Fire in her Heart and Ice in her Veins.

Chapter 7

Saturday, August 2, 1979. Rochester, New York.  6:00 a.m. 

"Chelsea! Wake up! You're going to be late" Dad hollered from down the stairs. 

I jumped awake, surprised from the noise and groaned. It was too early to even think about being awake. Why was dad waking me up anyways? 

I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and snuggled back into my warm blankets...and then I realized what today was. 

Today was move in day! I was moving to Minnesota! 

I've been home for a few days now, spending time with my friends and family. It was going to be awhile before I saw them again since Minnesota was too far to visit regularly. But the nice thing about living in Minnesota now, was that I was going to be closer to my brother who lived in Wisconsin. 

I decided it was time to get up, so I slowly got out of bed and walked around my room aimlessly. I saw a note I wrote myself the night before, reminding me of a few things I still had to pack or do before I leave. 

I changed out of my pyjamas, putting on my jean overalls and a cute pink bralette.  I pulled my hair up into a high ponytail and slipped on my white converse. 

I went over to my window and looked outside, being able to see Lindsay's house through my window. Lindsay came home this week to hang out with me because this was the last time we'd be able to see each other for a long time. 

My dog, Ollie came running in my room and jumped up on my bed, a tennis ball clenched in his mouth.

I laughed, and gave him a scratch behind the ears. I got Ollie as a birthday present from my dad when I was 15. He was almost 4 years old and he still acted like a puppy. He's a dog full of energy all the time, but he's a good boy.

" Well, I should best get a move on. Tt's almost time to go, hey there Ollie " I said to my dog, seeing his tail wag when I said his name.  

I threw the ball out of my room and down the hall and Ollie took off after it. I giggled and got the last of my thing ready. 

I grinned at myself in the mirror, thinking I looked so hippie and grabbed my duffle bags about to leave, totally forgetting my picture frame. I didn't leave without it and I can't believe I almost forgot it. 

My picture was the most important thing I own. 

It was a picture of my mom, who was in her mid thirties at the time, smiling widely at the camera at the cottage. She looked happy and healthy and no one would have ever guessed that she was dying in this picture. 

My mother died from cancer when I was just thirteen years old. 

She died shortly after this picture was taken and it was one of those things that I always had to carry around with me. My mom left this world too early and you never get over a loss this big... you can only move on. Its hard and each day when I look at this picture...its a reminder that she's gone and out of my life for good, but I know she's still with me.

She struggled with cancer for almost 2 years. Can you imagine watching your mother slowly dying for a full 2 years when you were completely helpless with helping her. All you could do was watch and be there for her while she endured the worst. 

Losing my mother was a pain I don't ever want to experience again. 

I miss my mom every single day..but as time goes on her absence is getting easier to deal with. I know she is up in a better place now and that one day I will see her again. I just hope that I make her proud with everything I do in my life.