Seventeen | Soulmate AU | ✔

35 | Fight

My goal is for Seventeen to be finished by the end of this month. I'm really hoping that I can wrap up this book so that I can start working on different projects for the rest of the new year. Updates will hopefully become more consistent for you all in the coming days.

As always, please vote, comment, give feedback, and share. Thank you for reading.

I come downstairs feeling energized from yesterday. I slept like a baby after seeing Keefe and spending some quality time with him. He really did make everything better yesterday. I'm looking forward to seeing him for dinner tonight. Knowing that we have something planned gives me a sense of security that I love.

I make my way downstairs for breakfast, sitting down at the table and grabbing two pieces of toast and popping them in. My legs work on their own as I do my routine almost absentmindedly, grabbing orange juice and butter and a butter knife. I'm the only one in the kitchen, because it's so early. It's nice having some time alone to think and prepare something for me.

My toast pops out and I grab it and put it on a plate, sitting down with everything I need for a good breakfast.

Footsteps sound behind me, and I look up, smiling when I see my sister. "Morning, Ames."

She offers me a rather dead-inside smile. "Morning, Soph."

"Make your own toast," I tease, "and don't forget to get out the jam – I forgot to do that."

She offers me a small smirk and rolls her eyes, putting in her toast. Her green eyes struggle to stay awake for a moment afterwards until she blinks, walking towards the fridge to grab the jam. Her brown wavy hair trails past her shoulders, a frazzled mess. I can tell that she hasn't brushed it or made any move to get ready – she's still in her pajamas.

"Did you sleep well last night?" I ask casually, slightly concerned. It's been a while since I've interacted with Amy – ouch, that sounds really bad – and it's not often I see her like this.

"Yeah, I just have school and stuff," Amy replies, grabbing her toast and juice and sitting down next to me to smear on some butter.

I give her a knowing look, raising one of my eyebrows.

She sighs. "I don't really want to worry you. You've already got so much going on with Keefe and stupid cancer already. Seriously."

"I'm here if you need, though," I say, poking her in the side playfully. "C'mon, tell me what's up."

She crunches her toast, chewing rather obnoxiously and offering me a toast-filled mouth. Amy always has been one to talk with her mouth full. "Well, your cancer thing is stressing me out, I guess. And school's never a help, but that's not new."

It takes me a minute to digest her words, and I bite into my toast to buy time. Sometimes I forget that leukemia effects everyone around me too. Maybe it's been selfish to focus on Keefe and I lately, but it's been something that's really been at the forefront of my mind – concerning myself. It's been a while since I've had time to think about my family.

"Amy..." I want to say so many things, but I'm not sure how.

"No," she says. "I know what you're going to tell me already. This is why I didn't say anything earlier. Just...let me enjoy the moments I have with you still." Her face is stricken, her eyes glassy and her form solemn.

"Okay," I say, opening my arms and letting her bury herself in my embrace. I smile lightly, stroking the top of her head. Maybe my sister's right. Cherishing moments instead of counting down is a better way to live.

It's a solid moment before she looks up at me, her green eyes looking sad. Her expression has changed. This time, there's something else that I can't distinguish in it. "Sophie?"

"Yeah?"

"I want you to fight like hell. Don't you dare let yourself go. I'll-I'll never forgive you if you don't. Never." A single tear slips out of the corner of her eye, trailing down the side of her cheek.

I don't respond, only holding her tighter to my chest.