Business And Hopelessness

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE: Ecstatic

The exams went somewhat well for Valentina, and she got pretty good results, so her dad bought her a new pair of rollerblades since her old ones were in shambles. Luca did the best on his Physics exam, getting the highest points from their whole grade. Valentina made sure to ask everyone how their exams went, but Ray avoided her like the plague for the rest of the week. He didn't sit at their table, so Sasha went to sit beside him somewhere else, while Valentina sat with Odette and Luca, who only offered her encouraging words, that Ray and she would make up soon.

Sasha cornered her once after class to ask her what was going on since Ray was in a bad mood and didn't want to talk about what happened. Valentina gave the simplest explanation, that they had a fight that resulted in him not wanting to talk to her. Sasha was suspicious about it all since according to her, she thought Ray liked Valentina so much that he wouldn't cause unnecessary drama.

Valentina's mood still didn't get better, and she was currently sitting at home, on her bed, not knowing what to do with herself. That was until she heard her father talking on the phone in the living room. Slowly, she made her way over to her door and creaked it open, trying to eavesdrop. Her father was talking to a doctor from the hospital, she could easily tell by his formality, and the questions he asked.

"So, shall I take her home tomorrow?" He questioned, making her pause. "Yes, I'll buy the prescribed medication until then."

So, her mother was coming home. Was it permanent? There was no way she would be visiting for the weekend, as there would be no need to get the medication she needed from the pharmacy. Valentina's heart dropped at the realization. Her mother was having her last days, which was why the hospital discharged her, letting her be with her family. Her father already told her a while ago, that it would be happening soon, but it still felt unreal to her. She couldn't quite grasp it.

She heard her father hang up and let out a long sigh, which only confirmed her suspicions. She silently closed her door and went back to her bed, sitting down numbly. She knew the day would come, but she never expected it to be so soon. Hearing her father's footsteps nearing her room, she looked up at her door, waiting for his knock.

"Kiddo, can I come in?"

Even the nickname indicated that something was wrong. Clearing her throat, she said yes, so the door was open a second later and her father walked in with slow steps. His eyes seemed hopeless, his mouth set in a thin line as he sat down next to Valentina on the bed. He linked his hands together in front of him, slouching. She gritted her teeth, waiting for him to break the news.

"Your mother is coming home," He said quietly, his voice weak, laced with deep sadness that wrenched his daughter's heart. "She isn't going back to the hospital for a while."

"They are sending her home to..." Valentina couldn't bring herself to say it, she trailed off instead, staring at the floor. She could see her father nod.

"We are taking her home tomorrow. We should be happy to spend some time with her, just the three of us. Try not to be sad these last couple of weeks," He breathed, but she knew he was about to cry. She didn't want to look at him, so she just nodded rigidly.

Patting her back awkwardly, he stood up and made his exit, leaving Valentina alone in her room. She thought her tears were ready to flow, but they didn't come. The numbness spreading in her chest was worse than anything as she slid to the floor, pulling her knees to her chest. She sat there for a while, just staring at the floor until her eyes became unfocused. The sun was going down, the last rays of sunshine coming from her window slowly disappearing from her wall.

The room got dark, but this time, she welcomed it. She lay down on the floor helplessly, trying to breathe, but her chest felt tight. As she extended her legs, they hit something that was barely under her bed. A box that was full of her old stuff. Not wanting to get up, she shuffled around and pulled the box out, taking off the lid to peer inside.