Sweet Memories
Chapter Three
I froze. I couldn’t believe it. Those five words made my heart drop. My whole world changed in that instant. In all my years, I never thought such a terrifying thing would happen in our family unfortunately I was wrong.
“It’s not necessarily fatal. There is a cure. Although, if we’re not careful- it could be.” She spoke pulling me from my thoughts.
I was speechless. I didn’t know how to respond. It was such a shock.
“Jess, are you okay?” Mom asked.
Just her asking I knew I wasn’t. I knew that things would never be the same. The instant I realized that I let everything go.
I started bawling and my dad walked over to me and held me. No one else moved. We stood there for half an hour, me crying and him holding me.
After I had finished crying Dad released me from his embrace and held my face in his hands.
“I’m going to be fine. I promise. I just need you to stay strong. Always remember Sweet Memories,” he said, whispering the last part to me.
Looking me in the eyes, I could see that he was telling the truth and trying to be strong himself. I could see in his eyes that he was scared, too. He knew exactly how I felt. He wasn’t afraid of what might happen to him; in fact, he was afraid of what might happen to us. His concern was his family and the pain we had to go through.
“I promise. Sweet Memories,” he said one last time kissing my forehead.
“Okay, I will be strong for you, Dad. I promise,” I whispered nodding and hugging him again.
For the next few months, I tried to focus more on school to get my mind off my dad. One way or another my thoughts would wander back to him anyway. I couldn’t focus, my grades started dropping, and I began to distance myself from my friends.
My mom and dad were continually traveling back and forth between home and the Cancer Treatment Center.
He underwent various tests and several surgeries. My mom was by his side all the way through it. When they left, Shawn and I stayed home alone. We never talked and hardly ever looked at each other. There was always tension between us. TJ was never home because he didn’t care or worry about anything.
After the months of tests and surgeries, the cancer center pronounced him clean and cancer free. The tension and stress lowered a little, but things were still different. Nothing was the same as before.
Every few months my mom and dad would go back for a check-up. Dad would go through a few tests to make sure that the cancer hadn’t returned.
The changes became more of a routine. We were beginning to get used to mom and dad constantly leaving. Every now and then, we went with them to the check-ups.
After about a year of being cancer free, I was starting to return to my old self. I began talking to my friends again, I could focus more, and my grades came back up. I was, also, finally able to get my license so I could drive myself to school.
“It’s not necessarily fatal. There is a cure. Although, if we’re not careful- it could be.” She spoke pulling me from my thoughts.
I was speechless. I didn’t know how to respond. It was such a shock.
“Jess, are you okay?” Mom asked.
Just her asking I knew I wasn’t. I knew that things would never be the same. The instant I realized that I let everything go.
I started bawling and my dad walked over to me and held me. No one else moved. We stood there for half an hour, me crying and him holding me.
After I had finished crying Dad released me from his embrace and held my face in his hands.
“I’m going to be fine. I promise. I just need you to stay strong. Always remember Sweet Memories,” he said, whispering the last part to me.
Looking me in the eyes, I could see that he was telling the truth and trying to be strong himself. I could see in his eyes that he was scared, too. He knew exactly how I felt. He wasn’t afraid of what might happen to him; in fact, he was afraid of what might happen to us. His concern was his family and the pain we had to go through.
“I promise. Sweet Memories,” he said one last time kissing my forehead.
“Okay, I will be strong for you, Dad. I promise,” I whispered nodding and hugging him again.
For the next few months, I tried to focus more on school to get my mind off my dad. One way or another my thoughts would wander back to him anyway. I couldn’t focus, my grades started dropping, and I began to distance myself from my friends.
My mom and dad were continually traveling back and forth between home and the Cancer Treatment Center.
He underwent various tests and several surgeries. My mom was by his side all the way through it. When they left, Shawn and I stayed home alone. We never talked and hardly ever looked at each other. There was always tension between us. TJ was never home because he didn’t care or worry about anything.
After the months of tests and surgeries, the cancer center pronounced him clean and cancer free. The tension and stress lowered a little, but things were still different. Nothing was the same as before.
Every few months my mom and dad would go back for a check-up. Dad would go through a few tests to make sure that the cancer hadn’t returned.
The changes became more of a routine. We were beginning to get used to mom and dad constantly leaving. Every now and then, we went with them to the check-ups.
After about a year of being cancer free, I was starting to return to my old self. I began talking to my friends again, I could focus more, and my grades came back up. I was, also, finally able to get my license so I could drive myself to school.