Chapter 1

“Les…”

I was awakened by my mother’s soft touch on my right cheek. I opened my eyes, and the first thing I saw was Lance, my older brother, holding a paper bag with different fruits inside it with one hand and a duffel bag (probably containing my clothes) with his other hand. He then walked to Jessie, my best friend, who was sleeping on the couch beside the hospital room’s window.

“Good morning,” I greeted them with a smile, and Mama immediately smiled back.

“Good morning, Les,” Lance greeted back.

“I actually didn’t want to disturb your good sleep, but it was time for your meds already. I’m sorry, dear,” Mama pouted and sighed. It was evident that she was feeling bad.

I rubbed her back and smiled. “No worries, Ma. I know this is for my own good.” I smiled again.

I took the medicines that Mama was holding, and after doing so, I decided to go to the bathroom to wash my face and take a pee.

As I was trying to stand up, Lance immediately stopped what he was doing to help me get up.

“Lance, I’m okay. I only have a freaking heart disease… I’m not disabled or anything—my feet and limbs work perfectly fine,” I said sarcastically, and Lance just clicked his tongue and shook his head. He still helped me walk to the bathroom as he was the one who pushed the dextrose that was intravenously connected to my wrist.

“Thank you,” I flashed a big smile at Lance before I closed the bathroom door.

I finished washing my face and brushing my teeth after a few minutes, and Lance was waiting for me at the other side of the door so he could help me walk back to my hospital bed.

As I sat at the corner of my hospital bed, Jessie walked up to me to say goodbye.

“I will be back tomorrow, bestie,” Jessie said as she folded her hands on mine. “Don’t worry about the incoming enrollment; I will enroll you. Auntie had already given me the money for your tuition fee.” Jessie gave Mama a glance, and Mama just gave her a smile.

“Think positively, okay?! Everything will fall into place, and you will be able to go to classes this semester. Besides, your doctor had already told you that you already have a heart donor, so… don’t ever think negatively and don’t overthink things, okay?” She then raised both her brows at me and flashed a big smile—and I knew that that big smile was full of hope.

This was the reason why I didn’t get tired of fighting this heart disease. I didn’t get tired because of my loved ones—because of Mama, Lance, and, of course, because of Jessie, my best friend.

“Thank you so much, my bestie,” I gave back the big smile that she had just given me. I raised a brow, too, and asked her, “What will I do without you?”

I hugged her tightly after saying that because I felt my eyes getting hot as tears were slowly forming. I hugged her because I did not want her to see me cry; I was sure she would be crying with me once she saw me.

“Anyway, I’ll be leaving already. I need to run an errand for Mom, so I will probably come back here later or most probably tomorrow,” Jessie then let go of the hug and walked to Mama, who was sweeping the floor, and Lance, who was peeling off an apple.

“Auntie Lucy, Lance… I’ll go now.” Jessie then kissed Mom’s cheek, and Lance just nodded at her and waved his hand goodbye. “Thank you, Auntie and Lance. Bestie, bye! Take care, love you!” She then waved at me, and I immediately did the same, saying, “Bye! Love you too!” I even gave her a flying kiss, and she just laughed at me.

“Take care, Jessie! Thank you for staying with my daughter last night!” Mama cheerfully said before Jessie left my room, and Jessie replied, “No need to thank me, Auntie!”

As soon as Jessie left my hospital room, Mama went inside the restroom to change her clothes into her light blue scrubs. She’s the head nurse of this hospital—Carter Medical Center, and I was confined here because one of the benefits Mama’s receiving as the head nurse here was a big discount. This was the reason why I was confined in an air-conditioned room, even if we were not that rich or well-off. Well, we’re also not that poor. We probably belong in the middle class, as Mama’s income was enough for us, as well as Lance’s income in his auto-repair shop.

“Were you able to sleep well, Ma?” I asked Mama. I raised my voice a bit because she was still in the restroom and might not hear me clearly.

“Yes, dear. I was able to sleep for nine hours!” Mama proudly said.

After that, I turned to Lance, who was already eating the apple that he had just peeled off. “How about you, Lance?”

Lance then stopped eating for a while to answer my question. “I was not able to sleep last night because of the motorcycle that I needed to fix, as it was a rush service. But do not worry, Les, I won’t sleep on you tonight because I already drank too many cups of coffee.” He laughed a bit. “Anyway, do you want me to peel off an apple for you?”

“Yes, please.”

He then stood up and grabbed an apple that he would peel off. After a few seconds, Mama had already finished changing into her scrubs, and she immediately warned Lance, “You should take good care of your sister today, Lance. Don’t ever sleep on her! You should be the one watching over her and taking care of her, Lance.”

Lance then clicked his tongue as he was peeling off an apple before he replied to Mama’s warning, “Ma… you know I really can’t sleep after drinking coffee!” His brows then furrowed. “When did I ever fail to watch over her anyway?”

Mama just laughed at him and did not reply anymore as she was putting on her white shoes.

“Lance, after staying with me today, you must sleep well, okay? You know being sleep-deprived is not good…” I clicked my tongue and shook my head.

“Okay, Mama Leslie…” Lance jokingly said, and I just rolled my eyes at him as he gave me the apple that he peeled off for me.

“Thanks…” I immediately took a bite of the apple.

“I forgot to tell you, Les…” Mama stood up after she finished putting on her white shoes. “Dr. Angel told me that your heart transplant is scheduled for tomorrow. The family of the heart donor had already decided to end the life support of their daughter tomorrow morning as their other family members will arrive at that time.” She then sat beside my bed and held my hand. “You will finally have a normal life, my Leslie…”

“I will finally be free of becoming a burden to all of you…”

As I sighed deeply, tears could not help but fall from my eyes. I don’t know why, but whenever I’m with Mama and Lance, I really can’t stop my tears from falling. I’m like this to them because I really just can’t seem to take it whenever I see them suffering because of me.

“Who told you that you’re a burden to all of us? Whoever told you that, I will punch that someone in the face…” Lance’s brows furrowed.

“You’re not a burden to all of us, Leslie. You never will be…” Mama wiped the tears that were falling from my cheeks, and after that, she hugged me tightly. Lance then stood up and joined the hug.

“Stop crying already. You’re becoming ugly because you keep on crying…” Lance laughed, and then they all laughed together as they hugged.