Toddlers Until Teenagers

Chapter 15

I prop on my elbows, unscrewing the tight lid on the glue. Since Dina's cancer was getting worse day by day, I decided to make a get well soon card.

I still don't believe that she has so less time, but the more i disbelieve, the more pain and shock I'd go through when she actually does leave.

I shove those thoughts to the back of my brain as I look at my gorgeous sketch of a heart, and written inside is 'get well soon! We know you can fight it' and some courage-filling quotes inside.

I glue the last decor on the edge of my card, smiling at the hard work. I'm surrounded by my headphones, my phone, and a bunch of pens, pencil crayons, stacked paper and my imagination. I wipe my forehead and leave the beautiful card to dry.

I grab the next sheet of paper and start scribbling a letter to her.

dear dιna

ιтѕ jenna нere. ι ĸnow yoυ мay вe υpѕeт and depreѕѕed ғroм yoυr lιғe, вυт ι reqυeѕт ғor yoυ тo ѕeт aѕιde all a тнaт. and read тнιѕ leттer. тнanĸ yoυ. ι ѕo can ιмagιne yoυ pυттιng down yoυr gardenιng вooĸ, or мayвe yoυr тv reмoтe aѕ yoυ тυrn тo мy ѕcrawlѕ oғ wrιтιng.

ι love yoυ, dιna. and ι don т wanт тo тalĸ aвoυт тнaт. oĸay? leтѕ jυѕт вe вυddιeѕ ғor now.. lιĸe we υѕed тo вe. мιnυѕ all тнe pιllѕ and нaιr ғallιng oυт.

нow ιѕ lιғe? wнen dιd yoυ laѕт even wear a dreѕѕ, dιna? don'т ѕнeepιѕнly grιn aт мe lιĸe тнaт. ι ĸnow yoυ are grιnnιng lιĸe тнaт.. ι ĸnow yoυ тoo well.

ι wanт yoυ тo ĸnow тнaт yoυ can ғιgнт тнιѕ. we all depend on yoυ.. вυт we do noт preѕѕυre yoυ aт all, вecaυѕe we love yoυ. lιттle wordѕ ғroм yoυ мean тнe world тo υѕ. ι reмeмвer yoυ υѕed тo мaĸe мe cнocolaтe cнιp cooĸιeѕ wнen aleх woυld ѕnaтcн мy dollѕ away. нoт υѕed тo вe тнe вeѕт aυnтιe anyone coυld нave, and ѕтιll are.

reмeмвer wнen yoυ мυѕтered red lιpѕтιcĸ on мe wнen ι waѕ 5?! oн god.. ι reqυeѕтed ғor yoυ тo do ιт and we goт ιn вιg тroυвle ғroм мoм. ι can ѕenѕe yoυr тeary eyeѕ and ѕnιғғleѕ along wιтн a cнυcĸle. ѕee, тold yoυ ι ĸnow yoυ well. well ι wanт тo lιѕт ιn тнe тнιngѕ yoυ dιd вeѕт ғor мe. тнere'ѕ a loong lιѕт вυт.. ιll ѕнorтen ιт down :)

•мy мoм dιd noт нave any ѕιвlιngѕ. yoυ ғιlled ιn тнaт gap.

•мy ғaтнer doeѕ noт нave a ѕιѕтer. yoυ ғιlled ιn тнaт gap.

•ι don'т нave a ѕιвlιng or an aυnт. yoυ ғιlled ιn тнaт gap.

now ιтѕ тιмe ғor υѕ тo ғιll ιn yoυr gap.

тнanĸ yoυ.

love, yoυr ιмagιnary daυgнтer, jenna.

I wipe my tears as I read it again. My tears don't stop but I stop them.

I sigh deeply, smiling back at the card and going into the shower.

I hop into the warm water as it rushes down my back. I massage my hair with shampoo, letting it soap up in my numb hands. I look over to the mirror from the crack in the curtains and see the foggy air clinging to it.

I step out of the shower after rinsing and wrap myself in a blue towel. Then, i childishly poke at the mirror, drawing hearts and such.

Suddenly, my hand lingers at the mirror. Alex's voice recalls in my mind, and my cheeks turn Crimson as usual.