A REASON TO LIVE

purpose. I found

he called me "my love." She m

und of her voice. My father's

nd times but still pretended w

whose presence alone mad

other. My reflection. My seco

ing in just a glance. He was

ythi

e. Laughter lived there.

er night. A road trip to celebra

ide jokes, the scent of my mum'

my dad's car seats. Music pla

hat's what we were. Triumphant.

g just beyond

stening to my dad as my twin br

crush on. Mum laughed at one of

ze time. Hold on to that secon

t happ

OM

ding l

r my mother's,

und of metal t

of blood i

ckn

*

up to

nket covering my body. A whi

t monitor. The sterile, suffoca

throat was dry, my mind still fo

mb

e wa

up, but somet

't move

lled my legs to shift, to do a

ut nothing

ren't m

ctor walked in, his face too ca

him imme

awake,"

ce barely above a whispe

His eyes softened, and

said, "you were t

enc

They sounded distant, like

"That's not possible. My mum, m

with me. We

His voice was too gentle,

gh my throat. "You're lying

rm yet empty of comfort. The doc

se. All I could hear was th

ily wa

isted, my chest caved in. My le

grief was so crushing I could

hen I opened them, I'd wake up

e everythin

e hospital ceiling

ily was st

*

l was in s

ing, refusing to eat, refusing to

or and call me "my love" just

point of words when the people

e d

I could hear them when they tho

n asked for a mirror."

umb. That I was too

t numb. I w

ng in

vived? What was the point of w

ine an

nothin

last thing-the choic

hile the world dressed in black

window of my

tory building.

ay

way to en

k a b

I le