Go In

With a deep breath, you summon the courage to step inside, but that's as far as it takes you. You see your mother and your sister standing, smiling at the other end of the room.

"Andy!" your mother calls.

You panic, before another word can be said, you run up the staircase on your right and disappear into your room, shutting the door behind you.

Breathing heavily, you pace back and forth. You knew it was going to be hard, but you hadn't expected this.

The door flies open. Your sister, Emily, stomps into the room.

"What the fuck, Andy! Mom just got home and you run up into your room?! What the fuck are you thinking?!"

You pace a few more steps, looking at your sister then the door, then you stop and sit down on your bed.

"I don't know," is all you can manage to say.

"You don't know? Here, I'll tell you what to think. 'I'm Andy my mom just got home from traveling for three months, but I'm an IDIOT, so I ran up to my room instead of greeting her, so now I need to go back downstairs and APOLOGIZE!'"

You don't respond, and instead you just stare at the floor.

"Hey! Andy! Are you list—"

"I went to the hospital," you finally blurt out.

It takes your sister a few moments to respond, her tone significantly different.

"What?"

You can't look her in the eye.

"You what, Andy?"

All you could do was shake you head.

"Hey, Andy, look at me. What's wrong?"

This time you are able to look up with a smile on your face, but it breaks.

"I wasn't feeling well. I went to get a physical."

Your sister laughs nervously. "So what, they tell you you're fat?" A half smile on her face.

"I'm sick."

The smile was gone.

"Y-you don't look sick," Sarah says, trying to smile.

You don't have a response. You resign to running your hands through your hair.

"Mom!"

Neither of you look at each other as you hear your mother's footsteps on the staircase. When she steps into the room, Emily runs over to her.

"S-something's wrong, mom. Tell Andy h-he's not s-sick.

Your mother looks back and forth between the two of you.

"I'm— It's— I've got brain cancer," you state plainly, standing up. "I went to get a physical. Doctor says it's—" you couldn't remember what the doctor said. "It's stage three, and inoperable. I'm sorry Em. I can't keep my promise," you say, starting to cry.

Emily hugs you, her head buried in your chest. "Shutup, idiot."

You're pulled into another hug with your mother, and the three of you just stand there in a tense silence.

When you break you walk out of your bedroom and to the living room where you discuss everything the doctor told you.

"So I've got seven weeks, the doctors expect," you finish.

"Surely you want to get another opinion. We have to get you back to the hospital. We—"

"Mom, no. I don't want anything to do with the hospital. I know Dr. Stevens, and I know his diagnosis is right. I just want to live the rest of my life."

Silence fell over the three of you. No one moved until Emily suddenly jumped up and ran up the stairs. You exchanged curious looks with your mother, but your sister was running back down the stairs in a matter of moments, a few papers in her hand.

"Your bucket list," Emily says, slapping the papers down on the coffee table.
Where do you want to start?"