Chapter 3

It was late when Lena came out of her room, clutching her pajamas.

She lingered by my bedroom door for a moment before heading to the bathroom.

I followed her, watching as she flicked on the light. In the mirror, her eyes looked red.

"Oh, by the way, I made a wish today," she said, turning on the faucet and reaching for her toothbrush. "I wished that when I start college, I could bring you with me to see my school." She began brushing her teeth. "We could walk around campus together, go to the library together, eat in the cafeteria together."

"I'm going to study really hard and become a doctor."

"Then I'll cure your illness." She pointed at herself in the mirror, but I knew she was talking to me.

Tears began streaming down my face.

I remembered the year I was diagnosed, when Lena had hugged me tight and said, "Don't be scared, Ella. When I grow up and become a doctor, I'll definitely cure you."

Eight years had passed, and she was still making the same wish.

But Lena, this wish can never come true.

Lena finished washing her face and walked over to the bathtub. She reached out, her fingers touching the shower curtain ring.

No! Get away!

I didn't want her to see my body submerged in the water, didn't want her to see my pale face.

But she couldn't hear me at all.

Just as she was about to pull it aside—

The lights went out.

"Ah!" Lena cried out, jerking her hand back as if she'd been burned. The shower curtain swayed gently and fell back into place.

Mom's voice drifted up from downstairs. "Lena? The power's out! Don't move, I'll get some candles!"

"Lena?" Mom climbed the stairs, holding a candle. "It's okay, just a power outage. Probably... probably forgot to pay the electric bill."

"Mom, I'm scared." Lena's voice was shaking. "It's so dark up here, and that shower curtain... it kept moving."

"Just the wind," Mom said, wrapping her arm around Lena's shoulders. "Use the downstairs bathroom. There's a window down there, it's brighter."

After Lena finished washing up, Mom helped her make the bed. Lena sat on the edge in her nightgown, unconsciously twisting the corner of her comforter between her fingers.

"Mom," her voice was barely a whisper, "does Ella... hate me?"

Mom's hands stilled as she fluffed the pillow. "Why would you think that?"

"Because I have everything." Lena looked down. "I get to go to school, I get to graduate, I get to have friends. Ella has none of that. Today... today she must have felt so awful."

Mom sat down beside her and pulled Lena into her arms.

"She doesn't hate you," Mom said, her voice hoarse. "Your sister is just... sick. She wants nothing more than for you to be happy."

"But when I invited Ella to my graduation today, the way she looked at me..." Lena's voice caught. "She must have thought I was showing off."

"No, sweetheart. Not at all."

Mom held Lena close, gently rubbing her back.

I stood by the doorway, digging my fingers into the frame—though I couldn't actually grip anything.

How could I ever hate you? I'm so proud of you.

"Sometimes I think," Lena buried her face in Mom's shoulder, "it would be better if I were the one who got sick. Then Ella could have a normal life."

No, I would never want you to go through what I did.

"Don't you dare say that!" Mom's voice turned sharp. She pushed Lena back slightly, staring into her eyes. "Never say that again, do you hear me?"

Lena flinched and nodded.

Mom sighed and pulled her close again. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have snapped. It's just... you can't say things like that. You're both precious to me."

She kissed Lena's forehead, turned off the light, and left the room.

In the kitchen, she carefully placed the leftover cake in the refrigerator.

"Tomorrow when Ella's not upset anymore, I'll take the cake out for her."