Total pages in book: 113
Estimated words: 106772 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 534(@200wpm)___ 427(@250wpm)___ 356(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 106772 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 534(@200wpm)___ 427(@250wpm)___ 356(@300wpm)
She nodded. “I know. Me too.”
“What are we going to do?”
My mom smiled softly. “You’re going to grow up to be an amazing man who thrives at life, who doesn’t let anyone or anything hold him back from what he wants.”
“But you won’t be here to guide me.”
Her head moved back and forth, as if she was admitting it all repeatedly. “But I believe I’ll see all. I’ll be here.” She placed her hand over my heart. “And here.” And then put her fingers on my temple.
“It’s not going to be the same.”
“I know,” she said, and more tears fell from her eyes. “I need you to do me a favor.”
“What’s that?”
“Continue to be the best big brother to Nova. She’s so young and won’t understand any of this.”
I scoffed. “I don’t understand any of this, Mom. How come you didn’t go to the doctor sooner? Why did you wait until you were so sick that death is the only answer?” I stood up and began pacing.
“Cutter.” She said my name softly. “I only started not feeling good a couple of weeks ago. Sure, I was tired, but I thought it was from the long hours at work. It didn’t occur to me that something so horrible could be wrong.”
She stood and came toward me, placed her hands on my cheeks, and held me in place. “Leaving you and your sister is worse than knowing I’m not going to be here someday. Knowing I won’t be here to watch you . . .” She paused, because her list of what she was going to miss was long.
“Knowing you’re hurting fills me with regret because what if there was something I could have done this year? Last year? Where did I go wrong?”
As much as I wanted to step away from her, I couldn’t. I looked in her eyes—eyes that matched mine and Nova’s—hoping I could remember everything in the way she looked at me.
“I love you, Mom.”
“You’re the love of my life, Cutter Vaughn. Don’t you ever forget it.”
I nodded and fell into her arms. Her hold was still as tight as it was before we knew she was sick.
“Come on,” she said as she motioned toward the door. “I need to make your breakfast, and then we gotta get you to the gym.”
“I need a minute.”
She wiped what was left of my tears away with her thumbs. “Okay, my son. Eggs, bacon, and hash browns?”
“Yes, please.”
“Home fries or shreds?”
I thought for a minute and remembered how Nova loved home fries. “Home fries, please.”
Mom brought me forward until she could press her lips to my forehead. “Love you,” she said as she turned toward the door.
“Mom?”
She looked over her shoulder.
“What’s going to happen to us?”
My mom smiled softly and tilted her head. “Antonia will be your guardian. She’s going to take care of you and Nova.”
Deep down, I knew this, but I needed to hear it. Toni was better than foster care, but I also wondered if we would go live with our grandparents.
Now that my mom had confirmed we’d stay with Toni, I had more questions. Would I have to leave school? Would Toni move to Grove Hill? Would we stay in this house?
“Toni is going to teach you to drive as well,” Mom said. “Please listen to her.”
I couldn’t help the smile that spread across my face. I’d wanted to learn to drive since I turned fifteen, but for some reason my mom always put it off.
“I will. Thank you for asking her.”
Mom smiled again. “It wasn’t me, Cutter. This was Toni’s idea.” She closed the door to give me the time I needed to regain my composure. When I saw Toni this morning, I would have to thank her. She didn’t have to ask my mom, but she had, and now because of her, I’d get to learn how to drive.
I took some deep breaths, fist-pumped the air, and went into the bathroom to splash some water on my face. When I opened the door, Nova was standing there in her mini Grove Hill Timberwolves jersey. It had my number and last name on the back.
She held out her hand for a high five, which I happily tapped. “Can I have a piggyback ride?”
I rolled my eyes and pretended like this was a big deal. It wasn’t. Crouching down, she hopped onto my back and locked her hands over her wrists once they were around my neck.
“Aunt Toni went and got us doughnuts.”
“It’s game day.”
“I know, dork,” she said, laughing. “Why do you think I have this jersey on?”
I shrugged. “Because I’m your awesome big brother and you want the world to know how much you love me.”
“You wish, but I do love you. Thank you for the ride.” I set her down in the hall, and she ran toward the kitchen. I followed, hearing voices.