After dropping Nathan off, I couldn't help but feel lighter as I pulled into my driveway. Spending time with him and feeling somewhat normal again had been so soothing. Maybe, just maybe, I could make it through this nightmarish journey if Nate stayed by my side.

I cut the engine but remained behind the wheel for a long moment, preparing to go inside and face my worrying parents again. As much as I loved them with all my heart, their perpetual hovering and attempts to keep my spirits up only seemed to drain what little energy I still had left.

Finally, I exited the car, already bracing myself for the inevitable barrage of frantic questions. But I never reached the door before it flew open, and my mum came barrelling out.

"Elizabeth Reid! Where in the world have you been?" she cried out in a shrill voice edged with panic. "The college called saying you ran out of class hours ago – we've been worried sick!"

I winced at her raised tone and the distress etched across her face. My dad quickly joined her on the front steps, his expression mirroring hers.

They were pissed.

"Sweetie, you had us going out of our minds!" he scolded, though his voice held more relief than actual anger. "We didn't know if you'd...if something had..." He couldn't even finish vocalising his worst fears.

Swallowing hard, I forced myself to meet their gazes head-on. "I'm sorry, I am," I said calmly. "I just...I needed a breather. But I wasn't alone, I promise. Nathan found me, and we went to our old hideout in the woods for a while."

I could see the tension drain from their rigid stances at the mention of my best friend's name. Of course – if Nathan was with me, at least nothing terrible would have happened to me. They knew I was safe with him.

"Oh, thank goodness," my mother exhaled heavily, bringing a trembling hand to her chest. "We were imagining all sorts of worse-case scenarios when you didn't answer your phone."

I felt guilty for causing them such distress yet again. Ever since getting the diagnosis, it seemed like all I did was put them through hell, whether I meant to or not. An apology hardly seemed sufficient, but it was all I could offer.

"I'm sorry," I repeated, more emphatically this time. "I didn't mean to scare you both. I just...I needed to get away from everything, you know? College was too much."

To their credit, my parents didn't launch into any lectures or pleas about keeping them informed every second. Instead, my dad gave a weary nod. "Well, as long as you're alright, I suppose that's what matters most right now," he sighed, running a hand through his greying hair. "Why don't you head inside, and we can talk more over dinner?"

Food was the last thing on my mind now, but I knew better than to stress them further than I already had. With a murmured "Okay", I trudged up the steps.

As I passed through the doorway, my Mum reached out and pulled me into a tight, almost desperate hug that drove home just how terrified she still was of losing her oldest daughter far too soon. I clung to her, silently trying to convey that for now, for today, I was still here.

When we finally separated, she smiled and brushed a lock of hair from my face. "I'm just glad you're safe, Beth," she murmured. "That's all that matters."

Nodding mutely, I followed them further inside, already feeling the weight of my circumstances pressing down on me once more like lead weights. But at least this time, I didn't feel entirely alone in my struggle.

We settled around the kitchen table, an air of tension settling over us. I could tell my parents were brimming with questions, concerns, and maybe some anger over my earlier vanishing act. But they seemed to be trying not to overwhelm me too much.

Finally, my Mum broke the heavy silence. "Beth, honey..." She paused, carefully considering her words. "How are you feeling? I mean, really feeling?"

I shrugged half-heartedly. "As well as can be expected, I guess. Which isn't great but could always be worse too."

She nodded. "Your treatments start up again this Monday, you know. The chemo."

I felt sick again at the reminder. As much as I hated to admit it, my following cancer treatment regimen had been weighing heavily on my mind, too.

"I know," I replied quietly. "Believe me, I haven't forgotten."

My dad reached over and gave my hand a comforting squeeze. "We'll be right there with you through every minute of it, kiddo. You don't have to face any of this alone."

A lump rose in my throat as I recalled how alone I'd felt earlier that day when everything became too much. If not for Nathan, I wasn't sure what would have happened.

Mum suddenly stood up and walked towards the stove to heat dinner. The familiar smell of mac and cheese filled the air. As she busied herself reheating the pot, she turned to me. "I'm so relieved to see you and Nathan on good terms again."

I paused, grimacing a little as I recalled how I had shut my best friend out for the first week after receiving my diagnosis. Mum smiled sadly, seeming to read my expression.

"He was so distraught when you stopped talking to him, sweetie. We all understood why you needed that space initially, of course. But Nathan..." She shook her head. "Well, let's just say having you give him the cold shoulder really did a number on that poor boy."

Swallowing hard, I felt the familiar surge of guilt and regret. "Yeah, I...I messed up with him pretty badly for a little while," I admitted quietly. "I don't know what I'd do without him."

