okay?" I say, and he nods, smiling a bit as he walks upstairs.

I wipe my tears away, trying to gather myself together. I may be hurting from this but I want to put Myles first, even when I know he can take care of himself. But he's losing his world. He's not ready, and neither is his dad, Dana and Jen, the entire town who knew and/or loves her is not ready.

And I'm not ready either.