This chapter was absolutely inspired and came out like melted butter (I
know, weird metaphor; I'm hungry). I hope you guys enjoy it!
Chapter 4
The envelope had her name written on it in elegant script, so there was no question that it was meant for her. Emma turned it over in her hands and then finally ripped it open.
There were two pieces of paper inside, one a letter. Emma tilted the letter to get the best view of it and read.
Dear Emmanuelle,
You don't know me, but I know about you, and because I do, I want to give you a special gift. Accompanying this letter is a certified check, my gift to you, with no strings attached, to spend on anything you want. No one knows about this gift except you, and you are free to tell anyone you want.
Who I am isn't really important, only that you and I have much in common. Through no fault of our own, we have endured pain and isolation and have spent many days in a hospital feeling lonely and scared. I hoped for a miracle, but most of all I hoped for someone to truly understand what I was going through.
I can't make you live longer I can't stop you from hurting. But I can give you one wish, as someone did for me. My wish helped me find purpose, faith, and courage.
Friendship reaches beyond time, and the true miracle is in giving, not receiving. Use my gift to fulfill your wish.
Your Forever Friend,
JWC
Well, I haven't spent THAT much time in the hospital, Emma thought wryly, nor do I plan to. But the rest of the letter seemed dead on to how she was feeling. Except, how did this JWC know about her? She'd only been diagnosed with her cancer on Friday. Emma shrugged and looked at the other piece of paper.
And promptly dropped it.
"That can't be right," she whispered. It was a check made out for one hundred thousand dollars. She looked at it again, just to make sure it was authentic. It looked authentic enough and was signed by someone named Richard Holloway from the One Last Wish foundation. She counted the zeros. And still, the amount on the check remained the same. Emma laid the check on her lap next to her letter. Why on EARTH would someone who didn't even know her send her that much money? What would she do with it? If Emma's cancer had been curable, it could have easily been spent on hospital bills and medicine, but she doubted that the pain medicine she would need for the last couple months of her life (if she even had that long) would eat up that much money.
"What a waste," she murmured, looking at the check again.
"Waste of what?" Emma groaned to see Kristen coming into the room, "Are you ready to go yet? Everyone's down in the lobby waiting for you since Stephanie HAD to drag the whole family. So why are you just sitting here dawdling?"
"Gee, you sure are being nice to the sick girl," Emma said sarcastically to her stepsister.
"Oh, come on. I know you're not really sick. We all know that you just 'collapsed from exhaustion.'"
Actually, Emma hadn't known that. She hadn't known what Stephanie was telling people about her condition. So, they were apparently just writing it off as exhaustion.
Kristen had grabbed the duffel bag Stephanie had brought Emma, and was shoving Emma's personal toiletries in it. "I can't believe you don't have your stuff together! You're really milking this hospital thing to the fullest, aren't you? 'Look at me, I'm so tired I collapsed and had to go to the hospital. Poor me, you need to help me and give me lots of attention because I can't do anything myself.' I'm completely sick of your prissy attitude!"
"It's not like that at all!" Emma exclaimed, jumping off the bed, causing the papers in her lap to flutter to the floor.
"Yeah right!" Kristen said, lunging for the papers on the ground.
"Kristen, don't. . ." Emma began in horror, realizing just what Kristen was holding. As she tried to grab her stuff back, Kristen held it above her reach. Damn Kristen for being taller than her. Emma stamped her foot. "Kristen, give me back my letter."
"Like hell I will. I want to see what's got you so riled up." Kristen scanned the papers she was holding, and her jaw dropped.
"You little twit!" Kristen had turned red, "Now you've managed to get anonymous benefactors giving you obscenely large amounts of money? Is there any level you won't stoop to?"
"Give it back, Kristen," Emma said evenly.
"You and your pathetic attempts for attention! You've even got strangers on your side! Well, I'm going to go find this. . . this. . . JWC and tell them just what an absolute fake you are!"
Emma's emotions, which had been stretched out beyond belief throughout the past weekend, were wearing thin. "Maybe you'd better make sure you know everything before you rush off and do something rash," Emma's voice was low and dangerous.
"What's not to know? It's not like I haven't been living with you for the past three years. I know how jealous you are, how resentful that we barged into your perfect little life. I know you want us gone. Well, guess what? What makes you think we feel any differently? I don't want you around anymore than you want me around. I wish you would just go away forever!" Kristen's voice had risen to a scream.
And Emma snapped. "Well good!" she screamed back, not even thinking about what she was saying, "Can you wait a couple of months, maybe? Because by then I'll be DEAD and you WON'T have to deal with me EVER AGAIN!"
That had stopped Kristen in her tracks. "You won't be dead in a couple of months," she accused, "Unfortunate as it is, you're here to stay."
"Wanna bet?" Emma challenged, "I'm not here because I'm exhausted; I'm here because I have incurable pancreatic cancer and I will be dead by the end of the summer."