A tiny smirk played about Dad's lips from across the table, and he studied me intently. Uh oh, I recognised that look – it was the one he got whenever he was gearing up to start some conversation about boys or relationships.

"So, you and Nathan, huh?" he said, arching an eyebrow in that insufferably knowing way of his. "Getting awfully couple-y there, kiddo."

I felt my cheeks flaming instantly as I shot him an indignant glare. "Oh my god, Dad, don't even start with that!" I hissed.

"What? I'm just saying!" He raised his hands. "You two have been attached at the hip since you were in diapers. You're telling me the idea of taking it to the next level hasn't crossed your mind?"

Mum gave him a look, though I could see she was biting back an amused grin, too. "James, honestly! Give your daughter a break here."

But Dad was entirely in the groove of hassling me now. "Hey, I'm just looking out for my little girl's interests. I happen to think Nathan's a great kid who—"

"Oh my god, would you stop?!" I finally burst out, feeling like my entire face was engulfed in flames. I stabbed forcefully at a piece of mac and cheese that Mum had put in front of me, barely resisting the urge to fling it across the table at my dad.

"Nathan's just...he's always been my best friend, okay?" I muttered, keeping my eyes averted down at my bowl. "Nothing more. We've never been like that, I swear."

There was a pause before Dad replied, "Mm...so you've never, say, thought about how it could be more than—"

"James!" Mum interjected sharply, though her eyes still danced with amusement. Turning towards me, she gave me a reassuring smile. "Don't listen to your father and his nonsense, Beth. You'll go grey by thirty if you let him rile you up with stuff like this every time."

The words hung in the air momentarily before realisation crept across her features, and her expression crumbled. "Oh honey, I didn't mean...I'm so sorry."

I forced a tight smile, trying to push past the fresh swell of sadness. "It's okay, Mum. Really."

An awkward silence fell over the table as we all mechanically took bites out of our mac and cheese. I focused on chewing, on the simple rhythm of Fork. Bite. Chew. Swallow—anything to avoid the heaviness pressing in.

But try as I might, I couldn't entirely fight the heated blush still staining my cheeks, even as Dad's teasing words echoed tauntingly in my mind. As mortifying as they were, they provided a nice break from the emotional weight that seemed to permeate our household lately.

And damn him...he wasn't entirely wrong either.

The truth was, those thoughts about Nathan had certainly crossed my mind from time to time over the tears, however quickly dismissed they were. He was my best friend, sure, but also a warm, funny, compassionate guy who had always been there for me through everything life threw my way.

So, was it so wild to imagine what could have been?

I couldn't fight the pang of guilt that lanced through me as a sudden, harsh reality reasserted itself: I was dying. No matter how hard I tried to distract myself from that fundamental truth, my days were numbered. What possible future could I offer him – someone who meant more to me than he could ever know? To let romantic feelings seem in only for me to be inevitably ripped away from him forever.

It wouldn't be fair. Not to him, not to either of us. He deserved so much better than for his heart to be destroyed.

"Oh, where's Meri?" I asked, suddenly realising my little sister's absence at the dinner table. "Is she upstairs in her room?"

My Mum paused while taking a bite. "Yes, she ate dinner a little earlier and then went to play. I can call her down if you'd like."

I shook my head. "No, no, that's okay. I'll go up and see her."

My dad nodded approvingly as I pushed away from the table. I hadn't finished my dinner, but I'd tried at least.

Climbing the stairs, I couldn't fight the tiny surge of eagerness to see my baby sister. At six years old, Meri remained beautifully innocent and unburdened by the harsh cruelties of life so far. To her, I was still just the same old Elizabeth – her goofy, protective big sister.

I knocked lightly on her partially open bedroom door before pushing it open the rest of the way. "Hey there, you."

"Beth!!" The familiar delighted squeal instantly made me smile as Meri bounded off her bed, pigtails bouncing. She crashed into me, wrapping her skinny little arms around my legs. "I missed you! Where did you go today?"

Leaning down, I scooped her up and kissed her cheek, revelling in her giggles. "Well, I missed you even more, goofball! I just had to do some boring stuff, that's all."

Settling on the edge of her bed with Meri cradled in my lap, I drank in the cheerful clutter of stuffed animals and discarded picture books surrounding us. Her entire world was still one of whimsical imagination.

"Did you have fun with your day?" she asked, tilting her head inquisitively in her adorable way, all while playing with a lock of my hair. "No more icky tests and ouchie needles?"

My breath caught at her innocent question. Of course, even at her age, Meri knew something wasn't quite right recently. We tried to explain it as best we could, but she still didn't fully understand.

