Forever

Sat outside the milkshake shop with Shylo lying at her feet, Brooklyn waited for Cameron to return from getting their order and smiled as he placed an oreo milkshake in front of her. They had been talking for nearly two hours, when she checked her watch and realized that she had to go. 
 
Dropping Shylo off at home, she collected her bag from her room and took the bus to the hospital. The nurse's desk was empty when she arrived, but she knew where she was going and made her way through the maze of corridors to her mom’s room. 
 
“Hey mom,” Brooklyn said as she approached the bed, slipping off her jacket and taking a seat, “I’m sorry that I haven’t been by lately, things have been... I’m not going to lie; I just hate seeing you like this.” 
 
Hearing movement from over by the door, Brooklyn looked up to find her older brother watching her and offered him a small smile.  
 
“I would have given you a ride,” Jared told her as she stood up, making her way over to him and hugging him. 
 
“Do you think she can hear us?” Brooklyn asked as she glanced over to her mom’s still form. 
 
“I don’t know, but that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t talk to her,” Jared replied, “Brook...” 
 
“I know Jared, please don’t say it.” 
 
Her mom had been on the life support machine for nearly two weeks and the doctor’s had run all the tests they could, but Brooklyn knew that her mom wasn’t going to wake up. She had been ill for a long time, battling through endless pain and treatments that made her a mere shell of the person she was.  
 
Although hard to accept, Brooklyn admitted that death would be the kindest outcome and knew that her dad had already begun making plans to turn off the machines.  
 
“I’m sorry that I’ve been distant,” Jared stated, kissing her head and tightening his hold on her, “I know how much you are hurting and... it kills me to know that there’s nothing I can do to stop it.” 
 
“I just need my big brother,” Brooklyn mumbled. 
 
“I’m right here and I’m not going anywhere.”