Kristen was shaking her head as Emma continued, more calmly, in fact, almost nonchalantly. "Remember those stomach pains I've been having the past couple of months, when you told me to ignore them? Yep, pancreatic cancer."
"But. . . no. Stephanie would have said something," Kristen said confidently
"I love my mom more than anything in the world, but we both know she's crazy. She's been crazy since my dad died. They were soulmates, you know. And I would hate to be you after I go. She's going to be even worse. After I die, she's going to have absolutely no one."
"You seem to be forgetting my dad, my brothers and I," Kristen pointed out, not quite with the confidence of before.
"It's not the same thing. Mom likes Mark and all, but it's nothing like she had with my dad, and I'm the last that's related by blood."
Kristen was shaking her head. "No, you can't have cancer. You're way too calm about this!"
"Only because I have to be," the façade broke and tears threatened to spill, "Someone has to be strong through this and it's not going to be my mom. There's nothing I would like to do better than run outside and scream about how unfair the world is. But mom wants to keep everything secret because she's in denial. And this is just as unfair to her as it is to me. So I have to at least do that much for her," Emma look up at Kristen, the tears finally rolling down her cheeks, "Except I couldn't even do that, apparently, because I told you."
Of all the people Emma would have preferred to break her promise on, Kristen had been last on the list. Figures she would be the one to know, then.
The look on Kristen's face went from doubt to acceptance and belief of what her stepsister was telling her, as Emma continued to cry. "Well. . . Stephanie doesn't have to know I know. You know?" she tried helplessly to make a joke, unsure of what to do with this new knowledge.
Emma managed a short laugh. "Thanks."
"Oh, and, here's your stuff," Kristen said, handing Emma the letter and the check.
Emma nodded, wiping her tearstained cheeks as Stephanie walked in. "What's taking so long girls? Everyone downstairs is getting antsy," she peered closer at the stepsisters, "You aren't fighting, are you?"
"Of course not, Stephanie," Kristen lied smoothly, "Emma's just upset to be leaving all the great hospital food."
"Oh, okay," Stephanie said, "Mercy, Emma Sage, you're not fully packed yet!"
Emma shot Kristen a look of respect that she could come up with something believable off the top of her head like that. Maybe there was more to her stepsister than met the eye.
Stephanie bustled around, packing Emma's things in the duffel bag. "There we go, all done!" she announced cheerfully.
Emma looked down at the letter and check in her hands, and then back at her mother. What good was being granted so much money for a wish, she thought, when the things you wish for are those that money can't buy?
Chapter 4
The envelope had her name written on it in elegant script, so there was no question that it was meant for her. Emma turned it over in her hands and then finally ripped it open.
There were two pieces of paper inside, one a letter. Emma tilted the letter to get the best view of it and read.
Dear Emmanuelle,
You don't know me, but I know about you, and because I do, I want to give you a special gift. Accompanying this letter is a certified check, my gift to you, with no strings attached, to spend on anything you want. No one knows about this gift except you, and you are free to tell anyone you want.
Who I am isn't really important, only that you and I have much in common. Through no fault of our own, we have endured pain and isolation and have spent many days in a hospital feeling lonely and scared. I hoped for a miracle, but most of all I hoped for someone to truly understand what I was going through.
I can't make you live longer I can't stop you from hurting. But I can give you one wish, as someone did for me. My wish helped me find purpose, faith, and courage.
Friendship reaches beyond time, and the true miracle is in giving, not receiving. Use my gift to fulfill your wish.
Your Forever Friend,
JWC
Well, I haven't spent THAT much time in the hospital, Emma thought wryly, nor do I plan to. But the rest of the letter seemed dead on to how she was feeling. Except, how did this JWC know about her? She'd only been diagnosed with her cancer on Friday. Emma shrugged and looked at the other piece of paper.
And promptly dropped it.
"That can't be right," she whispered. It was a check made out for one hundred thousand dollars. She looked at it again, just to make sure it was authentic. It looked authentic enough and was signed by someone named Richard Holloway from the One Last Wish foundation. She counted the zeros. And still, the amount on the check remained the same. Emma laid the check on her lap next to her letter. Why on EARTH would someone who didn't even know her send her that much money? What would she do with it? If Emma's cancer had been curable, it could have easily been spent on hospital bills and medicine, but she doubted that the pain medicine she would need for the last couple months of her life (if she even had that long) would eat up that much money.
"What a waste," she murmured, looking at the check again.
"Waste of what?" Emma groaned to see Kristen coming into the room, "Are you ready to go yet? Everyone's down in the lobby waiting for you since Stephanie HAD to drag the whole family. So why are you just sitting here dawdling?"
"Gee, you sure are being nice to the sick girl," Emma said sarcastically to her stepsister.
"Oh, come on. I know you're not really sick. We all know that you just 'collapsed from exhaustion.'"
