A Hope and a Chance(58)
Author: Jennifer Foor

Since my mother had finally moved into her new home I wondered if I could get away from my father, but once I saw the size, I knew why she hadn’t asked me in the first place. It was tiny and only had one bedroom.

Her boyfriend Sam was a great guy. He had an outstanding sense of humor and seemed to be madly in love with her. I could tell immediately why she was so crazy about him. He made me promise that once a week I would come over to his place and have dinner with him and my mother. She was thrilled that he’d asked and I knew I’d keep that promise.

Day after day I looked for things to do to get me out of the house. I called Rylee so many times that I’d started wondering if she was angry at me. I kept getting this vibe that maybe Chance didn’t care for her, even though they’d never officially met, except for that night in the bar.

Finally, one night while on the phone, Chance told me why. He explained how Trevor said he and Rylee had slept together behind my back. I’d been going on and on about her being such a trustworthy friend and he said he couldn’t take it anymore. Words could not even describe how betrayed I felt. We’d been best friends for so long, and it was difficult to fathom her doing something that would destroy that trust I’d had for her. I got so angry about it that I finally called her, ready to ream her out for being a shitty person.

At first she denied it, making me feel guilty about accepting it as the truth. I was content to believing that Trevor had made the whole thing up to get to me, but soon after she called me crying saying that it happened a couple times when they were drinking.

I said a few choice words to her and simply hung up, shocked by her actions, and disgusted that she’d done them. She called me repeatedly until I finally answered after letting the news sink in for over twenty-four hours. “Hope, please hear me out. I need to tell you -.”

I cut her off. “Save it, Rylee. Trevor is a loser, and if you want to waste your time with someone like him, that’s your business. As far as our friendship goes, well it’s going to take me a while to trust you again. The thing is, I’ve moved on. I broke up with Trevor a long time ago, because he was an asshole. Now I have a boyfriend that loves me, and treats me with respect. If hooking up with my sloppy seconds is what you prefer, go ahead. Karma is a bitch.”

“Hope, wait. Don’t hang up. I’m sorry. I swear I am.”

“Rylee, I don’t care. You screwed my boyfriend behind my back, and I don’t even care. I’m that happy with Chance. He’s a man, which is something Trevor will never be.”

“Please don’t hate me. I love you, Hope. You’re my best friend.” She was sobbing on the other end of the call. I don’t know why, but I felt sorry for her pathetic ass.

“I need time to get over what you’ve done to me.”

“Okay. I understand.” She paused and I heard her sniffling. “I’ll always be there for you, Hope.”

I hung up before I could say something that I would in turn regret. Unlike my untrustworthy friend, I clung to the hope that one day we could mend whatever had been broken. By the end of that day I was content with not talking to her until I could get over the shock of it all.

Since I was so overjoyed with mine and Chance’s relationship, I knew I should just let it go. I had enough to worry about, like figuring out how I was going to sneak off to see my boyfriend.

Some days, I would spend all of my time in the pool house. I told my father I went in there to study, but I never really did. What I actually went there for was to catch a hint of Chance, whether it was on his sheets, or even on his clothes in the closet. I’d made his bed, and then climbed in it so many times that I’d lost count. It never happened without tears. I felt lost, lonely, and destroyed.

Chance convinced me to enroll in community college to get me out of the house, so when September came around I gladly found reprieve. I was enrolled in three classes that kept me occupied enough to where I wasn’t utterly miserable with depression.

Then, just when I thought nothing else could bring me down, I got news that would utterly take my breath away. It was an early morning that my father caught me in the kitchen. Buffy wasn’t anywhere in the room, and just as I turned to head out to get away from him, I noticed him covering his face with his hands. “Hope, we need to talk.”

My heart began to race as I faced him, seeing the hurt in his eyes. Right away I panicked, assuming he knew about my relationship with Chance. Perhaps he was coming clean that he’d known all along and sent him away for that very reason. Nothing could have prepared me for what came out of his mouth. I sat down in front of him, waiting for the blow that could end everything.

“I’m listening.”

“Honey, I didn’t want to be the one to tell you this, but your mom is in the hospital.”

“Did she get into an accident? Oh my God is she going to be okay?” Right away I was worried.

He looked down as he responded. “The thing is, she’s been sick for a long time now.”

“Sick? Does she have pneumonia or something?” I was confused. I’d talked to my mother and she hadn’t mentioned a cold. In fact, she seemed happy with her new boyfriend, and her little apartment.

“Look, your mom didn’t want to worry you. She thought she could beat this without you having to find out.”

“Find out what?” There was no point of him beating around the bush. I needed answers. “Dad, please tell me.”

“She’s got Myocarditis.”

Before he could explain more I blurted out, “What’s that?”

He motioned for me to give him a moment. “It’s a heart condition. She’s had it for years, always knowing this day might come.”

He was scaring me. “What are you saying? Is she going to die?” Saying those words made me immediately begin to tremble. My teeth shattered as tears dripped down my cheeks. “Just tell me the truth.”

“She’s being treated for it. It can be very serious.”

“So she could die?”

“Hope, we can’t even think like that right now.” It actually shocked me that he seemed to care.

I shook my head. People said that when things were bad. “No, this can’t be. I’ve lived with her my whole life. She’s taken care of me, and worked a normal job. The only time I’ve ever seen her cry was when you left. She can’t have what you’re saying. You have to be wrong.”

“I wish I was. Listen, I know you’re upset, but this is the real reason you moved in with me. She knew her health was failing. That apartment she moved into is closer to her doctor. She’s been aware all along that there would come a time when she’d need more progressive treatments.”