I literally pace around the house for three hours. And as the sound of the kids getting home from school reaches my ears, I immediately shock them by collapsing into the floor and bursting into loud sobs.
Instantly, someone's arms are around me and everyone is gently trying to soothe me but I can't be calmed. No, no. WHY isn't Mom back?
"Gen... Gen, please, what's wrong?" Bridget's voice calls, sounding desperate.
Dread fills my heart at the thought of telling her what my gut is telling me.
Something is wrong. Really wrong.
"I... I-" I choke on my own words; nothing will out of my mouth, it seems, even if I wanted it to.
My eyes scan the various looks of concern on the faces of my newest siblings.
When Michelle's eyes meet mine, she mouths, "Lacy?"
I simply nod and my sobs become louder again.
Michelle bites her lower lip and stands up suddenly.
"Meg, get in the car. Bridge, stay here with Liam and Gen-"
"WHAT?" Megan and Bridget's voice say at the same time.
"Mich, what's going on?" Megan asks.
Michelle blinks at the ceiling and then looks back at me. She takes a deep breath and gets back down next to me.
"What happened with her, Gen? Where's Mom?"
"Mom-Hospital..." I force out.
"Why, Gen, what happened???" she pushes, firm but patient.
I take a deep breath and clutch the part of my stomach right above the scar from the surgery that gave us all hope for our little Lacy. Thinking about the way she smiles through all this...
For a moment, I think I'm going to be able to tell them what I know-which isn't a lot-but I think I can do it in a way they'll be able to understand.
Instead, I look at Liam's big eyes, brimmed with fear and I become hysterical.
"WHY did it have to be LACY???" I sob. "God, why not ME???"
All four of them don't know what to do with me, it themselves for that matter. Megan grabs me and starts cradling me like a baby and whispering that it's gonna be ok, even as I feel her heartbeat speed up and the stream of tears flows faster down her own cheeks.
I apologize over and over through my tears and they she just keeps rocking me and singing to me.
Michelle throws a pillow at the wall and Liam lets out a heart shattering, "Guys, what's wrong?"
Someone's phone goes off. It's Michelle's. She answers it and stands up, pacing around the room. For a while she just listens...
Suddenly her pacing stops. "Mom... No... You can't be serious. No..."
The phone slips out of her hand... Just like Mom's did this morning.
"Get in my car, all of you, now," she says flatly as she balls and unballs her fists.
"Mi... Chell-?"
"Just go!" she commands.
But we're all frozen... Until her next sentence.
"We're losing her..."
GUYS I'm SO SORRY for the horribly long wait only for a short and sad chapter. But this will be updated SOON!!! Thanks for reading!:)