Stage Four
One/one
Cold chills run down my spine as I take my seat across from my mom. My eyes are focused on the small cuts in the wooden table that’s sitting between us. They’re slowly moving up as I’m searching for the courage to look my mother in the eye.
Her tanned fingers are playing with the ring around her left ring finger as my heartbeat starts to quicken. My breath gets caught in my throat when I open it to speak the words. And by the time my eyes have made it up to look at her face, my vision has been blurred.
I wipe a couple of tears from my face with my sleeve before looking toward my little sister. She’s only ten years old, still innocent and full of life. I then look back at my mother, who’s giving me a look of worry. “It’s stage four…” I mumble, the reality of my words sends chills throughout my whole body.
My mother immediately starts gasping for air, her fingers quickly grab a hold of my hand, and with her other hand she tries to muffle the sobs that are escaping her mouth – one by one. My little sister is slowly looking back and forth between us, slowly comprehending what’s going. When she finally gets the courage to speak, she says: “There’s no stage five… is there?”
Her tanned fingers are playing with the ring around her left ring finger as my heartbeat starts to quicken. My breath gets caught in my throat when I open it to speak the words. And by the time my eyes have made it up to look at her face, my vision has been blurred.
I wipe a couple of tears from my face with my sleeve before looking toward my little sister. She’s only ten years old, still innocent and full of life. I then look back at my mother, who’s giving me a look of worry. “It’s stage four…” I mumble, the reality of my words sends chills throughout my whole body.
My mother immediately starts gasping for air, her fingers quickly grab a hold of my hand, and with her other hand she tries to muffle the sobs that are escaping her mouth – one by one. My little sister is slowly looking back and forth between us, slowly comprehending what’s going. When she finally gets the courage to speak, she says: “There’s no stage five… is there?”