Endless Summer/ ✔️

8 Letters

"Daniel!" I shouted as I burst through the door and headed straight for my room. "Daniel where are you?" I asked. The boys, Eben and Jon sat around the living room but I couldn't tell who was who due to the tears that flooded my eyes.

"Maya?" I heard. Finally, I felt hands cup my chin. "I'm here, love. What happened? What's wrong?"

"Is it Lauren?" Zach panicked. The sobs escaped my throat in loud busts as I jumped into Daniel's arms and Lauren walked through the door.

"I-I have to go back to Flor- I need to go now!"  I said. Without another word, I stormed up to my room. Lauren would let them know what is going on as soon as they asked. Clothes were being thrown into  a suitcase. I didn't know nor did I care about what was going in there. "I have to get out of here," I mumbled to myself.

Daniel walked through the door and pulled another suitcase from the closet. "Zach and Lauren are already waiting downstairs to book tickets for us. The other boys wanted to know if they needed to come but I said no. They could stay here and watch the house and take care of band business." I sniffled and hand my hand across my eyes to get rid of the tears.

There was nothing else I could think about besides getting to my mother. Lili sounded upset, like something bad had happened. As soon as we arrived back down the stairs, Jonah, Corbyn and Jack squeezed me tightly. "We'll be down there tomorrow to help with anything you need," Corbyn whispered before he released. Corbyn was like a giant teddy bear that you just wanted to squeeze. He kept you warm and his hugs were the best I've ever had.

***

Hospitals are cold and ugly and I hate them. I hate the bad news they give. I hate the fake smiles the doctors wear when they come to check on you. As if they really care. "We have awhile but Maya I need you to know something," Lili pulled at my chin. "Your mother developed a blood disease in the last few days and today, it got worse and she finally made me call you. She signed a DNR because she didn't want you to have to deal with her being a vegetable."  I froze, eyes locked with Lili's.

I gripped Daniel's hand as I backed into his chest. "Wh-What? You're going to let my mother just die?" I said through clenched teeth. However, as soon as I realized that was a bit aggressive, I waned to take it back. I backed away from Lili and turned to bury my face in Daniel's chest. "She was fine a few months, what could have happened?"

A finger tapped my shoulder, making me jump a little. "Maya," Daniel whispered. "You can go in there now. Let's go see your mother." Slowly, I turned for the door where my mother rest for the day and her weary eyes made contact with mine. Daniel stood behind me as I took the liberty to sit across from Lauren.

"When did Lauren grow a baby?" She asked. My mothers eyes had become thick with a yellow coloring to them, her memory had begun to fade she moved too slowly. This wasn't how I was used to seeing my mother. Months ago, she was thriving over the phone and happy and it call came crashing down in a few days. "Maya, I want you to tell me something."

"Anything," I assured gripping her hand. Slowly, she turned to look at me and I couldn't help but begin to cry again.

"Tell me that you love me," she smiled. Her eyes drifted close and her lips pursed together. "Before it's too late and I go."

"What? No I'm not doing that because you aren't going anywhere, mom. You are going to stay here with us and watch baby Jen grow and watch me grow older and get married to knucklehead back here," I said nodding to Daniel. Mom giggled before opening her eyes once again.

"Maya, just tell me."

"No! I will not sit here and encourage you to give up. That's what we have been telling each other my entire life. Don't start taking it all back now," I whispered. Daniel squeezed my shoulder as a way to give in.

When my father left for his first tour somewhere across the world, mom and I both went through a time of lows. We made a pact to never let the other one give up. Not even after we were both dead. And now, the time came where we would have to think so many other things through, but I still wasn't giving up the promise.

As I was thinking, something major popped into my head. "Lili? Have you told my dad?" I whispered. Lili nodded and squatted down next to my chair.

"I called the station and they said they would get the news to him somehow. He should be here before anything major happens," she explained. I looked up at Daniel and a little better when he smiled down at me. But it suddenly disappeared once I locked eyes with the little body I called my mother. Until now, I didn't see how she gradually changed in a few days.

We haven't seen each other in months, but we both thrived and we both smiled and laughed and lived. Today, only one smiled, only one laughed and only one lived.

"Mom do yo-" A voice cleared and interrupted my sentence. All heads snapped towards the door. A girl stood in the doorway with flowers gripped in her hands. I felt myself go stiff and Daniel noticed it because he moved to put the other hand on my shoulder.

This time, mom was the one to speak, whilst I sat in shock and confusion. "Maddie?"

"Maddie?" I looked at mom and then back to the girl in the doorway. "As in my dead sister?"