A Symphony of Frost and Flame

The rays of sunlight filtered into my bedroom through the window, they met me already awake, I had been awake for a while; sleep was the luxury of the rich and I was far from rich.

I got up, stretched and made my bed or at least I tried to until the whirlwind that is Eugene cannonballed onto my comforter, I rolled my eyes, my baby brother is ten and had just entered his 'do everything to drive your sister mad' phase- I hated it.

"Good morning sis, what's for breakfast? " the little devil called out, his brown eyes- the one feature everyone in this house had in common sparkled, I almost smiled but I composed my face quickly before that could happen.

"If you don't get your smelly feet off my pillow, you won't need breakfast " I snapped.

He smiled like he knew he could call my bluff and after rubbing his feet in for extra measure - cue my eye roll, he stood up and left muttering under his breath about how he was going to tell Mum I was trying to starve him to death- as If anyone would believe that.

I finished dressing my bed and went to the kitchen to start breakfast, soon the kitchen was filled with the sweet smell of syrupy pancakes, sizzling bacon and coffee.

Eugene had already set the table and I set the plates of food down, I sighed as I noticed that I had subconsciously put less food in one plate- because of my mum's illness she doesn't eat much, I shook off the dark cloud of sadness that was threatening my mood and shouted in a false-cypher voice.

"Breakfast is ready!" almost immediately I could hear my brother's footsteps rushing down from where he was doing his chores upstairs.

"Finally!" he rolled his eyes at me and I stuck out my tongue and flicked his forehead but before he could retaliate, I heard mum's quiet footsteps and I turned towards the sound, she walked into the room and I had to stop myself from gasping- she looked so small.

The cancer had done a number on her, I had a hard time reconnecting the fierce woman who single-handedly raised my brother and me to this pale, fragile woman in front of me.

Her favourite cyan bathrobe is wrapped tight around her like she's freezing and her eyes are sad " Good morning mum " Eugene greets and it breaks me out of my trance. She smiles at him and sits down, I walk to her and kiss her forehead simultaneously pulling her crooked wig straight, she smiles at me- that's all she seems to do these days-smile.

I set her mug down and she finally speaks “Thanks hunny" Her voice is raspy, she looks at Eugene wolfing down his pancakes and smiles a genuine smile

“How's school baby"? She asked him while rubbing his hair.

"Mmffm" he answers with his mouth full and she laughs, Eug and I look at ourselves and then we are laughing too, and for a moment everything is good, then mum starts coughing and the moment is gone, the cough is raking through her body, leaving her shaken, I grab a bunch of tissues from the box on the table and hand it to her silently, she cleans the blood off her hand and goes to the bathroom to rinse her mouth.

The school bus horns for my brother and he folds his last pancake into his mouth, I make a disgusted face at him, and he grabs his bag and runs out as I clear the table, hurrying when I look at the clock and see that I'm getting late for work.

I take Mum's still full plate to the kitchen, I put it in a tray with her coffee and take it to her room where I know she's lying down, I place it on her nightstand.

Taking her cold hand into mine and giving it a little rub "Stop worrying so much hunny" she rasps.

"I can't help it Mum" I whisper back " I need to go now, I'm getting late, will you be alright till Alicia gets here?" she nods weakly and I sigh.