All my Love

I looked up from my struggle to zip up my travel bag when I felt my dad walk into my room. He looked disappointed that I wasn't already done packing since we had to leave in the early or we would miss our bus. His feelings are kind of valid, but I could hardly give a fuck. I didn't want in on this stupid job anyway.

"Why aren't you still done?" He said in a gruff voice. I turn my attention back to what I was doing, totally ignoring him. "You aren't going to ruin this for me, are we clear?" He glared at me.

I glared right back. Oh I hated my father so fucking much, if only he could just leave me out of his fucking stupid plans. I am totally fine on my own, absolutely okay with him gone and me staying here, catering for my sick mother. But as my luck always turns out shitty, I have to follow him to go work, so we can have enough money for the surgery for my mom.

I really don't know why I even put up with this bullshit, I could run away, abandon this miserable life and equally miserable family, but here I am wasting my precious time on trying to help my mom, who is almost as bad and irresponsible as my fucking father. If she wasn't stuck in the hospital, I'm pretty certain that she would be on the crazier part of the city, dealing drugs and wasting away as her usual style.

The only reason I decided to help is only because she cared about me in her own weird way, she always made sure I had almost everything I needed while growing up even though our living arrangement was really fucking bad. She believed it wasn't my fault that I was brought into the world, so she was going to try her best to take care of me till I turned eighteen and after then, I was all in my own.

The sound of my father turning to leave snapped me out of my thoughts, good. He's probably irritated that I was ignoring him, and I'm glad I didn't hear half of what he said. We would have started arguing by now if I had listened.

I walked to my dresser, a very tired looking dresser that just screams to be replaced and opened the first drawer to check if I still left any important thing behind, I shuffled around the stuff in there, old lipsticks, markers, a toothbrush that I'm certain isn't mine, and other weird things I really shouldn't bother addressing. I opened the next drawer and start checking around the few books that are in there, I raised the books up to find a chewed up pen, an eraser and a golde- wait a golden? Where the hell did I get a golden ring from? I wondered. So I placed my fingers in the drawer under the books to fish out the ring. A very beautiful ring. Where the hell did this come from?

I placed it in between my left thumb and forefinger to be able to look at it more intently. I moved the golden band in circles to see if there's any engraving on it. There's none . Not even a scratch on it. Who could have left it here? Doesn't matter anyway, because I'm keeping the ring to myself.

"Lily, if you don't get your ass out this minute you won't like me one bit" my father yelled from the living room. Why the fuck does he think I liked him before? I rolled my eyes and pulled my travel bag to the living room, let's just get this over with. "what the hell are you wearing?" my father bellowed. With how loud and boisterous his voice sounds, he isn't really big. In fact, I'm taller that him and I'm five-six. Fucking bug.

I looked down at my outfit that comprises of a very short black Jean mini skirt that barely covers my butt, a blue handless crop top and my black knee boots that is almost starting to fall apart. "what is wrong with my outfit?" I hissed.

"You're practically naked" he snapped. "we are going to work for a very wealthy family. You can go dressing like a hooker."

"whats wrong with a hooker? Mom took care of this family by been a hooker, I didn't see you offended then." I spat. "and moreover, I'm twenty-five, I can dress however I fucking want." I crossed my arms and stared him down. "if you don't like it, you're free to leave me behind."

He looked seconds away from plummeting me. "Can't you just act like a goddamn adult for once? That job determines if your mother is going to survive this or not." He forced out while pinching his nose, probably to calm down I think. I sighed and headed back into my room. This is so getting shitty already. I pulled my skirt off and moved to grab a pair of Jean from my wardrobe and shoved it on before going back into the living room.

"Better?" I glowered.

"Hmmm" he only grunted while looking me up and down. He turned around to pick up his wallet and keys to the house. "we have to go check up on your aunt and mother in the hospital before leaving." He informed me.

"Such a waste of time" I muttered lowly.

