A/N: Hey all! Sorry it's been awhile since I've updated! I'm crazy busy! Anywho, here is another chapter for your enjoyment!
"But mom, why can't I spend the night at home yet? My chemo finished!"
JJ sighed and looked in the rearview mirror at Isabel, her heart breaking for her daughter. The hospital had given her a "day pass" in celebration of finishing induction chemotherapy, but she had to spend her first week of recovery in the hospital so she could be monitored.
"Because, Isabel, you have to spend one week after it's finished in the hospital for safety reasons, and then you get to spend a couple weeks at home. It'll fly by before you know it! You can go out for a few days, like today, and daddy is taking the whole week off to be with you, but I'll probably be called away on a case. But you know I'll call every night and I'll be back in a few days, right?"
Isabel nodded, trying her best to see the bright side of the situation. She looked out the window and started playing with the little strings that hung off her blue plaid scarf, her bubblegum pink nail polish popping against the light background.
"Isabel, shirt." JJ reminded her daughter.
Isabel's clothes-particularly her tank tops-were starting to hang loosely on her tiny body, and this was the fourth time that day that JJ had to tell her daughter to remember to pull up the tank top that had once fit Isabel like a glove. Isabel simply pulled on the straps, sighing because it was one of her favorites and it soon would be too big to even consider wearing. JJ had given it to her for Easter, and she remembered the way Isabel lit up when she laid eyes on the black-with-pink-polka-dot pattern and pulled JJ into a big hug with unbearable strength that JJ knew was no longer present.
They pulled up to the mall, parked, and walked into one of the many entrances, JJ noticing that she and Isabel were finally walking at the same leisurely pace; a big change from just a few weeks before when JJ would always struggle to keep up with her energetic daughter.
"If you get tired, let me know and we can rest, okay?" JJ looked at Isabel reassuringly.
"Okay." Isabel simply said with a curt nod.
The second they started heading down one of the large walkways with shops on either side, JJ noticed Isabel became very uncomfortable. She started picking at the skin on her fingertips, which had been her tell ever since she was about four years old.
"Do you feel eyes on you?" JJ asked.
Isabel looked up at JJ with glossy eyes,
"Why are people staring at me? Have they never seen a person with no hair from cancer?"
JJ sighed and slowed down, Isabel following suit,
"Actually, many of them probably have not seen a person with cancer in real life. Maybe on TV or in the newspaper or magazines, but not right in front of them, and certainly they wouldn't expect young girl with cancer to be at the mall. It's okay, I promise. They aren't judging us, they're simply curious. Let them look, and if someone politely asks a question, answer them. If someone is rude and I don't know about it, tell me, and I'll deal with it, alright?"
They continued walking until they reached one of Isabel's favorite stores. When they stepped in, one of the salesladies that was organizing piles of clothes paused for a moment before greeting them. JJ simply rolled her eyes at her fake smile and pushed Isabel into the store.
"Sweetheart, you might have to go down a size for some of this stuff, so keep that in mind."
"Okay mom." Isabel half-ignored JJ and dove into the racks of clothes.
Twenty minutes later, JJ was sitting outside one of the fitting rooms, waiting for her daughter to come strutting out at any second.
"Mom, the normal size blue dress doesn't fit, should I try the smaller one?" Isabel called out.
"Yeah go ahead sweetie."
It had been JJ's idea for them to pull one size that was Isabel's normal size and one size smaller of each of the pieces of clothing. She waited until Isabel finally stepped out, her eyes red.
"Sweetie what's wrong?" JJ gave her daughter a once-over, noticing that the pretty dress still hung loosely on Isabel.
"Mommy, this is only going to get worse, and soon I'll be so skinny, I'm going to be a skeleton! It'll be gross! Plus, I won't be able to do anything without getting tired."
JJ stood up and adjusted the dress so it looked better,
"Well, that's true. But, you're still the most beautiful little girl in the entire world, and you know what else?"
Isabel looked up at her mother.
"Just as soon as you may feel yourself deteriorating, you'll bounce back. I promise, daddy and I will help you, and so will all the doctors."
"You really think so?" Isabel asked with a shaky voice.
"Absolutely." JJ pressed a kiss to the top of Isabel's head and gave her an assuring squeeze on the shoulder.
A couple hours passed relatively uneventful; JJ made sure Isabel got clothes that fit her well and would last at least a few months. Many of the people they interacted were either silent or kind and respectful, though JJ still did notice lingering eyes upon her daughter. If she caught someone staring for more than thirty seconds, she caught their gaze and gave them a dirty look. This, of course, caught the rude strangers off guard and they went back to god-only-knows-and-cares whatever they were doing.
Then, they decided to stop for ice cream in the upstairs food court.
Isabel practically ran to Baskin Robins, her eyes widening as she tried to pick between her favorite flavors.
As JJ paid, she noticed that Isabel's shirt had fallen down again and her port was slightly exposed. A tall, too-skinny woman and her small son were standing next to them, and when she noticed Isabel she covered her son's eyes. She cleared her throat,
"Please, pull your shirt up! My goodness."
Isabel, clearly taken aback, looked at the woman with her jaw dropped. She silently pulled up her shirt, then stared at JJ in utter disbelief.
JJ, on the other hand, was furious,
"Excuse you, but I don't appreciate you being rude to my daughter. She can't help it that she's lost some weight because she is sick and her clothes don't fit like they used to, but really? If you're so offended by a bald little girl's collarbones and a port that gives her medicine, then please, avoid going into the public, especially with such a nasty attitude."
The woman stuck her nose in the air and turned away. JJ looked at her daughter,
"Isabel, grab your ice cream and let's go somewhere where we don't have to be around such unpleasant excuses for humanity."
With that, the pair nearly strutted away, JJ feeling high from her bravery, and Isabel in complete shock of her mother's sassiness.
"Mom, I had no clue you had that in you!"
Frankly, JJ was just as clueless as her daughter.
Maybe that was a good thing.