Practice Makes Perfect (Completed)

Chapter 10

Allison had been friends with her next door neighbor for long enough that their conversations had become a routine. Every Friday night, just as the sun was starting to fade from the sky, they would climb up onto their shoe scuffed roofs, sit on the chimney and talk about life. Year ago, they had even taken the time to nail a board to the apex of the roof, and a similar piece of plywood across the gap between their houses. It wasn't exactly the safest setup, but they were masters of navigating it.

"So you're telling me that they tried to recruit you?" he clarified

Allison nodded. "No kidding. They came in, interrupted my practice, and told me that I would make a great ballerina."

"I mean, you probably would, but still, the nerve of those people."

"I know, right? They kind of dismissed Tabitha's part in the whole thing too."

He shook his head. "Unbelievable."

"Well, whatever their selling points for ballet, I'm always gonna be a gymnast at heart."

"That's right. Junior Olympic team this year."

"Fingers crossed."

He shook his head. "You don't need luck, you have skill."

Allison grinned. "Wanna see some?"

She took off from her perch, bounding towards the beam on the center of the roof. she jumped for it, hands hitting the plywood rubbed smooth from years of use as she rolled into a perfectly balanced somersault. Her momentum propelled her to her feet, where she cartwheeled, did a handspring and forced her body to a stop on the beam. Dismounts on a steep roof were simply not responsible which may have explained her own distaste for the move in general.

Her neighbor clapped softly. "Very impressive."

Their conversation likely would have carried on into the night, but at that moment, Allison's phone went off. Her neighbor lifted it from where she had left it beside him, and read the message on the screen, his face turning dark.

"It's Tabitha." Allison's heart dropped as he continued. "She's in the hospital."

Allison forced back her emotion, and her neighbor offered to drive without even hesitating. They climbed down from the roof together, him practically carrying her, and rushed off the the hospital. The trip to Tabitha's room was a blur of half-suppressed tears and painful concern, and when they got there, things got even worse. 

Sometimes, when Tabitha wasn't feeling well, her parents put her on a ventilator, just so she could focus on other things without worrying about her breathing. Allison was trying to convince herself that this was one of those times.

"I'll give you a moment." her neighbor offered, backing out of the room.

"Hey there Tabby." Allison took a deep breath, and ran a hand through the toddlers hair. "You're doing okay, right?"

The girl was sleeping, peaceful and unaware. The monitors beeped in a pattern Allison had memorized, her heart rate and breathing kept normal and steady by the machines.

"She's beautiful, isn't she?"

Allison looked up. In the doorway of the hospital room lingered a tall, thin African American woman, still dressed in work clothes and smiling sadly.

She must be Tabitha's mother.

Allison nodded. "And so sweet. I've never seen her stop smiling."

The woman's smile grew just a bit, and she moved to take the chair next to Allison.

"You're Allison, right? From the foundation?"

Allison nodded, eyes still on Tabitha.

"I've heard a lot about. Tabitha loves you, and the foundation..." The woman wiped away a tear. "They make her so happy."

Allison knew it wasn't her place, but she took the woman's hand, letting her cry. She couldn't imagine what is was like to have a child as wonderful as Tabitha, and to know that before long. The wonderful girl would be gone, and her memory would be all that remained.

"She is a wonderful girl." Allison said.

They were both all too aware that the present tense might not be the right one.

"Her lung collapsed last night." The woman said without prompting. "The doctor put in a splint but her brain lost oxygen, and her heart stuttered, and she just...imploded."

Allison nodded solemnly. Tabithas life had been a delicate balance of medications and sicknesses, injuries and limitations for as long as she had known the girl. It was why the foundation had helped her in the first place.

"How long?" Allison asked. She knew it was a matter of when, not if the girl would have to be taken off the machines.

"We're giving her one more week." The woman looked down at her hands. "Its all we can afford."

Allison hugged her then, holding her tight for just an instant. When she pulled away, there were tears in both of their eyes.

"I'll leave you with your daughter." Allison said as they let each other go.

When the woman nodded, her eyes were still on her sleeping daughter,  the beautiful girl who hadn't been given enough time.