lost little one

chapter 34

lizzie's pov:
phoebe's passing deeply affected lia; she scarcely ate, drank, or left her room. i felt an overwhelming sense of worry for her, unsure of how to help. lia's silence only compounded my concern; seeing her in such pain was heart-wrenching.

yesterday, emma reached out, suggesting a trip to the beach for lia. despite my uncertainty about lia's readiness, i decided to broach the idea with her, understanding it was ultimately her decision to make.

i ascended the stairs to lia's room and softly tapped on her door. her faint come in prompted me to enter. there she was, lying on her bed, engrossed in her phone. taking a seat beside her, i settled near her feet.

"hey, i had a chat with emma yesterday," i began.

"mhm?" lia's response was barely audible.

"emma was wondering if you'd like to join her at the beach today. i assured her i'd talk to you first. it's entirely up to you, lia. no pressure whatsoever," i reassured her gently.

"um, alright. i guess i should do something other than mope in my room all day," lia shrugged, her gaze fixed downward.

"you're going through a lot, lia. we understand. if you're not up for it, that's completely okay," i assured her, trying to ease the pressure.

"i'll be fine mom," she sighed.

"sure, darling. but how about you have a little something before you go? it's important to keep your energy up," i suggest softly.

"mom, i'll grab a bite with emma," she reassures me.

"alright, sweetheart. just make sure emma keeps an eye on you," i remind her with a smile.

"she will, mom," she assures me.

"i understand, but i'll make sure emma keeps an eye on you and your food intake, alright, darling?" i say gently.

"okay, mom," she replies with a shrug.

"i'll let emma know she can pick you up, alright?" i explain softly.

"i'll take care of it, mom," she tells me.

with a nod, i leave her room, quietly closing the door behind me as i head downstairs.

lia's pov:
after hanging up with emma, who promised to pick me up in an hour, i laid out my outfit – grey shorts and a matching crop top – on my bed.

grabbing underwear and socks, i added them to the ensemble. with my clothes sorted, i brushed my hair and plugged in my phone for a charge before heading to the shower to wash away the grease.

emerging from the shower with 45 minutes left, i blow-dried my hair and then asked mom to braid it, which she kindly did.

once mom finished with my hair, she left my room, and i slipped into my chosen outfit, noting the warmth of the day.

** 45 minutes later **

emma and i had just arrived at the beach, and we were walking across the sand, scanning for a spot. it wasn't too busy; there were just a few people around.

we found a spot to sit, and emma laid out two towels. she settled onto one, but i joined her on the same one; i didn't want to be sitting alone.

"lia, i've brought some food with me. your mom told me you haven't eaten since two days ago, so honey, you're going to eat now," she insisted. i sighed.

"i'm fine, really," i shrugged.

"no, you're not. i've also got water," she informed me.

she started unpacking the food from her bag in plastic tubs. then, she retrieved the water bottles – one for me, and the other for her.

"here," she passed me a bit of food. i took it from her but just held it in my hand.

"you're supposed to eat it, baby," she sighed.

"i know that," i replied.

"just tiny bites at a time, okay, sweetheart? i know you can do it, sweet girl," she reassured.

i had managed to eat one sandwich and half of another one, and emma was proud of me, as she said. i didn't feel that proud of myself; even a little kid would be able to eat that. i felt pathetic.

authors note:

i know it's short but oh well.

word count: 697