Master Plan {d. dobrik}

16

"Thank you again, Em."

"Anytime, seriously," she replied, smiling at her best friend.

He watched her as she gathered her bags from his room, getting ready to migrate back to her apartment. She didn't tell David, or anyone for that matter, about her breakdown over her ex. Not because she didn't want them to know; she didn't really know why she hadn't told anyone. It didn't seem all that important.

"You know you can stay and hangout, if you want," David offered.

Emily shook her head, securing her duffel bag over her shoulder. "I know, I just," she paused, "Need to get home," she said, smiling slightly. "We both know I'll probably be over here tomorrow, though, so don't worry."

David laughed, nodding as they walked to his front door. Emily still didn't have a car, having left hers in New York when she moved, so David was usually her designated driver. Knowing this, David grabbed his keys, ready to take her home. Emily smiled at him in thanks.

The ride to Emily's apartment was spent talking about David's trip to his home town and how house sitting was while he was gone.

"It was extremely boring, but at least I got to sleep in your cloud of a bed," Emily had said.

David's jaw slacked open. "Why'd you sleep in my bed?" he asked, not actually being upset about it.

"It's literally like sleeping on a cloud, David," she laughed, refraining from adding it smelled like him, which made sleeping in his bed that much more enjoyable. She deemed that bit to be too far.

Soon, they arrived at her apartment, where David bid her a goodbye, letting her know he'd be back around noon the next day to pick her up for lunch. She agreed before she bid him goodbye and turned toward the complex, walking toward the lobby. Upon reaching her apartment, she received a phone call.

Seeing her mother's caller ID, Emily answered quickly. "Hello?"

"Emily," her mother said, sounding distraught.

"Mom? What's wrong?"

Nora let out a whimper before she answered her daughter. Emily had never seen her mother cry (other than at Paw's funeral), so to hear the sound come through the phone sent a chill down Emily's spine.

"It's your dad," Nora said, "He's sick."

Running a hand through her hair stressfully, Emily stammered out a response. "Wha-What? What do you mean he's sick?" she asked, "Like, sick, like, the flu? Sick like mono?"

Nora sighed. "Sick, like, cancer, honey."

Then she broke.