Wilted Roses

a Wilted Rose

Adina looked in the mirror in disgust.  She was as flat as a young boy now.

Her hair had been completely shaved.   Her wigs sat in fron of her on the dresser, the blank faces they sat upon seemingly mocking her.

She gingerly reached out to touch one, snapped her hand back as if burnt.

"No," she said.  "No, this isn't real.  This is a terrible dream, a nightmare.  Any moment Greg will come and shake me awake."

She was talking to herself again, a new habit.  Habit aside, Greg would not be apearing, nor would she awaken.

Greg had ran off with the newly turned legal secretary at his firm once he heard; she was not asleep.

"Mom?"

The voice came from her youngest, Jeremy, home for the Winter break.  He quickly took in his Mother's appearance.

She looked more drained than ever.  Just months before she had looked younger than his father - now she could be his Mother.

Flushing, Adina shoved the nearest wig on her head so it sat there crookedly.

"Oh Mom.."

"Don't look at me like that," she cried.  She was begging as she fixed her wig before the mirror.  "I'm the just same as I was before."

Jeremy wasn't sure whether she was talking to him anymore.  Her eyes were trained on herself once more.  They darted from the wig, to her face, to finally rest on her chest.

"Mom," Jeremy asked.

"Mmm...oh.  Oh!  Yes dear?"  She had been getting easily distracted lately between the Chemotherapy, Radiation and her life seeming to have fallen apart in one go.

"You were supposed to pick up Christie and Tanya from the airport today.  Did you want me to..."

She immediately waved this away, flapping her hands like they were birds taking flight. 

Turning to him so quickly that she surprised him and almost lost her balance said, "Nonsense! I'll get them."

He had reached out to catch her instinctively as she wobbled on her feet precariously.  She just eyed him in confusion as she managed to find her footing.

"A-are you sure?  I'm sure I can go get my own sisters one time."

She eyed him sadly.

"Go then.  I don't want to endanger anyone's life," she whispered hoarsely.

"Mom..."  he repeated.  He reached towards her.  For what, he wasn't sure.

"Go," she said with a forced, brittle laugh.  "Your old Mom will be fine waiting here.  I'll just slap on some makeup, hmm?"

He may have believed her if her eyes weren't glazed over with tears.

He suddenly felt guilty, then angry.

Quickly forcing the hot rush of bitter anger down, he gently patted her back.  "I'll be back as soon as I can, Mom.  Call me if you meed anything, okay?"

She nodded absently at this, eyes once more trained on her reflection in the mirror.

Giving into what he considered an indulgence, he let out a quiet sigh as he left the room.

As the door clicked shut behind him, a tear slowly made it's way down Adina's cheek.

She was afraid, so afraid.

Sometimes the smallest change can be the biggest one.

This was not a small change; Cancer never was.

A/N: What does everyone think?

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