We walked out of the house with our bags and boarded a cab which brought us straight to the hospital. I have always felt uncomfortable been in the hospital. I hated the smells of disinfectant that is practically everywhere in the whole place. I placed my palm over my nose as we checked in.

I walked into the room my mom is in to see her and my aunt deep in a conversation. My dad went over to the doctor's office to find out how things are going. I used that opportunity to check if she's getting worse or still the same. She still looked really weak and pale, her dark curly hair looks almost lifeless on her head, like it's struggling to still stick to her head. Her checks were still hollow, making her cheekbones look really pronounced. She looked really thin. How she still gets the power to speak is beyond me.

I cleared my throat when I realise they won't acknowledge my presence. They both turned my way at the same time. Mom's light brown eyes that has always been so interesting to look at seems almost dead when it fell on me. It looked as though the illness is eating her as fast as it can. I smiled at her a little before turned to face my aunt.

"how's my sugar pump doing?" She beamed at me while moving to pull me into a hug. "ill miss you so much" she muttered. I hugged her back just as tightly as she was holding me.

"I'm okay I guess. I'll miss you too" I whispered, feeling emotional. This was why I didn't like visiting. I detest feeling emotional.

Aunt Ola is my favourite person ever. She's so different from my dad even as they're practically siblings. I've always been told that I look alot like her, but all the resemblance I can see is that we both have curly afro hair and the exact same cute button nose. That's where I believe our resemblance stops. While I'm light skinned, My aunt's complexion is a rich dark chocolate brown which often glows when she rubs in her special oil. I also have an average lips and light brown eyes just like my mom while my aunt has full lips and dark eyes which seems to hold alot of mischief. So you see, totally different. Even in our body type, because she has this full thick body with this magnificent body shape, big boobs and ass, slim waist and wide hips while I'm just built like a stick, a goddamn stick. Almost zero boobs and ass, just a slim waist and wide hips I have going on for me.

I pulled out of the hug to find my mom smiling at us, the smile looked so weak. "how are you doing?" I asked her while moving over to her bedside. She took my wrist in her hand when I placed it on her bed.

"I'm doing well" she said weakly while massaging my palm with her bony fingers. "Hope you'll be okay with working with your dad?"

"Ill have to try to put up with him." I murmured. "your health is more important than whatever beef we have going on between us"

She looked a little bit surprised at that. "wow, I didn't know you cared about me to that extent"

"of course I care about you. You're my mother." A frown marring my face even though I kind of understood where she was coming from. We had always kind of had a sort of hole between us, probably because she didn't want to have me or something, but she cared and provided for me and that was enough. I wasn't going to turn my back on her when she needed me. "you did your best for me, so I'll also try my best to do as much as I can for you."

Her eyes filled up and her lips wobbled a little bit. Is that... tears? Is she really this touched? Why the hell would she believe that I'll abandon her in this her condition? Wow, to say I'm shocked is an understatement. Tears? Never have I seen my mother moved to tears, not even when she and my dad fought and not when she fell ill. She's literally the strongest person I know.

"Thank you" she squeezed my hand a little bit with a nod.

I guess the sickness has gotten to her more than I expected.

"Hey Ava" I turned to look at my father when I heard him call out my mom's name behind me. He was standing at the door with a small smile on his face.

I moved back away from the bed to give him some time with my mom. I walked over to the window to lean against it while watching my parents.

My father knelt beside the bed and took my mom's hand between his. "Can you hold on while we go get the money?" he leaned closer to press a light kiss on my mom's head. "we're going to get you back to your full health" his voice shook a little while he spoke. "we can go back to how we use to be."

"its okay, I'll be here waiting." Mom smiled softly. "and if I don't make it before you can be able to earn as much as we need, you need to promise me to take absolute care of my daughter and yourself." Mom whispered with tears in her eyes.

"dont worry. You're not going to die" he raised one hand to stroke her hair. "we'll be together okay? Both of us, like we used to."