Me and my Shadow | ✓

Chapter 31

Do you know that semi-sweet moment in life, where you are deeply sad about one thing, but incredibly happy about another? Well, that was me about two-point-three seconds ago, before my mom received a phone call.

It had been four days since we had lunch with Aunt Helen, and I had just gotten home from school.

"Cecilia, that was Aunt Helen's nurse." My mother said hesitantly.

She had not yet told me why, but from one look into her eyes, I knew almost immediately what she was going to say.

"No... not yet... it's too soon!" I choked out.

The news had instantly brought me back to that dark place. The dark place where Michael now resides. The place where the people who I had once loved, were now gone. I felt helpless, like there was absolutely nothing I could do to change the outcome. My breath quickened as I tried to calm myself down. I began fidgeting with my fingers as I paced the living room.

My mom's motherly instincts kicked into overdrive as she grabbed a bottle of my medication from the kitchen cabinet, and gave me a dose with a glass of water, forcing me to take it.

I obeyed, even though I just simply didn't want to. The only thing I was focused on was Aunt Helen and how she had come all this way, fought so hard, only for cancer to win the war.

My eyes began to shed tears as I leaned into my mother's arms. For the first time in I'm not sure how long, my mom began slowly rocking me back and forth, as if I were an infant again.

"Cecilia, this is nothing like what happened with Michael. Michael was weak, but your Aunt Helen, she was the strongest woman I know. Even before she got sick, she always stood up for what was right and she always had confidence in herself as a person. She knew who she was all the time and she never second-guessed herself. She loved you and Brody for your entire lives, despite only being present when you were both born. She wouldn't want you to be sad sweetie, she would want you to come out stronger despite the sadness that comes with the grief. You aren't losing her because she wanted it to happen, you're losing her because she needed to go to a place where she could no longer suffer everyday. A place where she can be free, and happy again."

I slowly took in every word that my mother spoke. She was right. Aunt Helen was a fighter and even though she lost the war, every day of her life she won the battle. She fought until she had nothing left to give and she accepted the inevitable along the way. She knew that she wouldn't have long to live, but she fought every day regardless. She could have easily given up and just let the sickness take over every ounce of her being, but she never did. She was truly, a warrior.

"Her nurse said that we needed to go over to her house so Aunt Helen's will can be read. I told her that we most likely wouldn't be mentioned, because she just came back into our lives recently, but her nurse insisted we go anyway." My mom said after a few more moments of silence.

"We should take Brody. Where is he?" I asked.

"He isn't home from school yet, Josh's mom is driving him. In fact, I think I just heard the horn." My mom stood up and walked over to the front door to greet Brody with a hug.

Brody walked inside with a smile, but as soon as he saw my swollen face, his smile vanished.

I immediately wiped the tears from my cheeks and perked up. "Hey Brod. How was school?" I asked with a rehearsed smile.

"Don't. What's wrong?" He immediately asked.

"Nothing. I um, got something in my eyes earlier."