Life's twists and turns

Chapter 1

Sitting in my office, the phone rings. I begrudgingly pick it up and answer with a fake happy "Hello this is May". This is a call I never wanted to receive.

"Hi is this Miss Ellwell?"

"Yes" I reply scared for what might follow

"I'm sorry to tell you this but Emily is losing her battle"

The woman on the phone says more but the brain blacks out. My best friend since 3rd grade is losing her battle to cancer. I hope and prayed that they would find a cure or it would just go away. But neither has happened. We had been planning a trip to fill a lifetime for her but hoped we had more time.

I finish work and head to chick-fil-a to grab dinner for Emily and I before heading to the hospital. Like every night, I walk into chick-fil-a and they know who i am and what I want. They all know why I come every night and I can't break it to them that this may not continue much longer.

I walk into the hospital and say hello to all the nurses.

"May can I talk to you before you head in?" A nurse in yellow scrubs asks

"Yeah of course what's up?"

"Did you know of any boyfriend in Emily's life or anything of that sort?"

"Not really. She kept her love life pretty quiet with James around."

"Well we can finish this conversation in Emily's room."

I walk down what seems like endless hallways. After coming here for months on end you would think the walk would seem shorter.

The nurse opens the door to her room, which is blindingly bright pink and has a strong flower smell. When they moved her into a more permanent room she turned it into her old teenage years room. With pink everything and the overwhelming scent of flowers and crying. Emily sits happily between flowers and balloons with little James on her lap.

"Hey buddy how are ya?" I say scooping James up

James just sticks his tongue out at me. He's never really liked me but he definitely tolerates me. The nurse talks to both of us about what the next few weeks are going to look like and what sorts of paperwork we'll have to start. Emily and I had always said James would come to me if anything were to happen. He's only 6 months old and his whole world is about to change. But at least he'll still have me.