Secret Little Sister (Shawn Mendes)

Chapter 25 ~ Flashbacks Kill

Dedicated to my friend because she kept telling me to update at school. You know who you are 😏

Brielle's p.o.v

Why can't everything just go back to the way it was? Back when Taylor and I were super close, and there wasn't a single care in the world? Sometimes I wonder if my life was meant to be sad. If it was meant to be broken.

I miss my dad a lot. My mom too. I wonder why my dad never came to visit me. I wonder how Shawn and Matt are. Where have the rest of the boys been? Geez, when you're in the hospital you miss a lot.

A nurse suddenly walked into my room.

"Hello, Miss Caniff," She said kindly. Her smile slightly faltered as she continued. "While you were asleep, we took some tests..." She trailed off, her eyes darting anywhere around the room except for on me.

Taylor's p.o.v

I don't want to remember my mother. It hurts too much. I can't afford to miss her. Not now, not ever.

*Flashback*

"Mommy!" I giggled, running into my mothers warm embrace. I was six years old at the time. Brielle was four.

She picked me up and spun me around. I smiled widely. She set me down on the ground next to Brielle. We were playing at our local park.

"Brielle, Taylor, how do y'all feel about getting some ice cream?" Our mother asked, a sweet and happy smile playing on her face.

"Yes!" Brielle and I exclaimed simultaneously.

Our mother smiled again before grabbing both of our hands and leading us to a small ice cream stand that was always near the playground.

She ordered a chocolate cone for me, and a vanilla cone for Brielle.

"Thank you, mama!" I said, beginning to eat my ice cream happily.

Brielle reached for her ice cream as well. As she was eating it messily, she managed to get it dripping all over her chin and sundress.

My mother shook her head, chuckling slightly. She turned her back for a minute to help Brielle clean up.

I saw a man with balloons walking across the street, trying to sell a few of them. I tugged on my mothers sleeve, begging her to get me a balloon.

"Not now, Taylor," she had said, trying to wipe the drool and ice cream off of Brielle's face.

I shrugged and took off anyways, running towards the busy street. I never noticed the truck barreling towards my small body.

"Taylor! No!" I heard my mothers voice scream. I felt a force push me out of the way, a screech of tires, and a loud banging noise.

My knee was scraped up and bloody along with my forearm. I sat up slowly, wincing at the pain. I looked over to my left to see my mother, sprawled across the road like a little rag doll. Blood matted her hair and was beginning to pool around her lifeless body.

"Mama?" I whispered, crawling over to her. "Mama? Mama, wake up! Please, mama, please!" I sobbed, shaking her.

People were on their cell phones, dialling 911, doing anything to help.

"Mommy?" Brielle asked as she toddled over. "Why is she sleeping?" She asked me.

"She's not," I said as I wiped my tears on my sleeve. "She's dead, Bri."

*End of Flashback*

She saved me. The last I ever said to my mother was: "Mommy, can I have a red balloon? Please?" Not even, "I love you," or ,"Thank you, mom!" I killed my mother. She's gone because of me. I didn't even get to say goodbye.

I've been trying to push this memory out of my head for a very long time, but I can't. I wake up screaming in the middle of the night because I relive this moment in my nightmares. Brielle doesn't even remember my mom. She could've been picking out prom dresses with her now, or getting her hair done with her. She's never going to get to experience what having a mother is like. Because of me.

Brielle's p.o.v

"The test results...they came back. You've been diagnosed with depression...and leukemia. Brielle, you have cancer."