Hold on to me

Paula

She couldn't keep track of time, it had already passed three months from what happened. 

In August Emily's mom had told her and Michael that she was pregnant and the estimated time for birth was in March, Michael jumped up and down from the excitement that he's going to have a little sister/brother. He didn't know about what Mr. Sam had done to his big sister. His visits to his friend's house were reduced, but he didn't mind because he got to play with her in the nearest park.

Emily did smile for her mom about the news but she didn't get excited. All she felt was anger, fear, sadness and guilt. It felt like all the happiness was gone in her life. She was very stubborn and stood behind her decision to not to tell to any authorities about what had happened, in a fear Mr. Sam could find out.

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October 

 It had already passed three months of the semester. Emily wasn't any different from her usual self when with friends, she was kind, playful, accepting and overall looked happy, but when she was alone, all those bad feelings came back. She had to wear a smiling mask to hide the pain.

One day, when she came back from school, she was happier than usual. They had watched a movie together in class and everyone were allowed to bring some snacks. And in tomorrow's evening there was going to be a Halloween themed disco at the school. The best costume -competition, spooky decorations, haunted atmosphere, a buffet... Her mom had promised to bake some "spider-brownies" with Emily to the disco's buffet.

She opened the door, took her shoes off and put them on the ground. "Mom~ can we start baking now?"

- "Emily, could you come over here please?" her mom asked. Mom, Dim and Michael already sat around the dining table, Dim looked gloomy and Michael confused. It was so quiet, the atmosphere was nerve cracking.

- "What's going on..?" 

"Kids, your grandma is ill. She has an incurable cancer. She has been ill for some time now, but the treatments she had had worked, until yesterday when she got an allergic reaction from one the working antidotes. I didn't want to tell you yet, but now I have no choice. This may be our last Christmas with her, so let's make it unforgettable to your grandma, okay? her mom explained, leaned against the table holding back her tears.

- "She can't die yet, only old people will die and grandma isn't even that old." Michael sighed with frustration and confusion. For someone so young as him, he was pretty smart and got what their mother meant.

- "Yes she is quite young, only 60 years old, but Michael, sometimes there are some diseases that will take people away, no matter if they are old or young. Her cancer is the first of it's kind to be encountered in the whole country. 

The news about grandma struck Emily like a hundred lightnings from the clear sky and broke her in the inside. She couldn't believe it. She's going to lose her too.

Grandma was the second important person to Emily. Her name was Paula. She was kinda short, had a curled dark brown hair, wore glasses and was a bit wrinkly. She looked much younger than she actually was. Paula was a stubborn person, when she made up her mind about something, no one could change her decisions. But she was also the kindest person on earth. Whenever there was a fight between her mom and Dim, she offered her place as a temporary shelter for the kids so that they didn't have to listen to the adults fight. 

Paula also had a seven year old dog, a black flat coated retriever named Feather. Feather loved Emily. Every time they'd visit their grandma's house, she would take Feather with her to the forest or swimming to the nearest lake. They were unbreakable buddies.

- "Then, let's spent more time with her, please mom? I wanna make her happy and proud." Emily asked, almost crying.

- "Of course sweetie, I want that too. Let's try not to worry about it and make the last of our time with her enjoyable." Her mom said smiling, trying to encourage herself out of the devastating thought.

- "Now, can we start baking the brownies for tomorrow?"

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Sorry for the late update and the short chapter, there's been so much going on lately I haven't been able to focus on writing, but I'll promise to get back as soon as possible! ^^