Page 15 of Anastasia

The doctor gazed at me, but I chose to ignore him as my phone rang inside of my pocket.

“Hello?” I answered.

Dr. Flores began to explain his plan that would happen in the next couple of months with Alex. She listened sadly as he told her about her next chemotherapy treatments.

“Hey, babe. Valerio said he needs you to come down here about six. You’ve been requested,” Janice explained.

Letting out a loud groan of aggravation, I agreed. All she did was chuckle as we said our goodbyes.

Hearing that I had been requested brought back memories of Mr. Romano. After that day, Valerio had come up to me with all the cash I made from tips and a big fat check. It was worth about twenty-five thousand and it was addressed to me fromhim. If I didn’t need the money, I would’ve given it back and informed the man that I was not a prostitute. However, that wasn’t the case because I did, in fact, need the money. I took the check and turned back on the electricity in our small apartment. I even paid the rent for the next couple of months and then put the rest into my savings.

“If your sister wants me to explain everything to her just give the nurse a call,” he told Alex while walking out of the room. I pushed myself out of my thoughts before glancing over at my sister. She was looking at me suspiciously.

“What?” I quizzed.

Then, I watched as her eyes wandered down to the bag I had underneath my chair. It was the same bag I used to pack all of my clothes in just in case I had to work. My diner clothes were in there along with some makeup and a couple of Barbie outfits just so I wouldn’t have to go all the way home.

“I love you, Nana, but I have noticed how you leave some nights. Of course, you are a woman, and you can do how you please, but I just?”

“You justwhat?” I asked, pulling my brows together at her momentary pause.

“I just can’t help but wonder; where do you go?”

Sitting down in the chair that had become my usual home at the hospital, I thought about the answer to her words. I didn’t want to lie to her, and I knew that she would use her brilliant mind to put everything together eventually. However, her disappointment was just something I couldn’t handle.

“My second job. Stop worrying so much about me, you should be the main focus,” I told her, wanting to drop the entire subject.

She opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something else, but then she closed it. A sigh moved past her lips as she let her shoulders fall in defeat.

Dancing at the club had gotten easier, and the men began to know my name and they loved me. It seemed like every day that I went, the more money in tips I seemed to make. I had already bought my sister a few wigs that were waiting for her inside of our room for the day she comes home. I even updated her entire wardrobe after paying off a few of her medical bills. Life was beginning to look up for me.

“I’m going to swing by the house to grab a few things, is there anything you need?” I asked her, standing up.

“Actually, there is something,” she whispered. I furrowed my brow as I watched my sister’s shaking hand rise to her head where she combed through her strands. Long pieces of hair were clinging to her fingers. My heart broke at the sight of Alex’s tears as she did it again and again.

“Stop it, Alex!” I exclaimed, grabbing her wrist. As I held her wrist, I couldn’t stop staring at the hair in Alex’s hand. When my eyes trailed up to her head, I noticed the patches of missing hair and how thin her once thick strands had become.

“Just cut it off.” Alex wept.

“What? No,” I stated, releasing her wrist from my hold.

Alex glared down at her hand as she shook her head. There was this pain that arose in my throat from seeing my sister like that. I’d never once seen Alex hang her shoulders in defeat. It was unlike her to be so hurt and to so easily show off that pain. She was closed off, keeping her emotions sealed.

“Then I’ll do it myself,” she spoke. Just as she said it, Alex reached over to her nightstand where her arts and crafts were hiding inside of a drawer. She grabbed the safety scissors, and before I was given the chance to stop her, she cut her hair.

I gasped. “Alex!”

She sobbed as she cut another chunk. I could only watch in horror as she did it again. Every time the scissors snipped, her sobs grew louder.

After one last cut, she finally stopped. Her body stilled, but her weeping grew. Alex threw her hands up in her hair as her shoulders rocked to match the music of her sadness. I hurriedly wrapped my arms around my little sister, trying to protect her from her own pain. Alex responded by allowing me to hug her and keep her protected like I always swore to do. If that meant I had to protect her from the very disease killing her, then I would.

When her crying died down, I rubbed her back soothingly. “Are you okay?”

She sniffled. “I’m fine.”

“Good. Now, let’s get this head as smooth as a newborn baby,” I joked. Alex cracked a smile before a snort climbed out of her throat. After kissing the top of her head, I called in a nurse, who helped me cut off the rest of Alex’s hair before we used hair clippers to really get it short. Once we finished, I watched Alex touch her bald head as she stared at herself in the mirror. Her wide eyes and parted lips made my frown deepen.

“How do you feel?” I asked.

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