Sunsets

Brian

Stage Four, Cancer, Ann.

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I head into my room after the meeting with Bella at the beach, thinking about my mom.

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"I am so sorry." The doctor says to us, lifting up the paper on the front of his clipboard and scanning the second as if he had to confirm something. He looks back up at us and lets the paper drop. "There's not much we can do. It's stage four, breast cancer." He gives us an apologetic face.

I let the words set in my mind. I want to cry, but I know I can't. I have to be strong and brave. No matter what comes my way.

I see my dad in the corner of my eye, sobbing; and that's when I decide to break down too. No more of this tough business. This is my mom we are talking about and I love her. Nobody matters more to me then my mom. My dad and her are supposed to cheer me on at my high school graduation and then my university. Elementary doesn't matter much to me. They always say they are just preparing you for high school anyways. My mom is supposed to dance with me on my wedding day. She is supposed to go wedding dress shopping with Ann when the time comes for her too.

"What is the survival rate? Do you know?" My mom asks, very concerned. She hasn't cried at all. Just looked down a lot.

"Yes ma'am, I do know, It is fifteen percent.. Which means fifteen out of one hundred women diagnosed with stage four breast cancer live for the next five years..." He says, getting quieter. He looks down too, sorry about the news he just had to deliver.

I squint my eyes to see better. The tears are to heavy and are dominating my eyesight.

I take a deep breath to try and calm myself but it doesn't work. Nothing's working. Nothing is going the way I want it too.

Ann starts to playfully scream. "What people?" She says and puts her hands on her hips and shakes her body back and forth. That girl has attitude. She is so cute, but I wish she could understand that this is a very serious moment.

She giggles as she repeatably says 'What people?"

My mom starts to laugh with her; and soon after my dad joins in with them. I don't get this.

"Mommy, will you be alright?" I ask. "Is that why your laughing?" I ask her, curiously. Maybe everyone misunderstood it except my mom and Ann.

Ann claps her hands in excitement and then plays with her ponytail.

"Brian, no I'm not going to be okay, but I need to take every moment as the last. You need to do it too. So you remember me happy and I go away with no regrets." She says. My mom is always positive even when it's a really low point in everybody life's.

"Okay." I say, wiping my eyes and laughing with my family. I want every second with my mom to be an awesome one. "Where are you planning to go? Maybe I can come with." I say, curiously.

"What do you mean, Brian?" She asks.

"You said 'I go away with no regrets', where are you planning on going?" I ask, again.

"Heaven, of course. No you can't come. Not until your time is up. And it's a natural cause of death." She says with a serious tone.

"But mummy I-" She cuts me off.

"No Brian. You are not going anywhere." She demands. "Enough talk about this, let's order pizza!" She says, and we head out of the hospital.

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