Adopted by Heathers- The Threequel!

Chapter 13

Two Months Later

Catlynn's POV

Red was getting worse. And I don't know what to do.

She bit the bullet a couple of weeks ago and told everyone she knew what was happening. She told our friends- it wasn't my story to tell so I just let her tell Shirley and Cesca. Who, obviously, were devastated.

I had to sit down and tell my family. And worse, our kids. Oliveira was the oldest, but she was only six. Eleanor was three, and Levi was a newborn. How the hell was I supposed to tell my three kids who weren't even older than six that their mother was dying?

I should be used to this. I'm a pediatrician, I deliver bad news on the daily. I've told a three year old they have leukemia, I've told a girl barely older than Ollie that she might not live to see the next morning. I told a ten year old that their brother was on his deathbed. 

As much as it hurts, I did it. I can't say for certain that the kids fully understood, but I did it. 

Red was at the hospital for an appointment, and while I waited to pick her up, I was going to go out with Cesca for a distraction while Shirley watched both her kids and mine. 

"Mama?" Oliveira said as I was putting on my earrings.

"Yeah?" I said quietly, turning to my six year old daughter. 

"Is Mommy going to be okay?"

It was in that moment that I realized that Oliveira didn't understand the full gravity of what was going on.

Tell her the truth. I thought to myself. You can speak from experience, if you lie about this it's only going to end badly for her. 

"I don't know." I said after a few minutes.

Damn it, Catlynn, you know the answer is "no." 

"But I hope so. That's all we can do. Hope she'll be okay." I said. 

No amount of hope is going to make Red okay. I know that for a fact. 

"Okay." Oliveira said. "Will she be able to have a tea party with me tonight?" 

Jesus Christ. Oliveira had already had her childhood ripped away because of our dad, I couldn't destroy her childhood even more. 

"Let's wait and see, okay? She'll be home around 5." I said, putting in my other earring and trying to change the subject. "Hey, are you excited to see Shirley?"

"Yeah." Oliveira said. "Shirley's nice."

I sighed, putting on one of my necklaces and turning towards Veira. "Hey Ollie, do you mind telling Eleanor to get her stuff together and meet me in the kitchen? I'm going to go change your brother's diaper."

Oliveira giggled and ran off to the bedroom her and Eleanor shared, giving me a couple of minutes to just sit in my thoughts.

I was in denial. I was trying to pretend that whatever I told Oliveira was true. That Red would be okay. That she would be able to come home to have a tea party with the kids. 

That maybe, I could go one year without something horrible happening.