Odwróciłam się w stronę okna, bo nie mogłam pozwolić, żeby moja twarz kłamała.
Jej lekarz rozmawiał z nami prywatnie w następnym tygodniu.
“The treatments are no longer working the way we hoped,” Dr. Patel said. “More treatment may cause pain without giving her meaningful time.”
That evening, she waited until we were home before asking.
Tony covered his mouth.
I asked the question because he could not.
“How long?”
Dr. Patel said there was no exact answer. Maybe months. Perhaps less.
Lily understood more than we wanted her to.
That evening, she waited until we were home before asking.
“We don’t know how much time we have.”
“Am I dying?”
Tony sat on one side of her bed. I sat on the other.
I wanted to tell her no. Instead, I took her hand.
“The medicine is not helping anymore.”
Lily stared at her blanket.
“So yes?”
“I want to see Cinderella’s castle.”
“We don’t know how much time we have.”
She cried quietly. Tony did too.
Later, after the fear had settled enough for her to speak, she said, “I want to see Cinderella’s castle.”
Tony wiped his face.
“The one in Florida?”
“And I want to put my feet in the ocean.”
I knew how little money we had.
“You have seen the ocean,” I reminded her.
“On television. That does not count.”
Tony looked at me.
“We will take you.”
I knew how little money we had.
“Tony.”
I sold the bracelet my mother had left me.
