The Beauty of Living | ON HOLD

02. i met a boy

soldier — james tw

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g a b r i e l l a

WHEN GABRIELLA IRVINE found out that her mom had colon cancer, her entire life fell apart. Her mother was the only one who truly cared about her. The petite girl could tell her anything and she'd understand. Her mom was honestly there for her more than her "friends" were.

So when she arrived late to her mother's hospital room, the girl found her sitting up in the hospital bed, reading a book in silence. Gabriella smiled at her and walked in, sitting down on the cushioned chair next to her. Despite it being cushioned, it was quite uncomfortable but she didn't mind. As long as the brown haired girl got to see her mother, she was content.

"Hey, Mom," she whispered and gently placed her hand on the woman's shoulder. All of her daughter's movements seemed to be softer and more gentle. Delicate. "I'm sorry I was late, but I brought your favorite desert. Pecan pie— I even made it myself."

The mother smiled at the girl and told her, "Thank you, Gabriella."

Gabriella opened the container that held the dessert. It was already chopped into small bits and there was a small plastic fork. The petite girl was glad to see her mother again, even if it had only been at most twelve hours since she last saw her. But it hurt the girl, seeing her mother so fragile.

The chemo had taken a toll on the woman and everybody around her noticed. She was much slower and got exhausted easily. Over the past months, her dark brown hair turned feathery and thinner and then she decided to shave it all off. There was a pastel pink beanie where her hair once was.

"Anything new happen?" her mother asked and stopped eating the pie for a moment. It was something Gabriella loved about her mom— she always gave her full attention to the person she was speaking to.

The brown haired girl hesitated for a moment, pondering if she wanted to tell her mom about the boy she saw only fifteen minutes ago. Her head nodded subconsciously as she decided to tell her. After all, the teenage girl knew it would make her mom happy that she was talking to somebody apart from her own parent.

"Yeah, actually. The reason why I was late was because I accidentally walked into someone else's room. He-" she started but was cut off by her mom.

"He? You met a boy?" her mother asked her in a disbelieving tone, teasing her daughter. A small smile was etched onto the woman's face.

"Yes, Mom, I met a boy," Gabriella responded with a small chuckle, "his name is Elliot."

"Is he cute? What's he like?" the mother bombarded her daughter with questions, excited that the girl actually decided to talk to anyone other than her mom.

"Well, he's really kind and funny but his eyes held sadness. But when I walked into the room, it was like he was the most handsome human in the world. He had black hair like the midnight sky and bright, hazel eyes. And even though he had an unknown disease with no definite cure, he wasn't focused on just, y'know, surviving. I could tell he wanted to do something with his life. Something worth making all of the fighting he's done matter," Gabriella rambled on about the boy she thought she barely knew anything about. Her mom smiled as she talked about the boy who she just met.

"You need to talk to him more," her mother concluded, seeing the look in her daughter's eyes. It was like the brown haired girl finally found her way out of her dark past; he was a light.