Broken Strings

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

"Yea, but we were happy. Not to mention, I also spent twenty dollars just buying you cotton candy." Sebastian poked her playfully, offering her a small grin.

He just wanted to see her smile. In her last few days, he wanted her to smile, to laugh.

He wanted her to be the eighteen-year-old girl he'd easily fallen in love with, the girl he'd always been in love with.

Sebastian still hadn't told her about her latest blood test results. He didn't want to either. He had been meaning to call her but he hadn't found the courage to do so.

"It was like two bags. I was hungry and I really like the pink cotton candy." A small smile danced on her lips. She intertwined her hand with his, scooting a little closer to him.

"You didn't even share. You ate both bags by yourself." He smirked as she glared up at him. His playful smile slowly faded as he stared at her current state.

She wasn't the eighteen-year-old girl anymore.

No, she was different.

She was older, older and sadder.

The weight loss was evident. Everything about her was frail, too pale and too empty. Her wrists were thin, her fingers were bony, her face was exhausted.

Anisha quickly looked away, diverting her gaze back to the ocean. He could see right through her, she knew that.

"Everything was so easy back then." Anisha tried to stop the wobble in her voice. She pulled the jacket sleeves over her hands, it was cold. And she wanted to hide her scars.

She just wanted to say goodbye. And then go home, to sleep.

She glanced at Sebastian from the corner of her eyes. She was afraid of the answer but she asked anyway.

"How long do I have left?" Her voice was barely audible. It was soft, filled with sorrow.

She wasn't sure if she even wanted to know. She didn't. But she did.

"Fuck Anisha. I don't know."

She watched as he rubbed the light stubble on his chin. Almost in irritation.

His green eyes darted back to her. They held so much care for her, she could see that. She hadn't always but now she did.

Anisha tightened her hold on his hand. She wanted an answer. "I think you do know. Tell me Sebastian. What is it? Another week, a month or two at the most?"

"They're just estimates Anisha. I can't tell you an exact date. You can't count on these kinds of things. It's just an estimate. Maybe you'll get lucky." Sebastian rubbed his eyes, they were already red and glassy. "And maybe you won't."

"It's far more severe than we'd originally thought. It's far too aggressive and it's uncontrollable." His voice cracked, a small sob filled his words.

Sebastian quickly buried his face in his hands. He didn't want to her to see him cry. Especially, since he was supposed to be strong, for her.

"I know."

Anisha looked out to the ocean again.

And then she looked over to the pier. She'd first come there with Sebastian. Then Andrew. Then her kids.

Here she was, one final time.

"You need to tell him Anisha. He deserves to know."

"I know. And I will."

She didn't want to tell Andrew. But she had to. 

Anisha shrugged before she smiled and looked back at Sebastian. She leaned over, resting her head against his shoulder. He wrapped his arm around her as she closed her eyes, letting the morning breeze calm her.