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“You called Amy?” I asked.
“I did. Right before I booked the tickets,” Lila said, sounding rather pleased with herself. “She's coming into town the day before we leave, so you can give her all the info she needs—”
“You're paying her to visit with our mom,” I said, a statement, not a question. I knew my sister too well. “Please tell me you're not paying her for this.”
I felt sick to my stomach at the mere idea that she'd pay my sister to stay with our mother. And the fact that Lila would go that far upset me greatly.
“No, silly. I'm not paying her, so don't get your panties in a bunch,” she said. “I just mentioned that you don't have much time left with your mom, and you both need to make the most of it.”
“So you guilted her into it?” I shook my head. “Not much better.”
“Why not? It's true,” Lila said. “Amy should spend time with your mother. You don't know how much time you have left with her, and—”
“My mom is going to pull through,” I whispered, my voice catching in my throat.
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sp; Lila's voice softened. “Of course she is, sweetheart. I'm just saying, she's not getting any younger, and if my mom were still around, you bet I'd spend every waking minute with her if I could.”
Lila's mother had died about ten years back in a car accident. Sometimes her life seemed so perfect that it was easy to forget that her stepmom wasn't her real mom.
“I'm sorry, Lila,” I said.
“It's all good,” she mumbled.
She kept the emotion out of her voice, forcing herself to sound upbeat, but I knew it wasn't actually “all good” with her. Lila was never okay when it came to talking about her mom. It was a wound that, even a decade later, was still raw to the touch for her.
“But it worked. Amy is coming into town and you and I will be embarking on a little birthday adventure,” she said. “That's all that matters.”
“I don’t know,” I hemmed and hawed.
“Come on, Josie. It'll be fun,” Lila said. “And girl, you need a vacation more than anyone I know. You need to get out of this place for a while just to detox from it. And I bet that you find with a little time away, a little time to clear your head and actually have a little fun enjoying your life, you won't feel so burned out.”
She was right. I was worn out from burning the candle at both ends for so long. Most days, I felt exhausted from going to school full-time and being at the hospital the rest of the time. I couldn't remember the last time I got a full night's sleep.
Maybe, this was what I needed, maybe I could get some rest. Maybe, that would allow me to come back refreshed, recharged, and be better for my mom. Because God knew, she needed me.
“Alright, Lila,” I laughed. “I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'll go.”
Chapter Two
Josie
The cruise was out of San Diego, which meant we didn't have to go very far to get to the terminal. It was one benefit of living in a beautiful, coastal area, I suppose. Not that I got to enjoy it much very often. Lila explained it was a short cruise. She knew I’d have to get back before classes started, and I’d need to study. But she’d made me promise I wouldn’t bring any homework on the trip. It was hard for me to promise because I had so much to do in order to keep my grades up, and I needed to keep my grades up because I needed to keep my scholarships.
There’d be time when I got back, though, so I told her I’d do nothing but relax. It was my first cruise, and the first vacation I’d taken as an adult. I was a little apprehensive about it at first, the anxiety of everything going on and everything I had to do weighing down on me, but as the day of departure grew closer, the more excited I felt myself getting.
Being that it was early April in Southern California, the weather was about as perfect as it could get. It was a tad chillier than normal on the coast, thanks to the cool ocean breeze, but it felt amazing. I could bask in the sunlight all day, and while we were boarding, I had a big smile on my face as I imagined laying out on the deck, letting the sun warm my body, while feeling the gentle roll of the ocean beneath us.
“Feeling better already, I see,” Lila said, a satisfied smirk on her face. “Aren’t you glad you came now?”
“I am, actually,” I said. “Thank you, Lila. I guess you knew what I needed better than I did.”
She squeezed my hand. “I know you, girl. And I know you need to relax now and then,” she said. “You’ve been so tense and stressed lately, you just needed to unplug for a while.”
“That I do,” I laughed.
Lila and I stopped off at our cabin and I felt my eyes grow wide and my mouth fall open when I saw where we’d be staying. She’d paid extra for a suite that was larger than my studio apartment. Two separate sleeping quarters, a balcony that overlooked the ocean, and a nice sized bathroom to boot. I had no idea rooms that large existed on a cruise ship, but of course, Lila only did things up big. Only the best would do.
