Accolade

chapitre trente-six

river's pov

Bravery came in many forms. 

Those who battled cancer were some of the bravest people in the world. 

My sister was the bravest. 

She hadn't been sleeping lately. I knew why. After Auden went out and told the world her story, the support never stopped. In fact, it grew until their shouts could almost be heard inside the hospital. People adored her like nothing I've ever seen before. We kept the television on so that she could see. She inspired them. All of those people were gathered her for two days without sleep because she had touched them with her ballet---her heart.

I could only dream about doing that. 

Although I knew she would become something great in this world from the very moment I picked her up for the first time after one of her ballet lessons. She had been shining like a light from the inside out and she told me all about it. I believed there was only one of her, once in a lifetime, and what we witnessed was proof. 

For the past few days, I wondered what her life would look like if she hadn't been diagnosed with cancer. She would have been the lead in that Broadway show instead of her rival. She would perform in third world countries. She would be giving autographs everywhere she went. There were celebrities and then there was Aida Valievo. 

Nobody in the world deserved the recognition more than her. 

In my eyes, she was the greatest. 

It saddened me that the day we came to the hospital, some of her light went out. It seemed to set things in concrete for her. Perhaps she already suspected that she would never leave this hospital again but I wanted her to hold onto hope. 

Instead, I watched her accept it.

It broke my heart. 

She had accepted that this cancer was winning. I knew that it was, too, but I didn't want to admit it. Some part of me wanted to hold on for the smallest chance she would beat it because I couldn't imagine living in this world without my sister. She had the biggest heart and her passion was so rich, you could basically taste it when she performed. I hadn't missed a single one of her shows. I cancelled my meetings when she was on live television. 

Ballet had been invented for her. 

And no one would do it better. 

I watched her say goodbye to her best friend. Lucy said it without definite certainty and Aida had already made peace with it. She was simply trying to give us closure and she wanted Lucy to go before things got worse. She might not think that I knew but I had grown up with her. I had learned her body language and her facial expressions. She was basically an open book to me. 

And she was so brave for being strong. 

Lucy and Aida embraced for a long period of time. I was worried their hearts might actually get stuck together from beating so close. Although they say that there is nothing that compares to the love of a sister by choice. Aida had never had a sister until now. 

When Lucy left, Aida stared at the door for even longer. She said nothing and acknowledged no one else. She sat so still, seemingly so frail, for so long. I worried about her every second of the day, hoping that she would somehow turn around and surprise us. I needed her to get better. I regretted spending so much time away, pursuing my career. I should have spent more time with her. 

Now, time wasn't what we had. 

I studied her for a minute. She seemed off. Her skin grew pale---more than it had been.