She opened her eyes to a dazzling display of lights. Laeli immediately closed them again, since light displays were usually associated with the annoying hospital machines. She couldn't stand the thought of being back in that white-washed room.
As the light continued to assault her closed eyes, a fragment of a conversation she had held with her only friend suddenly emerged from her memory.
"Hey Laeli, are you lonely?"
"Why is that important?"
"Stupid question, right? You have me after all." Matt laughed, bracing himself from a withering stare from Laeli.
"You are correct." Laeli closed her copy of Macbeth. "Your chatter keeps this room lively. I'm not lonely."
"Aww, you're so cu-- Um, I mean, yeah! I'm not lonely either."
"Why did you bring this up?"
"Look here! Apparently, rabbits die if you keep them alone too long. They die of loneliness."
"Rabbits?"
Matt's voice lowered. "Promise me you won't be lonely? Ever?"
"Of course not. I have you."
"Me, huh?"
Rabbits.
Loneliness.
Laeli wasn't lonely. Not in the slightest. Matt's departure was a tragic thing, for sure, but she had to remain strong. Even though she had renounced her family bloodline, Laeli was still a lady at heart. A lady had to remain strong regardless of her surroundings.
"Laeli? Are you awake?" A gentle voice shook her out of her daze. Laeli opened her eyes to a surprising sight. The lights she had seen were not from the machines, but from sunlight trickling through the leaves of a tree outside her window. She sat up abruptly, her eyes darting around in an attempt to make sense of her environment.
"Where am I? Who are you?"
"I am Matt's mother." The woman handed Laeli a slip of paper. "Here, I felt that you would probably like to keep this."
Laeli took the sheet of paper from the woman.
"He called you 'mom'."
"Yes."
"Mom..." The word was so unfamiliar to Laeli. It was such a warm and beautiful word. The three letters seemed to choke Laeli up as they left her throat. Mom. The tears began to stream down her face, even as she covered her eyes with her arm to stop their path.
"Yes, Laeli?" Matt's mom watery eyes stared back at the girl. "I know this might be sudden, but if you want to stay with us, I would be more than happy to take you in as my daughter. Matt constantly talked to us about the possibility after he died."
"If you would be willing to take in someone like me as your daughter... I would be ecstatic." Before Laeli could finish her sentence, the woman suddenly hugged her tightly.
"Welcome to the family, Laeli."
"T-th..." She couldn't respond. The tears wouldn't let her.
The sheet of paper she had been clutching tightly fell to the ground.
{This kind of sucks having to write a will when I'm only nineteen. I'm not even rich, and I don't even have that many things that people could want anyways. However, before I die, I want to leave something people can remember me by. Can I count on you, Laeli? We've spent these last seventeen days together, 24/7. You know me best, don't you? I know you... well, pretty well too, don't I. So. I know that you sometimes feel that the world is lost because of your family, but don't worry! You can totally have my family. Silai needs a strong older sister to take care of all the bullies. Please, keep living. I won't be able to be with you as you struggle, but... there are others, tons of people.
This was kind of a huge secret, but since I'm going to die, I might as well tell you now.
Hey, Laeli, read this carefully, okay?
I love you.
And even though I can't stay with you in this lifetime, in the future... it would be nice if we could meet again.
Goodbye.}
So ended day 1.
As the light continued to assault her closed eyes, a fragment of a conversation she had held with her only friend suddenly emerged from her memory.
"Hey Laeli, are you lonely?"
"Why is that important?"
"Stupid question, right? You have me after all." Matt laughed, bracing himself from a withering stare from Laeli.
"You are correct." Laeli closed her copy of Macbeth. "Your chatter keeps this room lively. I'm not lonely."
"Aww, you're so cu-- Um, I mean, yeah! I'm not lonely either."
"Why did you bring this up?"
"Look here! Apparently, rabbits die if you keep them alone too long. They die of loneliness."
"Rabbits?"
Matt's voice lowered. "Promise me you won't be lonely? Ever?"
"Of course not. I have you."
"Me, huh?"
Rabbits.
Loneliness.
Laeli wasn't lonely. Not in the slightest. Matt's departure was a tragic thing, for sure, but she had to remain strong. Even though she had renounced her family bloodline, Laeli was still a lady at heart. A lady had to remain strong regardless of her surroundings.
"Laeli? Are you awake?" A gentle voice shook her out of her daze. Laeli opened her eyes to a surprising sight. The lights she had seen were not from the machines, but from sunlight trickling through the leaves of a tree outside her window. She sat up abruptly, her eyes darting around in an attempt to make sense of her environment.
"Where am I? Who are you?"
"I am Matt's mother." The woman handed Laeli a slip of paper. "Here, I felt that you would probably like to keep this."
Laeli took the sheet of paper from the woman.
"He called you 'mom'."
"Yes."
"Mom..." The word was so unfamiliar to Laeli. It was such a warm and beautiful word. The three letters seemed to choke Laeli up as they left her throat. Mom. The tears began to stream down her face, even as she covered her eyes with her arm to stop their path.
"Yes, Laeli?" Matt's mom watery eyes stared back at the girl. "I know this might be sudden, but if you want to stay with us, I would be more than happy to take you in as my daughter. Matt constantly talked to us about the possibility after he died."
"If you would be willing to take in someone like me as your daughter... I would be ecstatic." Before Laeli could finish her sentence, the woman suddenly hugged her tightly.
"Welcome to the family, Laeli."
"T-th..." She couldn't respond. The tears wouldn't let her.
The sheet of paper she had been clutching tightly fell to the ground.
{This kind of sucks having to write a will when I'm only nineteen. I'm not even rich, and I don't even have that many things that people could want anyways. However, before I die, I want to leave something people can remember me by. Can I count on you, Laeli? We've spent these last seventeen days together, 24/7. You know me best, don't you? I know you... well, pretty well too, don't I. So. I know that you sometimes feel that the world is lost because of your family, but don't worry! You can totally have my family. Silai needs a strong older sister to take care of all the bullies. Please, keep living. I won't be able to be with you as you struggle, but... there are others, tons of people.
This was kind of a huge secret, but since I'm going to die, I might as well tell you now.
Hey, Laeli, read this carefully, okay?
I love you.
And even though I can't stay with you in this lifetime, in the future... it would be nice if we could meet again.
Goodbye.}
So ended day 1.
