Apria was a 16 year old girl battling lung and heart cancer in her early life. Although she had her family, friends, and boyfriend Taylor Hanson of one year, she still found it hard to keep going day after day. The days seemed to get longer and longer, and the pain seemed to increase as she fought for the last days of her life. Her family, which consisted of a sister, Adelyne, her mother, Charlotte, and her father, Micheal, was taking the situation as calmly as possible, and Adelyne, being 17, cried herself to sleep. Her mother and father tried to get her to see a professional to help calm her fears and to ease some of the pain, but being the strong person she was, didn't want the help. Charlotte and Micheal agreed to not making her see someone, but still kept a close watch on her. They didn't want to take any chances of something happening to their other daughter.
To Apria, Taylor came second in her life. After God of course, but before her family in some ways, but after them in others. Little things that he knew, and little things her family knew was what made them both special. Apria's big sister, Adelyne, was always willing to talk and listen to Apria's problems, and watched after her little sister closely.
It's near the end, Apria thought to herself one day. She shamed herself for thinking so foolishly, but lately she'd been weaker than usual, and seemed to have no life in her. I'm just imagining things, she said in her head. "Yes, that is what I am doing." she said outloud this time as if to make the statement clear.
Adelyne knew in her heart the three most important things keeping her sister alive were 1) The desire of God not yet wanting to take her, and the constant prayers of loved ones, 2) Taylor being by her side every step of the way, and 3) The love and support she was getting from both friends and family. The positive attitude her younger sister was giving absolutely amazed Adelyne to no end. Apria was fighting one of the most deadly diseases on earth, knows she isn't going to live to her 18th birthday to be an _____, miss out on so many things as a child, and being a mother to a wonderful kid...and experiencing love, yet she still looks at the bright side of things. Adelyne and Apria once had a conversation:
"Apria, you're going to miss out on so much...I'm going to miss you...everyone will, and I wanted you to experience love so much longer...it's truly an amazing thing." Adelyne said, tears drenching Apria's golden yellow comforter.
With a radiant smile on her face, Apria spoke with confidence, senserity, and gentleness, "Yes Adelyne, I'm scared. But look at it this way." Apria's smile seemed to brighten. "At least I get to experience it for now. Right now I get to experience love with Taylor while I'm here, and at least I got to experience it just this long...at least it happened, Adelyne. If I were to leave this world right this minute, what would I be missing? I have love from my family surrounding me, I have love from friends surrounding me just the same, and a special kind of love from Taylor that will always, always, always be with me no matter what. I've been able to experience many things. Maybe not as many as most who live longer, but I'm content with the things that I was able to try...that I was able to see. I'm content."
Adelyne looked at her younger sister with a teary eyed stare, and fell in her arms while Apria clasped them around her.
"Apria, you're an angel. A gift from Heaven," was her reply.
After Adelyne's conversation with her sister, she tried to cherish every memory and savor every moment of every day. It was an important lesson in life taught by someone who was younger than she. Which goes to show that age doesn't insinuate wisdom. Wisdom is produced by life.
Apria's condition continued to steepen, and she became worse. The doctors simply let her go home and be in the surroundings of her own home so that she was more comfortable, because the disease was rapidly taking over her system and getting worse, making it impossible for doctors to do anything. She stayed at home in her bed looking at pictures of her family and friends for two days, and then it became hard for her to breathe. Through it all, Taylor remained by her side, and comforted her til the very end. It was 11:51 pm and Apria and Taylor had moved onto the balcony upstairs to watch the stars in the darkened sky when she simply said,
"I love you, Taylor." and laid her head on his shoulder. She stopped breathing, and Taylor just kept crying and held her til morning. Although her going was peaceful, it broke many hearts, especially Taylor's, who felt a piece of him had died, also.
Adelyne resented Taylor for being with Apria instead of her, and her emotional problems became a suffering situation. She refused to see a doctor or someone who could help her, and her health continued to deteriorate. She suffered of an eating disorder and began to sink into depression. Her life was folding up before herself.
As for Taylor, he had enough problems of his own. He had secretly taken the pictures Apria had given to him after she passed away, and looked at them every day. His family was supportive of his feelings, and left him to deal on his own when he needed 'alone' time, and comforted him when he needed someone. But the continuing feeling of something else dying inside of him still haunted him inside his heart, although at times he could have sworn she was right next to him floating past in a wistful breeze. Sometimes he thought of her as a breeze. Simply, yet, complexly floating into his life leaving the sweet smell of memories behind.
~!~The End~!~
Epilogue
It was late one night, about a year after Apria's death, and Taylor was outside enjoying the stars. It was a nightly ritual, especially on August 15th, which was the day Apria left. He seemed to be filled with strength when he looked at the stars. Not to mention a warm and filled space in his heart, unlike other times when it felt empty. And alone.
Taylor sat out on his lawn in the darkness. He heard someone approach slowly on the autumn leaves. He turned to see who it was, and was face to face with Adelyne. He had made every effort to avoid her, because of her feelings toward him, but this time it was obvious that she had something to say.
"Hello, Adelyne." he said quietly. It seemed to cut through the air like a knife. He shifted his gaze away from her and continued to look at the stars. Her frame seemed to be nothing, and her eyes held large black rings from sleep loss.
"You know what Taylor Hanson?" Her words were the first he'd heard in a long time. They were almost sounding like Apria's. "You can't tell me this isn't hurting me. You can't tell me this isn't hurting anyone, but you don't know what I've been through. You can't act like you knew every little thing about her when you didn't. In a way, I wanted to keep her as mine forever, but I knew that she would one day want to have a boyfriend and fall in love. I found that I had held a grudge against you. Small enough to where it wasn't noticable to everyone, but still one large enough that it built when she died. I wanted to keep her as my baby sister forever, and cherish all the memories we had together, and keep her in my heart forever. But when you came along, she was taken a little bit. From me and from my family. I didn't want to accept that, Taylor Hanson, and sometimes I find myself not accepting it now. And I find myself being foolishly mad at you.." Adelyne pressed her folded arms to her very slender frame and looking off in a manner that Apria used to do. Then, she continued, "I find myself being angry at you, because you didn't know anything about her..." Adelyne was cut short by an infuriated Taylor.
"I didn't know anything about her?! What on EARTH are you talking about?!"
Adelyne's temper that had slightly backed down, had raged up again. "Taylor Hanson, you know EXACTLY what I'm talking about. Tell me this, will you? What was her favorite cereal? What was her favorite Barbie when she was younger? What was her favorite thing about singing? Whom did she address her journal to?" Adelyne began pacing around in circles shaking her head and flailing her arms about. "Who was her favorite Care Bear character when she was five, Taylor?! How does she like her eggs? Are her shoestrings straight or sideways?! Taylor, you don't KNOW these things!!! How COULD you know these things?!" Adelyne started crying and sat down on the ground to regroup.
"Adelyne, I may not know those things, but I know one thing, and I loved your sister. And that's what matters most." Taylor said calmly after thinking.
Adelyne ran to Taylor and wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. It was something they both needed. A little bit of Apria in each other left behind that would last a lifetime. Maybe it was mood change that changed the events of that night, or maybe it was what mattered most.
~!~The End~!~