8
Natalie visited, cautiously gesturing towards the
door. “Is…Sean out there?”
I corrected her sternly. “No, that’s a nuisance.”
Natalie smiled wryly. “Are you really going to
cut it?”
“Yeah. Nurse Chloe is too busy. Don’t want to take up her time. You can do it. I’m a little sad
<
Natalie silently picked up the clippers, helping
me say goodbye to my long hair.
Looking in the mirror, I thought, I really look like
a patient now. A terminal patient.
I couldn’t walk around as much anymore. The
pain was constant.
I asked Nurse Chloe to find me a home health
aide. “Someone efficient, someone who gets
things done. I can pay.”
True to her word, Nurse Chloe found someone
the next day. Before the aide could even enter
my room, Sean intercepted her.
“I’ll take care of you.” His touch was gentle, but
his voice was firm.
The pain made it hard to speak, but I managed
to force out one word: “Get out!”
3:24
88
“I’ve heard that so many times. I’m immune.”
My heart sank. I’d forgotten. Sean, my eternal nemesis, always had to oppose me.
When the pain subsided a bit, I threw everything
I could reach at him, screaming for him to leave.
He crouched beside me. “Claire, let’s go back
to Chicago for treatment, okay?”
I tilted my head. “Sean, do you even understand what ‘terminal‘ means? Treatment is just
prolonging the inevitable. I don’t want it!”
Besides, I didn’t want to go back to Chicago.
Too many painful memories there.
“Don’t say that. Things can get better.”
I pushed his hand away. “What good would it do? My family is waiting for me. I can finally!
a family reunion?”
“Claire, we were…a family, too. Don’t you
remember?”
“Sean, get a brain scan. We’re divorced! Do I
need to make a banner for you to hang up as a
reminder?”
I took a deep breath. “Do you have a thing for
sick girls? Was your assistant your first? Did
you start dating her because she was sick and
getting IVs? And Chloe was always running to
the hospital…”
My eyes widened. “I get it now. You have a
thing for damsels in distress.”
Sean’s face paled. He shook his head.
“It’s a weird fetish. You should get it checked
out.”
ninht of L
Una Melies
<
3:24
88
The sight of him was making me nauseous. “I’m warning you. Don’t stop me from hiring a
caregiver. I’ll die tomorrow, and you won’t see a
penny of my money! I’ll throw it out the window before you get your hands on it!”
Sean’s eyes were red as he placed a basin beside the bed. “Suit yourself.”
He patted my back as tears rolled down his cheeks. The disgust overwhelmed me, and I threw up everything I’d eaten that evening.
Sean didn’t stop the home health aide this time. Sometimes, he even helped Mrs. Davis with her tasks. I turned a blind eye, figuring it was his way of indulging his strange fetish.
As long as he didn’t hover over me, it was fine.
On Valentine’s Day, Mrs. Davis asked for the
day off. I readily agreed. I adored her little
grandson.
<
Fireworks lit up the sky outside. I sat by the
window, watching.
“Claire, it’s cold by the window.”
I turned to see Sean. He hadn’t left. He’d been
there for over a month, sleeping on the couch in the common area.
Nurse Chloe had tried to make him leave at
first, but later she’d confessed, “He warms up
your IV fluids when you’re asleep. I feel bad kicking him out.”
“Sean, let’s go for a walk.”
Valentine’s Day was special. When we were
young, Sean would sneak out of his house and
take me to the food stalls behind the school,
spending his holiday money on treats for me.
Sean came from a wealthy family. He’d always
escape those stuffy gatherings to appear
<
before me, looking like a little prince in his
miniature suit.
It was the day I looked forward to most all year.
I’d once asked him, “What if your family doesn’t
approve of us being together?”
Sean had laughed, pulling me into a hug.
“Claire, we’ll elope. Just like this.”
And he did. His family wanted him to marry.
someone from their social circle, not an orphan
with no family.
He refused. And on one Valentine’s Day, her
took me away from this city.
I’d never forget that bumpy train ride, my head
resting on his chest. “I don’t have any family.
anymore, Sean.”
He held me tight. “Claire, we’ll make our own.
<
Tally. I be your family.
I remembered the warmth of his hand in mine,
the way my heart pounded in my chest.
His promises echoed in my ears, but everything
had changed.
We’d done so much for each other. How did we
end up like this?
I couldn’t figure it out, so I stopped trying.
“I want one of those.” I pointed at a hot dog.
stand.
“Claire…” His expression was hesitant.
I rolled my eyes and started walking towards
the stand.
“Alright, alright, I’ll get you one. Stay here. It’s
smoky over there.”
3124
I took a bite, a wave of nostalgia washing over
me it fasted like being young again
loan
then proceeded to make an buy me candied
apples, fish balls, and shavedd ion.
When my hands were full, he became my human
coat rack, on sampled each treat,
“Claire,” he started.
“Shut up!” I shot him a look “If you’re going to
anney me, go back inside.”
“Claire, don’t eat too much” His voice was Thick with omotion Eglanced up and saw his пуп
“Why are you crying? Are you just waiting for me to die?” I sighed, pulling away and walking
“Claire, Claire, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it.” Fo
3:24
“No!” I was still annoyed. I wasn’t going to let him off that easily.
88
“This stuff isn’t good for you. Are you trying to
hasten my demise?”
Sean looked down, then tugged at my sleeve as
I started to walk away. “Claire, want some noodles? From that place on Back Street?”
It was our favorite spot. We went there every
year.
Maybe it was the lure of the noodles, maybe it
was the group of high school students that
rushed past us, or maybe…it was the sight of
Sean in his suit, head bowed, that overlapped with a specific moment in time, a memory
etched deep within me.
I nodded. “Okay.”