Swallowing hard, I shook my head. "No, no more tests today, thank goodness. Just me doing boring school stuff, that's all."

"Yay! No more tests are the best!" She clapped her little hands before fixing me with those huge, expressive eyes that perfectly mirrored my mother's. "Does that mean you feel all better now, and we can play?"

A lump formed in my throat. How could I possibly explain to her that I would likely never feel "all better"?

Instead, I pulled her closer into a hug and nuzzled the top of her honey-blonde curls. "You know what? I think a nice story time would make me feel even better than I already do. What d'you say, Meri? You wanna read with your big sister for a little bit?"

"Yeah! Yeah! Storytime!" She scrambled further onto the bed, bouncing excitedly against the pillows as I reached for a storybook from her cluttered nightstand.

Flipping the familiar tale of a brave little princess on a grand quest, I began reading in an overly dramatic voice, putting on goofy voices for each character just to hear Meri's laughter. She snuggled against me as I continued, taking in every word with childlike wonder.

All too soon, the final pages were turned, and the brave princess had reached her triumphant conclusion. But Meri wasn't ready to let me go yet.

"Again! Again!" she pleaded, wrapping her arms around my neck and nuzzling her face into my chest. "Make up another story just for me!"

"Alright, let me think," I began. "Once upon a time, there was a little boy named Oliver. He was a brave and kind-hearted boy, always trying to help others. One day, Oliver became very ill, and the doctors told him that he might have to go on a special journey to visit the angels."

Meri's brows furrowed. "The angels? Why?"

I smiled. "You see, the angels live in a beautiful place called Heaven, and sometimes, when people are very sick, they need to go there to get better."

"But I don't want Oliver to go away," Meri said, her lip quivering.

"I know," I replied, hugging her close. "But listen to the rest of the story. Oliver was a little scared at first, but his mummy told him the angels were kind and gentle and would take good care of him."

"One day, a beautiful angel named Grace came to visit Oliver. She had the most amazing wings, sparkling like diamonds in the sunlight. 'Hello, Oliver,' Grace said in a soft, melodic voice. 'I've come to take you on a special journey.'"

"Oliver looked up at Grace, his eyes wide with wonder. 'Will it hurt?' he asked, a little worried."

"Grace smiled and shook her head. 'Not at all, dear one. It will be like falling asleep and waking up in the most wonderful place you can imagine.'"

"So, Oliver took Grace's hand, and they floated up, up, up into the sky until they reached the gates of Heaven. It was the most beautiful place he could imagine, with fluffy clouds, rainbows, and many amazing creatures."

Meri's eyes sparkled with delight. "What did they do there?"

I continued, "Well, in Heaven, Oliver could run and play without feeling tired or sick. He made friends with other children, and they had the most wonderful adventures together. They played games, went on treasure hunts, and even had picnics with the angels."

"But the best part," I said, leaning in, was that Oliver's loved ones who had gone to Heaven before him were there too. His grandparents, his uncle, and even his pet dog, Rufus. They were all eagerly waiting for him, and they were so happy to see him."

Meri clapped her hands, delighted by the story. "I want to go to heaven, too!"

I chuckled. "Not yet. Heaven is a wonderful place, but we must enjoy our time here on Earth first. And who knows, maybe one day, when we're very old and have lived a long, happy life, we'll get to go on our own special journey to visit the angels."

"Beth?" Meri asked, looking up at me with wide, innocent eyes. "Does that story mean an angel will come to collect you, too, someday?"

I swallowed hard, forcing a smile. "I'm sure it will."

Meri's face fell. "But...but I don't want that to happen. I still need my big sister," she said, her eyes welling up with tears.

I pulled her into a tight hug. "I know, Meri. I know." I stroked her hair gently. "But we'll always have each other, no matter what. I love you so much."

"I love you too, Beth," she whispered, her voice muffled against my shoulder.

After a moment, Meri pulled away, wiping her eyes. "I'm gonna go play with my dolls now."

I smiled again, my heart aching. "Okay, you go have fun."

Meri slid off the bed and scampered over to her dollhouse. She picked up one of the dolls and began making it swoop through the air, pretending it was an angel flying down to take another doll up to heaven.

I watched my sister for a few moments, my vision blurring with unshed tears. I quietly slipped out of the room and made my way to my bedroom, closing the door behind me. Once alone, I sank to the floor, my back against the door, and finally allowed the tears to flow freely.

My shoulders shook with silent sobs as I buried my face in my hands. I knew my time was running short, and the thought of leaving my sister behind was more than I could bear.

But for now, I would hold on, cherishing every precious moment we had together until the day came when the angels would call me home.

Chapter Six

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