Falling Slowly

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Something Good

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Chapter Twenty-Seven: Something Good

The days following Thanksgiving quickly turned into weeks and those turned into two months. Again, I felt like time was being stolen from me with the finality that my life was coming to an end. But it was the opposite of how I felt. Everything was finally settling into place – just like I’d always prayed it to be. Liam and I spent countless hours together – much of the time in his room, watching all our favorite movies and remembering all the precious moments we shared when we were kids.

Other times we would lay there basking in comfortable silence, on opposite sides of the bed; me with my knees propped up against the headboard, lost in thought; his face inches from mine, draped across the lower half the bed. After long days at work, Liam would come home exhausted and he’d fall asleep beside me. Those days were my blissful secrets as I watched him peacefully slumber. There were no lines of worries on his face or the sharp edges of his jaw. He was beautiful with his golden tousled hair, reminding me of an angel who had lost their way.

Our blossoming relationship wasn’t the only thing that had changed. Within the past six weeks my health had drastically changed directions. I was stronger and vibrant, full of energy and everlasting hope. Dr. Novak wanted to know what I had changed in my daily routine, but I couldn’t give him an answer. I kept taking insulin and medicine in the morning just as I had my whole life.

I was overjoyed with the news and so were my parents. There was still hope that I would live to be at least fifty. It was more than I was guaranteed when I was fourteen, but it was something. I wasn’t going to give up.

Not now.

Not ever.

“Anya.”

I jumped, startled by the sound of my name. Mom’s soft chuckling brought a smile to my lips as I turned in my chair to see her standing at the door. There was a brown packaging envelope in her hands. On the packaging label there was a giant red PRIORITY stamped haphazardly across the mailing address. The sight of it made my heart leap in my chest.

“Is that…?”

Mom smiled and crossed the room, taking a seat on the edge of my bed. I jumped out of my seat and settled next to her, taking the package from her hands. “Wait, where’s Dad?”

“Downstairs.”

I gave her a dubious look and she smiled sheepishly. In a really loud holler she called, “Phil! Get up here. Now!”

I counted five Mississippi’s before I heard Dad’s loud footsteps up the stairs. When he entered my room he was rumpled and out of breath. His eyes were wide as he looked around the room, assessing every corner as if he would find something out of the ordinary – like an alien or a half naked Liam. I’m not sure which would frighten him more.

“What’s the matter? Are you hurt? Did something…?”

Mom and I burst into a fit of giggles at his disheveled and alarmed appearance. He blinked and scratched his head, confused for a minute before concluding that nothing was amiss.

“Okay,” he said. “If nothing is wrong then what is?”

I smiled broadly and held up the package for him to see. It was all I needed to do for Dad to get on the same boat Mom and I were in. He strolled across the room and sat next to me, his eyes shining brightly with anticipation.

“Alright,” I said, letting out a whoosh of air. “Here it goes.”

I tore open the packaging and gingerly shook out the papers that were inside. My eyes widened and I squealed in joy as I skimmed the letter from Julliard. I rocketed out of my seat and jumped up in down in pure elation. Mom and Dad grinned, a knowing glint in their eyes as they enveloped me in a hug.