AUTHOR'S NOTES: At first I wasn't going to mention cancer in my stories, but I thought I'd give it a go for once. This story takes on a totally new challenge for me regarding how to weave past & present tense together in one story. Hope you enjoy this one.

This story takes place in 2013 and will feature flashbacks to when Aubrey was 11 years old.

CHAPTER 1:

On January 15th, 2013, Aubrey & Chloe were out on a road trip when Aubrey took an unexpected detour.

"Where are we going?" Chloe asked, when Aubrey turned off the highway one exit before Chloe expected them to.

Aubrey didn't answer for a long moment. Then she said, "It's the anniversary."

Chloe questioned what anniversary Aubrey was referring to until it came to her..."Your mom!"

"Yeah," Aubrey said. "Do you mind?" She asked.

"No, of course not. Wow. I can't believe it's been twelve years already." Chloe remembered.

Aubrey nodded but didn't answer. She drove the short distance to a nearby cemetary where her mom was buried 12 years ago. She turned into the entrance, passing between two stone pillars. They were lucky the narrow cemetary road was usually plowed in the Winter so the car could easily get through. Aubrey obviously knew the route by heart: she never paused, and she never looked around to get her bearings. Chloe watched the rows of snow covered gravestones and the occasional statue pass them by, until Aubrey parked the car.

They sat in silence for a long moment, and Chloe waited for her friend to make the first move. With a sigh, Aubrey tucked the car keys into her coat pocket and pushed open the door. Chloe quickly followed, and soon the two women were picking their way between the rows of gravestones, stepping carefully along the occasionally-uneven ground. With a start, Chloe realized that Aubrey had stopped in front of a simple gravestone that read "Michelle Posen, 1964-2001." She pushed her hands into her coat pockets and contemplated the engraving for a long moment.

"Does this place bring back memories?" Chloe asked.

"Yeah. But not the good kind." Aubrey admitted.

"I know. I can't believe it's been 12 years now." Chloe said gently.

"I can remember the last few months of her life like it was yesterday." Aubrey said prompting a flashback.


September 7th, 2000...

Aubrey skidded into the kitchen grinning. She spun through the kitchen, dancing her way to the fridge, where she pulled out the sandwich she had made the night before, along with a twisted cheese stick and an ice pack from the freezer door. As Michelle Posen picked up her mug and took a sip, she watched her daughter assemble a lunch and stuff the insulated bag in a brand-new backpack.

As Aubrey swung the backpack onto her shoulder and started toward the door, Michelle stepped forward. "What, no kiss?"

Aubrey made a face. "Mom, I'm 11; don't you think I'm a bit old for that now?" She asked prompting a chuckle from her mom.

"What about hugs?" Michelle asked. Rolling her eyes, Aubrey returned for a hug—and predictably, her mother stole a kiss as well.

"Bye, mom." Aubrey said as she went out the door to catch the school bus.

"Bye, Aubrey." Michelle called out.

Her laughing voice followed Aubrey out the door as she raced down the walkway and made it to the bus just in time. The bus's brakes squealed to a stop, and as soon as the driver opened the doors, Aubrey eagerly climbed up the stairs, looking for all her friends from last year.

"Have a great first day of school!" her mother hollered from the doorstep, mug in one hand as she waved with the other.

Aubrey was so embarrassed she almost didn't wave back—but then at the last moment, before the bus rounded the corner, she looked back and gave a small wave, and saw her mother's smile grow wider.


Hours later...

"The school day itself went well. But when I got home that day I received news that I was hoping to not hear..." Aubrey said.

"Mom? I'm home!" Aubrey pushed open the front door, surprised that her mother wasn't waiting to greet her. Aubrey had SO MUCH to tell her.

She set her backpack down on the couch and began to question why the house sounded so quiet until she heard a footfall from upstairs. She thought it was her mom, but instead it was her father, Mike Posen. "Dad?"

She couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. Her father was never home this early in the day, not unless he was sick. She heard footsteps coming down the stairs, and they certainly didn't sound like her mother's. Aubrey turned, and there he was, coming slowly toward her. He looked weary, older somehow.

"Dad? Where's Mom? Is something wrong?" She asked.

"Aubrey, you might want to sit for this..." Mike started as the two sat down on the couch.

"What's going on?" Aubrey asked.

She didn't want to sit down, but she did it anyway. Her legs felt bouncy, like she wanted to launch back up off the couch and pace instead, so she pressed her hands between her thighs and hunched a little to stay still.

"Your mother...she has cancer." Mike said as Aubrey began to sob over hearing the news.

She pulled her legs up onto the couch and fell against the back cushions, curled in a fetal position. Her father turned toward her and wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight. He didn't cry, but he was unusually quiet, for him. They rocked a little, and she cried and cried for what felt like an eternity. Or maybe it was just five minutes. Either way, by the end of it she was exhausted, her eyes stung, the couch cushions and her father's shirt were damp with her tears, and her nose had started to run, but she didn't care.

"I'm so sorry." Mike said hugging his daughter.

Aubrey pushed him back and sniffed hard to regain control herself. She glared at him. "How did this happen?" she demanded.


Present Day...

"Hearing that my mom had cancer broke my heart. I didn't know what to say. I spent the last 5 minutes on that couch crying." Aubrey said.

Chloe moved to give Aubrey a sideways hug, and rubbed her back. "I know how hard that must've been for you." She said.

"So after those 5 minutes, my dad filled me in on everything that happened." Aubrey said.

"And what he did say?" Chloe asked.

"At about 12 Noon that day, just as he was going on his lunch break, he got the call that my mom went into the hospital." Aubrey said tearfully.

"And what did the doctors say?" Chloe asked.

"They said my mom was diagnosed with Stage 2 leukemia." Aubrey said as she & Chloe hugged. "And from that point on, things were rather hard for all of us." She continued.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I will admit, I was almost tempted to change that bit where Aubrey packs a lunch because when I was in school I would usually buy my lunch. But then I realized if I did change it, it wouldn't be as detailed compared to what you read. I'd also like to thank Rachel Smith Cobleigh for helping me out with this chapter.