Broken Strings

C H A P T E R T W E N T Y - F I V E

"she saw love in empty hearts."

- r. h. Sin

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Anisha was on the verge on fainting. Everything was making her feel queasy.

Especially the weather.

If there was one thing about the California weather, it was unpredictable. Even in the fall. Especially in the fall.

Yesterday had been cool and chilly. Today was far too warm for her liking. She pulled out her phone, wanting to double check the weather.

81 ͦ F.

There were too many people around her. The walking was too much for her. She had gone on one ride - It's a Small World. Mira had begged her to go on the ride.

The boat ride had been fine. Anisha had liked it. But it was all too much. Anisha didn't have the energy to enjoy herself. For the past two hours that they had been at Disneyland, she had slowly trailed behind as Mira and Ryan ran around from ride to ride.

Every few minutes, Andrew would give her a worried glance. But she ignored him.

She fell apart, all on her own.

It was 2 pm in the afternoon. It was hot. And it was making her feel sick. Sicker than she already was.

She had taken extra strength vitamins in the morning. She had taken her pills. She had done everything she possibly could have to at least ensure that she would make it through the day, so her kids would be happy, that they would be able to enjoy.

Anisha started shaking. The world was spinning around her.

She always felt like this before she had a nosebleed. And sometimes, before she threw up blood.

But at Disneyland? This was the last place she wanted this to happen.

She grabbed onto Andrew's arm, silently begging him to hold her. To keep her from falling apart, anymore than she already was.

Anisha had hoped this wouldn't happen.

She didn't want this to happen.

Last night, she had gone downstairs and ate dinner. She had forced herself to eat, a few spoons of the pasta Andrew had cooked. She had taken her medication before she went to sleep.

In the morning, she had overslept. It was already ten when she had woken up. Andrew had told her that they could go some other day since she was still feeling a little sick.

Maybe he was trying to push their little trip to Disneyland to another day. Because after today, their future was uncertain. They hadn't finished their little talk. But Anisha knew that Andrew was aware that things were over for them. After Disneyland, they were done.

Anisha certainly didn't have any other days where she could go to Disneyland. The minute she had seen her daughter's crest-fallen face, Anisha had convinced Andrew to go.

She wanted her kids to be able to remember that they had laughed and smiled with their mother. That they had been a happy family. That there mother had loved them. But Anisha was falling apart now.

Her fever was still there. The pain in her stomach had reappeared.

Her hand gripped Andrew's arm as both Mira and Ryan stopped running and came back to their mother.

"Anisha, are you...um."

"I'm fine." She gritted her teeth, her grip tightening on him as he wrapped his arm around her, trying to hold her steady.