The Only

Dragon Fly

Two days after Pearl turned thirteen, her mom woke her in the middle of the night, gently shaking her nearest shoulder. The teen reluctantly opened her eyes and sat up, pushing the sheet and comforter down a bit before stretching her back in an arch.

"Mom?" the young girl yawned, reaching over towards the nightstand and twisting the tiny socket knob on the lamp. The bulb brightened, dimly lighting the room. The shadowed outline of her mom disappeared behind the light and was replaced with clear visibility of the woman's face. She was seated on the edge of the bed, torso and upper body twisted and angled inward.

"Something bad happened, honey." The adult's features seemed to droop with a soured look of concern.

"Huh? Wh-Where's Dad?" Pearl pushed up a little higher, kicking the covers off completely. She rubbed her eyes with her knuckles, then blinked several times. "What's wrong?" Fear and panic began welling up as her chest tightened.

"He's already at the hospital with his mom. Listen, honey. Mammaw had a heart attack. I know this is unfair, but I need you to make a grownup decision. I have to be there for your father. Do you want to come with me or stay here?" She reached over and swept Pearl's messy hair from her face, tucking the short strands behind her ears.

"Will Mammaw b-be okay?"

"We've always shot straight with you. We don't believe in sugarcoating or holding things back. This looks bad, honey. Just in case she doesn't make it, you might want to try and see her one last time." Her mother's voice cracked. "But it will be absolutely fine if you don't want to. You can stay here with the doors locked and security alarm set. We'll be home as soon as we can."

"No, I need to be there for Dad. He'd want me with him. I can handle it." Her lip quivered as she sniffed back the threatening deluge.

"You're so strong, Pearl." The woman leaned in and kissed her daughter in the center of her forehead. "Put something else on. Lay-around clothes will do. We'll leave in ten minutes. Oh, and don't worry about track practice. I know you've dedicated your summer to increasing your personal record, but you can skip just this one. It'll be fine, I promise." With that, the petite woman stood and left the room.

Pearl hopped up and made her way to the bathroom to splash water on her face. The cooling sensation served its purpose in sending a cascading wave of energy through the girl's body, increasing her wakefulness. She stared into the mirror for a moment, looking at the worried face that glared back. Her short-cropped, brown hair looked like it had been slept on, with a messy tangle at the very top of her head. She ran fingers through it several times, attempting to smooth it down and get it to a presentable place. The girl's mind was reeling; she didn't know what to expect at the hospital, she only knew she had to be supportive of her dad and see her grandmother.

Pearl left the room and found herself in front of the dresser on the far side of her bedroom. She opened a couple of drawers, locating a pair of gym shorts and a long-sleeved tee with a sport's logo in the center. Changing from her pajamas, the brunette dressed herself for the trip.

During the fifteen-minute ride from their house to the hospital, not much was said. The radio was kept low in the background on some adult alternative station her mom always seemed to listen to.

In the dark of night, Pearl only saw a few cars on the road with them. She stayed up after midnight before but couldn't remember ever leaving the house at that time. Other lights from streetlamps, buildings, and houses near the highway zipped past in yellow and orange streaks as the vehicle passed.

Finally, they arrived at the hospital and got out of the car. Pearl followed closely behind her mom as they approached the entrance. The girl had been pulling away from her parents a bit as of late. Being a 'big teenager' now, as she called it, she was discovering a sense of self-realization and freedom. But when she walked into the bright, white building at that moment, she grabbed hold of her mother's hand and held it like she was a three-year-old again crossing the street for the first time.