Actually, Emma hadn't known that. She hadn't known what Stephanie was telling people about her condition. So, they were apparently just writing it off as exhaustion.
Kristen had grabbed the duffel bag Stephanie had brought Emma, and was shoving Emma's personal toiletries in it. "I can't believe you don't have your stuff together! You're really milking this hospital thing to the fullest, aren't you? 'Look at me, I'm so tired I collapsed and had to go to the hospital. Poor me, you need to help me and give me lots of attention because I can't do anything myself.' I'm completely sick of your prissy attitude!"
"It's not like that at all!" Emma exclaimed, jumping off the bed, causing the papers in her lap to flutter to the floor.
"Yeah right!" Kristen said, lunging for the papers on the ground.
"Kristen, don't. . ." Emma began in horror, realizing just what Kristen was holding. As she tried to grab her stuff back, Kristen held it above her reach. Damn Kristen for being taller than her. Emma stamped her foot. "Kristen, give me back my letter."
"Like hell I will. I want to see what's got you so riled up." Kristen scanned the papers she was holding, and her jaw dropped.
"You little twit!" Kristen had turned red, "Now you've managed to get anonymous benefactors giving you obscenely large amounts of money? Is there any level you won't stoop to?"
"Give it back, Kristen," Emma said evenly.
"You and your pathetic attempts for attention! You've even got strangers on your side! Well, I'm going to go find this. . . this. . . JWC and tell them just what an absolute fake you are!"
Emma's emotions, which had been stretched out beyond belief throughout the past weekend, were wearing thin. "Maybe you'd better make sure you know everything before you rush off and do something rash," Emma's voice was low and dangerous.
"What's not to know? It's not like I haven't been living with you for the past three years. I know how jealous you are, how resentful that we barged into your perfect little life. I know you want us gone. Well, guess what? What makes you think we feel any differently? I don't want you around anymore than you want me around. I wish you would just go away forever!" Kristen's voice had risen to a scream.
And Emma snapped. "Well good!" she screamed back, not even thinking about what she was saying, "Can you wait a couple of months, maybe? Because by then I'll be DEAD and you WON'T have to deal with me EVER AGAIN!"
That had stopped Kristen in her tracks. "You won't be dead in a couple of months," she accused, "Unfortunate as it is, you're here to stay."
"Wanna bet?" Emma challenged, "I'm not here because I'm exhausted; I'm here because I have incurable pancreatic cancer and I will be dead by the end of the summer."
Kristen was shaking her head as Emma continued, more calmly, in fact, almost nonchalantly. "Remember those stomach pains I've been having the past couple of months, when you told me to ignore them? Yep, pancreatic cancer."
"But. . . no. Stephanie would have said something," Kristen said confidently
"I love my mom more than anything in the world, but we both know she's crazy. She's been crazy since my dad died. They were soulmates, you know. And I would hate to be you after I go. She's going to be even worse. After I die, she's going to have absolutely no one."
"You seem to be forgetting my dad, my brothers and I," Kristen pointed out, not quite with the confidence of before.
"It's not the same thing. Mom likes Mark and all, but it's nothing like she had with my dad, and I'm the last that's related by blood."
Kristen was shaking her head. "No, you can't have cancer. You're way too calm about this!"
"Only because I have to be," the façade broke and tears threatened to spill, "Someone has to be strong through this and it's not going to be my mom. There's nothing I would like to do better than run outside and scream about how unfair the world is. But mom wants to keep everything secret because she's in denial. And this is just as unfair to her as it is to me. So I have to at least do that much for her," Emma look up at Kristen, the tears finally rolling down her cheeks, "Except I couldn't even do that, apparently, because I told you."
Of all the people Emma would have preferred to break her promise on, Kristen had been last on the list. Figures she would be the one to know, then.
The look on Kristen's face went from doubt to acceptance and belief of what her stepsister was telling her, as Emma continued to cry. "Well. . . Stephanie doesn't have to know I know. You know?" she tried helplessly to make a joke, unsure of what to do with this new knowledge.
Emma managed a short laugh. "Thanks."
"Oh, and, here's your stuff," Kristen said, handing Emma the letter and the check.
Emma nodded, wiping her tearstained cheeks as Stephanie walked in. "What's taking so long girls? Everyone downstairs is getting antsy," she peered closer at the stepsisters, "You aren't fighting, are you?"
"Of course not, Stephanie," Kristen lied smoothly, "Emma's just upset to be leaving all the great hospital food."
"Oh, okay," Stephanie said, "Mercy, Emma Sage, you're not fully packed yet!"
Emma shot Kristen a look of respect that she could come up with something believable off the top of her head like that. Maybe there was more to her stepsister than met the eye.
Stephanie bustled around, packing Emma's things in the duffel bag. "There we go, all done!" she announced cheerfully.
Emma looked down at the letter and check in her hands, and then back at her mother. What good was being granted so much money for a wish, she thought, when the things you wish for are those that money can't buy?