Chapter 1 - An Angel By her Side

PROLOGUE

Fae had lived with her grandmother, Mary, for 10 years. Since Mary turned 88, he needed help from her 17 year old granddaughter to cook, clean, and take care of herself.
*
“Hello?” Fae asked as she picked up the phone.
“Hi! This is the Community Hospital. We would like to arrange an appointment to discuss the results of Mary’s test. How does Friday sound?” the voice on the other line said.
“Alright, we’ll be there” Fae replied, with a lump of worry in her throat “Goodbye.”
*
The next day, Fae and her grandmother went to the Community Hospital to speak with the doctor.

“We’ve reviewed Mary’s biopsy, and we found some malignant cells. Therefore, we will have to do some further testing to determine what type of cancer she has. We think, most likely, Lung Cancer.” The doctor told them.

Fae stared at the doctor in shock. Mary looked around the room, as if she didn’t know what was going on. The doctor showed sympathy as he told them about possible treatments and what to expect.

*
Two weeks after the visit to the Hospital, Mary went in for another test to find out what kind of cancer she had.

*
The doctor was right, it was lung cancer.

“Can we talk?” Fae asked Mary one night. The drops of rain, tapping on the window could be heard. The wind howled outside.
“Talk about what?” Mary asked.
“About your cancer”
“I don’t want to.” Mary announced.
“Please…” Fae urged.
“No” Mary said firmly “I know what is going to happen to me, and I do not want to discuss it.”
“Alright. But I want you to know that I will always be there for you.” Fae said.
“I know” Mary said solemnly.
*
Mary had to have chemotherapy. So she was in the hospital for months. She missed Fae’s care. She really hated the hospital. It was too neat and clean, and it was pale, and smelled like chemicals.


*
Mary’s Cancer got worse and spread through her body. They realized that there was nothing they could do.
*
On Mary’s 100th birthday, as Fae sat by her side, and the first flake of snow fluttered down to the ground, Mary took her very last breath, and closed her eyes forever.
*
At the funeral, a single tear rolled down Fae’s cheek and dropped to the grass. And she walked away, leaving everything behind, except for Mary.
Because Mary was in her heart.




EPILOGUE

Fae silently walked through the park, with her hands in her pockets. She heard a faint jingling sound. As she looked up, she saw a man, dressed in rags, hunched over on a dirty park bench. He looked very sick and was coughing, symptoms Fae recognized from Mary. The sign in front of his torn sneakers read: Need Money
Have Lung cancer
Fae took out her wallet and removed all her money from it. She put in his cup with a few coins, with mostly nickels. The man did not look up. But in her heart, she knew he was thankful---just like she knew that wherever she went, Mary was always An Angel by Her Side.

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