Part 12: Thanks to You Lily R.
Lily crumpled up the small scrap of paper in her hand and tossed it aside.
"Litterbug." Jessica smiled weakly.
"You're gonna be ok, you'll keep fighting. Won't you?" Lily asked softly.
"I've been fighting for a year now, I'm tired. The chemo hurts, and I hate to be hospitalized..." Jessica paused weakly trying to catch her breath. "It's time for you to let go of me." Jessica smiled softly. "I love you."
Lily took out a small pile of pictures and spread them out on the table. She had 17 pictures of Jessica, and she was in 15 of those. As much as she avoided the awful truth it still remained. Lily was going back home tomorrow.
"I'm really sorry, Lily." Her mom said.
"About which part? Jessica's death or your lies?" Lily shouted angrily.
"Lily, calm down." Her father said.
"I know you're confused about Jessica's death..." Her mom said quickly.
"I'm not at all confused with Jesse's death, what I'm confused with is how you could be so selfish as to keep THIS secret from me for so long." Lily screamed.
"There's nothing you could have done." Her mom assured her.
"Oh really? You said that night you'd always known I had a twin; it's just too bad you couldn't face me sooner. And don't even try the 'we were waiting till you got older' excuse because, guess what, I've been old enough since I was 2!" Lily screamed.
Lily turned away, and neither of her parents could muster the courage to counter her statements. They knew she was right, and now she would have to live the rest of her life as a punishment for something she didn't do.
Lily looked through her bags pulling out papers and other loose objects and tossing them in every imaginable direction. She pulled a large piece of paper from the suitcase and looked at it cautiously before tossing it away, but suddenly she crawled to where it had landed.
Dear Lily, Thanks for being such a great big sis. I might not get through this, but you have given me the courage to try. I'd given up until the day that mom and dad came and told me that they'd learned I had a twin. They say the look on my face was priceless, and you never left my side. As I sit here writing this it is the first time you have left since you arrived, I hope you can muster the courage to forgive your family. And say hi to Travis for me, he's cute! Thanks again Lily R.
Love your twin, Jessica (Jesse)
Lily turned her head in the direction of the window, and looked up at the fading stars.
Lily crumpled up the small scrap of paper in her hand and tossed it aside.
"Litterbug." Jessica smiled weakly.
"You're gonna be ok, you'll keep fighting. Won't you?" Lily asked softly.
"I've been fighting for a year now, I'm tired. The chemo hurts, and I hate to be hospitalized..." Jessica paused weakly trying to catch her breath. "It's time for you to let go of me." Jessica smiled softly. "I love you."
Lily took out a small pile of pictures and spread them out on the table. She had 17 pictures of Jessica, and she was in 15 of those. As much as she avoided the awful truth it still remained. Lily was going back home tomorrow.
"I'm really sorry, Lily." Her mom said.
"About which part? Jessica's death or your lies?" Lily shouted angrily.
"Lily, calm down." Her father said.
"I know you're confused about Jessica's death..." Her mom said quickly.
"I'm not at all confused with Jesse's death, what I'm confused with is how you could be so selfish as to keep THIS secret from me for so long." Lily screamed.
"There's nothing you could have done." Her mom assured her.
"Oh really? You said that night you'd always known I had a twin; it's just too bad you couldn't face me sooner. And don't even try the 'we were waiting till you got older' excuse because, guess what, I've been old enough since I was 2!" Lily screamed.
Lily turned away, and neither of her parents could muster the courage to counter her statements. They knew she was right, and now she would have to live the rest of her life as a punishment for something she didn't do.
Lily looked through her bags pulling out papers and other loose objects and tossing them in every imaginable direction. She pulled a large piece of paper from the suitcase and looked at it cautiously before tossing it away, but suddenly she crawled to where it had landed.
Dear Lily, Thanks for being such a great big sis. I might not get through this, but you have given me the courage to try. I'd given up until the day that mom and dad came and told me that they'd learned I had a twin. They say the look on my face was priceless, and you never left my side. As I sit here writing this it is the first time you have left since you arrived, I hope you can muster the courage to forgive your family. And say hi to Travis for me, he's cute! Thanks again Lily R.
Love your twin, Jessica (Jesse)
Lily turned her head in the direction of the window, and looked up at the fading stars.