AUTHOR'S NOTE: Alright, so whenever I wrote at the end of my first chapter, I did forget to mention that I was inspired by My Sister's Keeper. Mostly along the lines of the sickness, the way the family is, and the love they all had for each other. I noticed a lot of you saying that it reminds you of that. I'm definitely going to take this story above and beyond that, so yes you may notice some similarities, but these characters are definitely there own people. Just wanted to let you all know that. Hope you enjoy the second chapter. Sorry that it's kind of short!

July 3rd, 2020, Present Day

Maggie

It's funny to me when I hear someone tell an outrageous story and they decide to end it with the phrase, "I almost died" and then they laugh or something. I could tell you countless stories while using the phrase and actually mean it. Everybody has always wondered why I'm not miserable or sad about me being sick. The truth is, I just laugh at it and stay positive even though I know that it's not always going to be all sunshine and rainbows. I've made it this far, maybe I can make it a little farther. When I was in the hospital about a month ago, I met a girl who had what I had. Her name was Rachel, she was 18. She needed a bone marrow transplant but she told me she had been on a waiting list for what felt like a decade and that it was practically a lost cause. She was very sad, but she had lots to say and I enjoyed talking to her. We met in the cafeteria. Two days later, I sat there maybe thinking I would run into her again. I came to find out that Rachel was discharged the day before and that same night she had gone home, she killed herself. I don't know how she did it, but she did it. I was sad because that meant I couldn't hear her funny stories anymore, but I was also happy for her. Maybe killing yourself wasn't the best way to go, but if you're already dying and in pain anyways, then I guess it was okay for her. I can't imagine her parents took it too well.

Sometimes I wonder how my family will be when I die. I imagine my mother will never be the same. Sometimes I'll have conversations with my mom and talk about "when the time comes" and she freaks out on me. I don't think she'll ever come to terms... for when the time comes. Yes, I'll admit, I am scared, but not of dying. I'm scared of what's on the other side. You see in movies that it's always something spectacular, but sometimes it's not, sometimes it's frightening. No one will ever really know until it's there time to go. I like to think that heaven is what you want it to be. One day, I was talking with my little sister, Bailey and she told me that when she goes to heaven, she hopes everything is pink and yellow, there's a playground, and that I'm there with her to push her on the swings.

"Bailey Peyton Scott! Don't you talk like that ever again!" My mother yelled. She was doing the dishes. Of course she was in a bad mood, my Mom hates cleaning. Haley's daughter, Kate and Peyton's daughter Ellie were also running around the house. A 6 year old, a 5 year old, and a 3 year old pretty much equal a migraine.

"Mom. Don't yell at her, you're gonna ruin the kids imagination." I snapped back at my mom, trying to put a little funny-ness to it, but it seemed like today that Mom just wasn't having it.

"I'm sorry Mommy." Bailey said softly, with her lips pouted and her head slumped down.

Mom just stared at her, she felt bad for yelling so loudly at her.

"Me too, Bear. Why don't you go outside and play with Kate and Ellie while I talk to your sister." Bailey has the attention span of a fly, so of course she ran outside before Mom could even finish talking.

"I'm sorry, Maggie, but I hate when you guys talk about death and going to heaven. It just makes my stomach turn." My mom said, her back facing to me as she washes a plate.

"You're just jealous cause she said she wanted me there." I joked and then laughed. Mom didn't find it funny at all. I could usually get a good laugh out of my mom. I always made her laugh, but like I said, it just seemed like she was in a horrible mood today and I was right.

"Maggie, I'm serious. You shouldn't talk like that, it's very unhealthy." She snapped back. Did she really just say that? Ha.

"Well, last time I checked, I was already pretty unhealthy, Mom." I was such a smart ass sometimes. I could tell my mom was getting even more aggrivated with my smart remarks, so I stopped, but apparently not soon enough. She was about to put a newly cleaned plate into the cabinet until I realized that she had slammed it on our granite counter tops, causing glass the shatter everywhere.

"God dammit, Maggie!" She screamed. The slamming of the plate made me jump.

"Do you understand how selfish you sound!? How selfish you are being about all of this!? You are MY daughter and you're talking about WHEN you die! I want you to stop! Can you not understand how that hurts me, Maggie?" My mother was in tears and I was furious, full of tears. How could she say that?

I stood up from the table and took a few steps towards her. With my index finger, I pointed.

"Do YOU understand how selfish YOU'RE being, Mom!? Putting me through anything and everything to keep me alive! Do you think you've ever asked me how I felt about everything!?" I yelled so loud, my voice started to crack, not mention I had a river of salt water running down my face. Gross. My mother just stood there, staring, silent, speechless, yet sobbing.

"I am dying, Mom. I am in pain. You may have sympathy pain, you may be just as scared as I am, if not worse because you could lose a child. But you will NEVER, EVER know the pain that I've gone through, the pain that I have felt for NINE YEARS! Nine years, Mom. Have you ever had to tally how many bloody noses you've had in a day? No, I have. Have you ever passed out just because you had to WALK to the bathroom? No, I have. Have you ever sat there and planned how you want your funeral to be. No... I have. I talk about death and dying and heaven because it comforts me. I know that I'll be okay. I don't want to leave this earth cowardly and afraid. I want to leave it proudly. I want to leave it... knowing that I had a family that supported me for all these years. I want to leave it knowing that my family knows that I'm better up there, where ever that may be. THAT is why I talk about it. I'm NOT being selfish, Mom. I'm preparing myself for something better."

My mom's face was completely indescribable. She looked like she had just been shot in the heart. She had to hear it. She had to understand. She had to prepare herself. I turned around and walked up stairs, leaving my mom alone in the kitchen. I could hear her crying from all the way upstairs. Yes, I felt terrible for making her feel like shit, but my Mom is just a hard person to get things through to. I love her, but sometimes she makes me want to shake her into reality. Because right now, she's definitely not there.

I collapsed on my bed and fell asleep, not saying a single word to my mom for the rest of the night. But during the middle of the night, I rolled over in my bed and there she was, sleeping right next to me. I guess I startled her because she opened her eyes and we kind of just stared at each other for a really long time.

"You blinked. I win." My mom whispered, and then smirked, revealing her dimples. I laughed quietly. Then I closed my eyes and moved in closer to her and she took me in her arms and I felt like she was never going to let go. I felt so safe in my mother's arms. Like a new born baby or something. I don't know, it's kind of hard to explain.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart. I love you." My mom whispered to me.

"I know you are, it's okay. I love you too." I whispered back.

And then, we slept for hours upon hours.

I'm sorry, I know it's short. But this is by far the best thing I've written. I'm very happy with it. It's very heart wrenching and serious and total real. The next chapter we'll get to hear Lucas's point of view and maybe even from another certain person.

PEACE&LOVE.