Isabella

34| Mom? Mom!

Isabella

"So do you think it's true?" mom had asked me after I told her what Tiffany had said about Richard.

"I guess so... I don't know what to believe anymore" I replied sincerely.

"What you guys did was dangerous and risky. Going there without the police...." Katerina said. "Thank goodness Tayo had some sense..."

I didn't say anything else. I get stared into space as I sat on my bed.

"So what's next?" my mom asked sitting next to me. I didn't quite understand what she meant. "I mean, with you..."

I heaved a sigh and said, "I'm supposed to go back to the US"

"And what about Chase?" Trina pitched in.

"What about him?" I asked.

"Aren't you getting married?" she asked. I didn't know how to reply her. I opened my mouth to talk but nothing came out. I didn't know the answer to that question.

Do I want to get married to Chase?

While mom and Trina awaited my response, we heard noises downstairs and we went to see who it was.

"I'm home!" I saw Joy dragging her suit case through the door. I was so surprised to see her. It had been seven years and we only spoke through video calls.

"Joyy!" I squealed running down the stairs as I pushed Trina out of the way. I embraced my sister tightly.

"I've missed you!" Joy said. "I've been watching all your movies in Uganda"

"Don't go back to that Uganda again biko" I said as she tried to pull out of the hug but I held her tight.

"Isabella, Oya release me lemme go and greet my mother" Joy said before tickling me and I immediately let go of her.

Joy and mom embraced each other. "You should have told me you're coming back today. I would've prepared a banquet" mom said.

"Banquet ke?" that was me talking, "Which one did you prepare for me when I came back. Besides, America is way better than Uganda"

Mom and Joy gave me warning glares while Trina found the whole thing amusing.

Joy was a surgeon in Uganda. She rarely came back to Nigeria (just like me) the only difference was that she had good reasons for her rare visits. She had come home three times within the last seven years I'd been in the US.

Mom found an excuse to prepare every dish she knew that day. There was so much food just for three people.

Daniel

Sandra and I watched Trump while he rode the ferris wheel. So far, our plan to get Trump to forget about the whole kidnap issue was working.

It had already been two weeks since that incident but I promised myself that I'd never let anything like that happen to my son or Sandra for that matter. The only way I could fully do that was to become her husband.

"Mommy, when are you and daddy getting married?" the question took both I and Sandra off guard but it was expected.

Trump stared at us from the back seat expectantly while eating his pop corn. We were on our way home from the Ikeja Mall.

"Very soon" I assured Trump when I realised Sandra was short of words. Sandra raised an eyebrow at me and I just shrugged while smiling to myself.

Katerina

"Maybe we should take her to a different hospital or even abroad where specialists—"

"Trina, there's no time for that..." Bella cut me short before embracing my trembling body. I was already crying.

I didn't know how Isabella could manage to be so strong at that moment.

"There must be something we can do... She can't just die like that..." I sobbed on Bella's shoulder while she patted my head.

Tayo, Sandra, Daniel, Joy, Isabella and her mom were all with me in the waiting room after we'd gotten a call from the hospital saying our mom would die any minute.

"Trina, Bella... You can come in now" the doctor said to us and I didn't hesitate in running into the room.

The "beep, beep" sound coming from the heart regulator filled the room.

Our mom had become a bag of bones within the last few weeks, her source of air being the oxygen mask she was putting on.

Her eyes were closed but she hadn't left us yet.

My eyes had become red and puffy from all the crying while Bella hadn't shed a tear.

I hated the fact that I'd only known her for some weeks. For God's sake, she was the woman who brought me to this world and I only got to spend a month with her.

I had a lot to tell her.

We had a lot to do together.

And now, cancer had decided to take her away from us.

Death had come at the wrong time.

I stood at one side of the bed while Bella stood opposite me at the other side.

As if to feel out presence, she opened her eyes slowly. She smiled so wearily before taking our hands in hers.

I began crying uncontrollably.

Through the oxygen mask, I could see her weary smile so clearly. She caressed our hands..

And while her smile slowly disappeared, she closed her eyes and we could hear the heart regulator do steady beep sound.

"Mom?!" Isabella screamed, for the first time calling her mom.

Bella and I broke down in tears.

A/N: Dedicated to those who have lost a loved one to cancer ♥ ♥