So Long and Goodnight

Five

Helena barely got any sleep that night. She kept tossing and turning, thinking about Gerard’s words. She also thought of Gerard himself.

He sounded so sad, so scared, almost. She had only ever seen him happy and serious and sassy. He might as well be the sass queen… How was she slowly dying? Sure, she had cancer, but how would it suddenly be life-threatening?

The next day, she didn’t even get to leave her room before her mother ran in, excited. “Guess what? The results came.” Her mother held up an envelope. Helena quickly grabbed it and pulled the letter out. “‘Dear Helena, we are pleased to inform you that you passed the test! Every single one of them, in fact. You have left a new record with these results. You can officially graduate high school!’ What? But I’m seventeen!” Her mother hugged her, and said, “You’re like a prodigy. I’m so proud of you.” She began to walk out, but Helena stopped her. “Mom.”

“Yeah?”

“How come I can’t leave the house?” Her mother sighed. “Helena, we’ve been over this.”

“Actually, we haven’t. Every time I asked, you just said, ‘When you’re older.’ Well, I’m seventeen. I’m older. I want an answer.” She crossed her arms, and her mother sighed and sat down on the bed. “You know how your father died, right?”

“No.”

“Oh, of course you don’t. You were a baby when it happened. Your father went out to get some groceries. When he was driving, a drunk driver was in his lane, driving straight towards him. He didn’t have time to move out of the way, and there was a car crash. Your father was sent straight to the hospital, but he died before they got there. His heart was already weak, and that car crash just sent him over the edge. The reason I don’t let you leave the house is because I don’t want you getting hurt, just like your father did.”

“Mom, I’m responsible. I can handle myself.”

“I know. But I still worry. Plus, your condition…”

“Mom. You can say cancer.”

“I can. But just because I can doesn’t mean I want to.” She stood up and walked out, shutting the door behind her. Helena waited a minute before laying down and shutting her eyes, waiting for sleep to overcome her.