HANDLE NAME: UNKNOWN

Chapter 1- To End It All

Sincerely,

Silver Horizon Cancer Treatment Care

Emelia glared at the numbers. She pressed her fingers angrily into her temples. Back when first diagnosed, her grandmother Iris wanted to try chemo and radiation as the cancer was still in its first stages. But she instantly turned it down when the price became evident, even with insurance. She had no life savings. Not anymore.

Emilia's grandmother refused to accept any money Em tried to give her. She hadn't accepted the rest of the family's either for she knew it was only offered out of pity.

Grandma Iris was the mother of Emelia's biological father, Luke. Em's mother and stepfather had allowed Gran to stay with them a few years after the death of Em's dad, before finally encouraging her to spend her life savings for a measly but grossly overpriced retirement home in Florida- all the way across the country. All alone. Away from her family. Shipped away like the unwanted remnants of Emelia's father and the life they once had.

That money, Emelia reminded herself, that should have never been wasted like that.... could have helped pay for Gran's treatment. And once faced with the dilemma that Gran had an illness with no savings left to spend for treatment her mother and stepfather felt no guilt in her odds. No guilt at the fact her missing life savings were entirely their fault. They only offered a few thousand dollars to help.

Gran resolved herself to just let the cancer take its course. But that had meant death. So secretly, Emelia had begun paying for it. Two jobs. Got behind on rent. Took out loans. And now... almost paid up... she was $600 fucking dollars short. Fuck the money I had just used for this room she thought savagely, tears of regret beginning to build.

Emmy logged into her banking account and grimaced at the numbers. Finally, she pulled from her wallet one of the many credit cards she had opened to help pay for the bills. All were overdue. All had more money racked up then she dared count. But none of it mattered. Just one more....

Emelia typed in the credit card numbers and paid the remaining balance. Soon after an email popped up with confirmation of receipt. Staring pointedly at the words, she took another sip of Crown.

A dark thought crossed her mind, and she tried to shake it away. Grandma Iris wanted to live. She was stubborn as a mule, but still had a lot of years left in her. At only 70, and healthy to boot besides the newly forming rogue cells, there should have been nothing stopping her from getting to 100. Especially for all the sacrifices she had made for Emelia's father; everything it took to raise him as a single mom and send him to college. Gran truly enjoyed life and deserved it more than others. Emelia's mother and stepfather had betrayed her- whether they would admit it or not.

Emelia wanted to give Gran her life back. Her degrees could wait. The stress of two jobs didn't matter; a chance at her grandmother's life was worth it all and so much more. And.... As selfish as it sounded.... Gran was Emmy's only real happiness; her only real family it felt like. Iris was the last piece to Emmy's father. That last piece to an old happiness that was slipping away. And Emmy refused to let it go.

"I wish I was like you." She whispered, something wet falling from her face. "I wish I could keep my head up, keep smiling, keep wanting to live to see the next day even if death is right around the corner."

Emelia began counting the remaining balance on her grandmother's chemo bills. The Doctors planned for three more sessions before she would be done with this round. They were confident it would be more than enough, at least put her in remission for a good more years.  Even if Emelia could afford no more, at least then her grandmother could pick up the rest. That was the deal Emelia had made with Silver Horizon Cancer Treatment Care. In secret, she would cover the most entirely of it, but Em knew there might sessions she couldn't pick up. So, they had pitched to her grandmother there was a grant, they didn't know how long it would last for, but it would hopefully pay for most of the chemo and radiation. And thank god, Gran relented and accepted the treatment. Emelia would never forget the sight of those hopeful, happy tears Iris let herself shed. Iris had done her best to convince all those around her she was okay with the unchecked cancer; unable to afford "dodging death" as she had put it. But when Iris found out she could fight it... she could live... Iris had cried softly when she thought no one was looking.