Page 30 of Isaia

I knock my bag off the swing, the contents spilling out on the porch. “Breast cancer,” I echo, her words lingering in the frigid air like frost.

“It’s aggressive, but it’s still treatable.” Her words cut through the waves of shock that wash over me. The world tilts on its axis, and I squeeze my eyes shut to steady myself.

“Oh, my God,” I murmur into the receiver. “Mom, I can…I…” I don't finish my sentence. The words are stuck in my throat.

She starts to explain, but I’m only half-listening. My pulse thunders in my ears, my body trembling.

I crouch, blindly picking up my scattered things, barely able to process what she’s saying. My hands are shaking so badly that I drop my lipstick, my keys, everything slipping through my fingers.

“Mom, I… I don’t know what to say,” I manage to whisper, clenching back tears.

“It’s okay, honey. We’ll get through this,” she tries to reassure me, but sounds fragile. She’s terrified, and the thought of losing her…I just can’t.

Her next words are so soft I could barely hear them. “I need to see you, Everly.” The catch in her voice sends a chill all the way down to my bones, and it strikes me hard.

For a second, the threatening tears overwhelm me, and I press my lips together, determined not to lose my shit while she can hear. “Yeah, of course. Just name the time and place, and I’ll be there.”

“I’ll text you.” She's quiet for a long moment before she murmurs, “I love you, Everly.”

My heart constricts. “I love you too, Mom.”

As soon as I hang up, the dam breaks.

I press my hand to my mouth, desperate to muffle the sound of my cries, but the tremor in my shoulders betrays me. Tears spill down my cheeks, hot and unchecked, my vision blurring until everything around me becomes an indistinct haze of grief. The more I think about the possibility of losing my mother, the more my chest tightens, squeezing, until it feels like my ribs are caving in on themselves.

I can’t breathe.

My lungs seize, constricting like a vise, and every shallow gasp only sharpens the burning in my chest. I try to suck in more air, but it’s like I'm inhaling through a straw, the oxygen barely making it to my lungs.

A sharp, stabbing pain radiates through me, and panic rises, fierce and relentless, clawing at my throat as the world around me starts to spin.

My heart hammers against my ribs, pounding in time with the frantic wheezing sounds escaping my throat. It’s as if I’m drowning in air I don’t have, my lungs fighting for every breath they can’t seem to catch.

My vision tunnels, the edges going dark as I drop to my knees, my hands shaking violently as I scramble through the mess of my spilled bag. My breath comes in short, desperate gasps, each one more ragged and labored than the last.

My inhaler—where the hell is it?

I sift through my belongings, fingers trembling, knocking over my keys, my phone, everything, but I can’t find it.

My hands are slick with sweat, my fingers numb, and the edges of my vision blur further as my lungs clamp down, hard, refusing to open.

Suddenly, I hear footsteps, fast and heavy. I barely register them before a familiar voice cuts through the fog of panic.

“Everly? Jesus.”

Through the haze I glance at the face of the familiar voice. Isaia is crouched next to me, eyes wide.

I try to speak, but the words barely come out. “My…my…”

“Your inhaler.” Isaia's dark eyes widen with realization. “Shit! Where is it?”

I point frantically toward my scattered belongings. Isaia moves swiftly, his large hands sweeping through the mess, cursing under his breath as my wheezing fills the space around us. Each second drags like an eternity until?—

“Got it!”

He wraps a steady arm around my back, holding me upright, and brings the inhaler to my lips. My trembling hand grips his as he presses down on the pump. The cool burst of medicine fills my lungs, and I gasp in, desperate, like a drowning person finally breaking the surface.

“Breathe, Everly. Slow, deep breaths.” His hand remains on my back, firm and reassuring, guiding me through each shaky inhale. “That’s it. Just breathe. I got you.”

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