Page 116 of Lily In The Valley
“Tomorrow’s the earliest we’ll have full test results back. Dr. Sayegh’s still leaning toward post-infectious bronchiectasis.”
“And her mom?”
“She’s still here, if that’s what you’re asking,” Kelly said. “Not in denial, not in panic.”
That landed heavy in my chest.
“She know I’m coming?”
Kelly hesitated. “Yes.”
I nodded.
“You don’t have to see her if you’re not ready. The choice is yours.”
“No, I do.”
We moved to the couch, Karter wedging himself in the middle like a self-appointed chaperone. Kelly tossed him a tiny treat from the coffee table bowl. “He’s been my emotional support baby. He has official papers and everything.”
“I thought that was my job,” I muttered, sinking into the cushions.
Her leg brushed mine, not on purpose, but she didn’t move it either. “You okay?” she asked again, this time quieter.
“No,” I said honestly. “It’s like… there’s a part of me that’s still six. Still looking out the window, watching her drive off, waiting for her to come back.” I looked down at my hands. “And now I’m supposed to walk up to her and be…what? Cool? Calm? Thankful?”
“You don’t have to be anything but honest,” Kelly said.
I looked over at her.
“She’s not a monster,” she added. “But she made a choice. And it cost you something she’ll never be able to repay.”
I exhaled hard. “How’d she look?”
“She looked worn. But not destroyed. Healthy.”
I leaned back, letting my head rest against the couch cushion.
“I don’t know what I’ll say.”
“You don’t have to decide tonight.”
She handed me the remote. “Pick a movie. Something that doesn’t make me think.”
I scrolled, then smirked.
“What?” she asked.
“You should already know what I’m putting on.” I smiled genuinely.
“Khalil, I swear if you make me watchLeprechaun in the Hoodagain,” she said. “You know what? I’m picking, give me the remote.”
“Always hating,” I said, handing her the remote. She searched through Netflix until she landed onThe Wood. Karter climbed into Kelly’s lap like he had seniority. She pressed play, and the opening notes of the soundtrack filled the room. We didn’t say much after that. We didn’t have to.
Kelly leaned back onto the couch, one hand absently stroking Karter’s fur, the other tucked beneath the blanket she’d wrapped them in. The soft flicker of the TV cast light across her face, warm and golden.. I glanced over at her when Omar Epps made his awkward entrance, and she was smiling. Not the kind she forced for everyone else. This one reached her eyes and laughed back at the character’s antics.
Outside, the rain tapped gently against the windows. Inside, something calmer bloomed, like the thick, white petals of the peace lily next to her windows. It wasn’t fireworks. It wasn’t a rush. Just an ember catching again, slow and steady.
For once, it didn’t feel like goodbye was just waiting around the corner.
