Chapter 5 - The Sunset over the Lake
The palliative care suite on the tenth floor of Northwestern Memorial Hospital was bathed in the warm, golden hues of a late Friday afternoon sun.
The view through the panoramic windows offered a breathtaking sight of Lake Michigan, its blue waters sparkling under the autumn sky. White roses filled the room, their sweet fragrance softening the clinical air.
Anna lay in the high-tech bed, supported by soft down pillows. She looked small, peaceful, and entirely free of pain, thanks to the continuous care team attending to her every need.
Sophie was sitting on the edge of the bed, wearing a yellow cardigan over a white dress, holding a small plush bear I had bought her from the hospital gift shop. Her pink-trimmed sneakers dangled inches above the floor.
When I entered the room, the private nurse nodded respectfully and stepped outside, leaving the three of us alone.
"Michael..." Anna whispered, her voice faint as a gentle autumn breeze.
I walked to the bed, kneeling beside Sophie so I was level with both of them. I took Anna’s hand in my right hand, and wrapped my left arm around Sophie’s small shoulders.
"Everything is done, Anna," I told her softly. "Richard is gone. The board has recognized Sophie as an official heir. The trust is sealed. Nobody will ever question who she is or where she belongs."
A serene, radiant smile touched Anna’s pale lips. "Thank you... my brother."
She turned her eyes slowly toward her daughter.
"Sophie... my sweet girl," Anna rasped, her eyes shining with immense love.
"Yes, Mommy?" Sophie leaned close, pressing her soft cheek against her mother’s forehead.
"Mommy has to go on a long journey today," Anna whispered, her fingers weakly stroking Sophie’s blonde pigtails. "A journey to a place where there's no pain, no sickness, and no dark rooms."
Sophie’s little eyebrows furrowed with confusion. "Can I come with you?"
"Not yet, my darling," Anna wept softly, tears streaming into her hair. "You have a big, beautiful life to live here. You have school, and painting, and running in your new pink shoes. And you have Michael."
Sophie looked at me, then back at her mother. "Will you be lonely, Mommy?"
"Never," Anna whispered, looking up at the ceiling as if seeing something beautiful beyond the room. "Because every time you look up at the sky, every time you laugh, every time you put on your shoes to take a step forward... Mommy will be right there with you."
Anna turned her hazel eyes to me one last time, her breathing slowing down into long, soft pauses.
"Love her, Michael..." she whispered.
"With all my heart, Anna," I promised, my tears falling freely onto the bedsheets. "I promise."
Anna closed her eyes. Her chest rose one last time in a deep, peaceful breath... and then stayed still.
The heart monitor gave a single, quiet, continuous tone.
Sophie stayed quiet for a long moment, staring at her mother’s calm face. Then, she looked up at me, her big blue eyes brimming with silent tears.
"Mommy went on her journey?" she asked softly.
I couldn't speak. My heart felt as though it were breaking into a thousand pieces, yet at the same time expanding to fill the void that had lived inside me for twenty years.
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I pulled my five-year-old sister into my arms, holding her tightly against my chest, feeling her small hands grip the lapels of my coat as she began to sob quietly against my shoulder.
"Yes, Sophie," I choked out, kissing the top of her head while the golden sun set over Lake Michigan. "She's at peace now. And I'm never letting you go."
