Anna

CHAPTER ELEVEN


We silently ride up the elvator to our floor, our minds trying to collect all of the things that are happening to us and mom.
When the doors open to floor eight, we retreat into the hallway our thoughts cluttered with so many others that trying to think right seems incomprehendible. I look at dad to see if he knows at least where his room is. He does but he can't seem to swipe his card through the lock. I take it from him and do it myself. The door clicks and I push it open. Dad still seems lost, so I guide him in, give him a hug, and kiss him goodnight.
As I walk into my own room the emptiness filling it up so much that I just want to lie in my bed and cry until there is no tear left. But I don't. Instead I walk over to the window by it and look down at the cars below. I watch as each one waits for a pedestrian to cross, the headlights lighting their appearance as they pass into the night.
As I watch I count remembering as many great times of my life with my parents as I can before another car passes. The highest I get to is eight. Pretty soon though I get sick of it and walk into the bathroom quickly brushing my teeth then walking out into the hallway towards the elevator.
There is only one person who can give me the comfort that I need. But before the doors open I realize that I have no idea what his floor or room number is. I am just about to turn around when the doors open and there he is. I feel a great deal of relief come to me. When he looks up I walk into those welcoming arms. I press my face into his chest and cry, my tears, again, staining his shirt. And he says those words that never work. "Everything is going to be alright." But my everything are not right. My everythings have been washed away by the fear that any moment my mother will die. My everythings have disappeared.

Anna

CHAPTER TEN


When we finally make it back to the hotel we are silent as the elevator reaches the eighth floor. When it dings and the door open's we walk out, our minds cluttered with all of what has happened.
I turn to dad and see that the rims of his eyes are red. Most likely from lack of sleep watching over mom. I give him a quick hug and notice that my eyes are stinging again with tears. We say goodnight to eachother and walk into our rooms.
As I approch the center of my room it feels so empty. And all that I want to do right now is curl up into a ball and cry until there is no tear left. But I don't. Instead I walk over to the window next to my bed and look out at all of the people and cars below. As each headlight stops and waits for another pedestrian to cross, I think of each great moments in my life with my parents, seeing how many I can count before another car passes. The most that I get to is eight.
I give up on that, brush my teeth quick, and walk towards the door. I open it and walk down the hallway to the elevator. There is one person that I need right now that will give me the comfort and security that Dad can't give. And then as the doors are opening and I realize I have no idea what his room number is, there he is. I walk towards him and he enfolds me into his arms.
"Conner," I cry, "things are going bad. And I can't stop it."
He kisses my head then says, "Anna, no need to worry. Things will get better somehow."
But I don't know if I believe that. My father has said the same thing to me many times. But now the somehow seems impossible.

Anna

CHAPTER TEN


When we leave mom alone in her room, and start to walk back to the car, I feel different. Like things will never be the same again. But most of all I feel hurt. Hurt that my parents didn't confide in me about it. Hurt that they didn't know what to say. And I am hurt because we tell each other everything. At least I thought we did. Now, I don't know.
When we finally reach the car and dad is unlocking the doors, I think of the time when I was a kid, before when to unlock the doors someone had to be on the inside first to open them. I look around and guess that most of the cars here are automatic with just pressing a button to unlock them.
I remember that we never had those luxury's, still don't, and remember how happy we were without them. How happy we were with all of the trials that stepped on our door step, and we still were not affected. Then suddenly I remember the time when I was a little girl. I had just graduated from kindergarten, and to congratulate me my parents were going to get me an Ice cream cone. I was so excited that at first I didn't notice the car crash into mom's side.
But almost instantaneously I reached forward for her, but something was pulling me back, some sort of strong fabric holding me in. I fought against it but just could not win. And so with my losing I sat back and began to cry. The seat belt, I now realized that was holding me back, seemed like a demon. Never giving up on pulling me away from my mother. And with a cry I called her name. When she didn't respond I shouted it, shouted it as loud as my lungs would let me, and unbuckled my seat belt and reached forward trying to shake her awake. But nothing worked. She was completely unconscious.
After a few minutes I noticed that my father was not there. I started to cry again, shouting out his name. Then suddenly a strangly familiar voice greeted me. I looked to my right, and before me sat a beautiful woman with long blond hair in a glowing white dress that came down to her feet. In fact, everything about her was glowing.
I looked at her and said, "Who are you?"
She smiled then said, "Who do you think I am?"
"A Princess," I replied simply, wiping the tears from my cheeks.
She smiled agian, "I am your angel." She whispered.
I crawled up next to her then quietly said, "Did you save me then? Me and my mommy?"
"Yes."
"Will my mommy be okay?"
"She will be. Trust me."
"I do." I said, then a question came to my mind. "Where are your wings? I thought that all angels had wings."
She paused, with that continuing smile, then replied, "Where I come from, we don't have wings. But our beauty shows the angel inside of us. And that is how bright we shine. My father is the brightest of them all."
"Can I meet him?"
"You will someday. Just do your best and through your trials you will meet him."
"Why not now?"
"You'll find out in good time." She said leaning forward and kissing me on the forhead. Then she was gone, out of sight.
Right when tears were about to flud through me again, I felt myself being carried out of the broken remains of the car and onto a flat table and into an ambulance.
When again I didn't see my mother I began to cry. And then warm soothing hands were petting my head, shushing my crys. When I looked up to see who it was I saw that it was my father, telling me everything was going to be alright. I press my face against his hand, tears burning my eyes, before something puts me under.
Now back to reality, my body in my seat, I look over at my dad. And before he could start the car I leaned towards him and gave him a big hug, knowing that if mom didn't make it through this, dad was all I had left. For a second he seemed surprised, but then he wrapped his arms around me as well and whispered those ever so soothing words into my ear. Everything will be alright.

Anna

CHAPTER NINE - CONTINUED



When we approached the doors to my mothers room I could see people sitting, waiting for the doctors to call their name. As I passed one of them, a boy, he was sitting on the chair holding a large ice pack pressed to his head. I couldn't really tell what was there, but I didn't really want to know.
When we walked in mom lay on the bed, eyes closed. Almost like she was concentrating. Slowly I walked up to her, gently sitting on the side of the bed. I grabbed her hand and held it in mine. I gently rubbed my thumb back and forth, on her soft hands. Her eyes started to open, but then they stopped, as if too tiered to try.
I looked at mom, then at dad. Dad stared at me, and then directed his attention towards mom again. I began rubbing her hand again, her eyes ever so slowly opening.
"Mom?" I said softly.
She didn't reply, off into her own world.
"Mom?" I said a little louder.
She now turned her head towards me, looking at me sleepily. "Hello me darlin."
"How are you mom?"
"Ah, tiered." She then did that half smile of hers.
I smiled and just sat there with her.


After about an hour of my mom lazily talking to me then falling asleep, dad pulled me out of the room.
"Anna," he said. "I need to tell yeh somethin'. it's about yer mam."
"What? What about her?" I said anxiously.
"Sh-sh-she only has a little over a month left."
"What? B-but we only found out just recently."
"Actually Anna..." he paused. "...your mother and I have known for a while now. It hasn't been until now that it has affected her so much."
"You knew?" I said hurt.
He took a breath then said, "Yes."
"Well, why didn't you tell me?"
"We didn't know how."
"And so you decided to now that she's almost dead?"
"Anna listen to me. Your mother didn't want you to be worried about her, and get that mixed up with school. She - we wanted whats best for you. I know that yer mad, but I just want yeh to understand. We love you, and just want you happy."
After about a minute of sinking it all in, I finally said, "I understand." And then dad put his arm on my shoulder and then led me back in.