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.