I know it's been a while, but here's the next chapter...
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Esmeralda fumbled with her groceries and keys as she approached the apartment. She was just about to stick the key in the lock when she heard a loud crash come from inside. She quickly unlocked the door and burst inside. She found Aladdin in the kitchen surrounded by all the pots and pans lying on the floor.
"What happened?" Esmeralda asked, setting the groceries on the table.
"I'm trying to make dinner," Aladdin muttered. "Mom is convinced she's cooking lasagna."
Esmeralda glanced over at their mom's closed bedroom door. She was still convinced she cooked dinner for them all the time, but still had never actually cooked anything. She also still insisted her memory was getting better. It was sad watching their mother get worse and it was taking its toll on both of them. The last couple days they had been on edge. They snapped at each other for no reason and got into stupid fights; just to release some of their frustration. Aladdin kept the money from Rogue and they always blamed that as the reason they were so tense, but they both knew it was their mother. It was hard taking care of her when they could barely take care of themselves. It also made them sad to listen to the fantasies their mother invented as her "memories". She talked of times when Esmeralda and Aladdin were younger and how the family lived happily in a small house in the suburbs. When in reality they always lived in that very apartment and were never happy.
The worst was when she talked about their father. In their mother's mind, he never left them. The four of them lived as one big happy family. In reality he left right after Aladdin was born and never looked back. No one knew where he was now, nor did they care.
Esmeralda looked back at Aladdin as he started picking up the pots. "You don't have to do that."
"What do you mean?" Aladdin asked, not looking up from the mess.
"She probably doesn't even remember that she said anything about dinner." Esmeralda stepped around him as she began putting the groceries away. "I'll make something easy for us in a little bit."
"I can do it."
Esmeralda chuckled. "Aladdin, you have about the same cooking experience as mom."
It was the wrong thing to say. Esmeralda meant it as a joke, but it struck a nerve. Aladdin was trying so hard to convince himself that what their mom was "remembering" was true so this whole situation wouldn't be so sad. More than that, he wanted the fantasies to be real. He grew up never knowing his father and never having a real family. Before she got sick, their mother was a workaholic and barely spent anytime with them. Now Aladdin had the chance to spend time with at least one parent and get lost in this fantasy world where everything was perfect.
But nothing was perfect.
Just like that, Esmeralda no longer felt guilty for what she said. "Aladdin, you have to get out of her head. None of what she's saying is real. This"- she motioned around her at the run-down kitchen- "is real. We basically grew up without our parents being around. We had to take care of ourselves most of our lives. I know our lives suck, but this is reality and you need to face it. Mom is sick and we need to figure out a way to take care of her and ourselves."
Aladdin set a pan on the stove and stared at it. "I know that, Es. But right now mom is happy and I want to keep her that way."
Esmeralda couldn't ignore the distance in Aladdin's voice. Something was wrong. "Aladdin, what aren't you telling me?"
"Nothing. I just-"
Esmeralda grabbed his arm and spun him around so he was facing her. His eyes were brimmed with tears and his cheeks were slightly puffy as if he had been crying. "Aladdin..."
"I used the money Rogue gave us and took mom to the doctor today."
"What did they say?"
Aladdin lowered his head. He tried to say something, but he couldn't find his voice. Esmeralda's stomach tightened. She had never see Aladdin so sad before. Something was seriously wrong.
"Aladdin, please tell me," Esmeralda pleaded quietly.
Aladdin glanced over Esmeralda's shoulder, then looked directly in her eyes. "Mom has a brain tumor."
Esmeralda involuntarily gripped Aladdin tighter. "H-how... how bad is it?"
"Bad. She's had it for a while and it's spreading. Even with surgery and treatment of the tumor itself, it won't do much good."
Esmeralda slowly stepped back. "How long does she have...left?" She could barely finish the question.
"A couple months with treatment. Less without..."
"We can't afford treatment," Esmeralda whispered.
"That's why I'm playing along with her, Essie. I want her to be happy in what little time she has left."
"Does she know?"
Aladdin raised an eyebrow at her. "She doesn't even know who we are."
"But, did you tell her?"
Aladdin shook his head and lowered his eyes. "I couldn't."
"You have to."
"Why? So she can be miserable and afraid?"
"She deserves to know the truth."
"I'm not going to tell her."
"Then I'm going to tell her." Esmeralda started to go towards their mom's room, but Aladdin stopped her.
"Don't. We're not going to tell her anything. Let her finally live happily. When she's gone she'll finally be at peace and she won't need to know anything."
"No. It isn't fair to her."
Esmeralda pushed against Aladdin, trying to get him out of the way, but he was stronger than her. He shoved her backwards, then turned and headed to their mom's room. Esmeralda glared after him. He closed the door behind him and she was left alone in the kitchen.
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Esmeralda fumbled with her groceries and keys as she approached the apartment. She was just about to stick the key in the lock when she heard a loud crash come from inside. She quickly unlocked the door and burst inside. She found Aladdin in the kitchen surrounded by all the pots and pans lying on the floor.
"What happened?" Esmeralda asked, setting the groceries on the table.
"I'm trying to make dinner," Aladdin muttered. "Mom is convinced she's cooking lasagna."
Esmeralda glanced over at their mom's closed bedroom door. She was still convinced she cooked dinner for them all the time, but still had never actually cooked anything. She also still insisted her memory was getting better. It was sad watching their mother get worse and it was taking its toll on both of them. The last couple days they had been on edge. They snapped at each other for no reason and got into stupid fights; just to release some of their frustration. Aladdin kept the money from Rogue and they always blamed that as the reason they were so tense, but they both knew it was their mother. It was hard taking care of her when they could barely take care of themselves. It also made them sad to listen to the fantasies their mother invented as her "memories". She talked of times when Esmeralda and Aladdin were younger and how the family lived happily in a small house in the suburbs. When in reality they always lived in that very apartment and were never happy.
The worst was when she talked about their father. In their mother's mind, he never left them. The four of them lived as one big happy family. In reality he left right after Aladdin was born and never looked back. No one knew where he was now, nor did they care.
Esmeralda looked back at Aladdin as he started picking up the pots. "You don't have to do that."
"What do you mean?" Aladdin asked, not looking up from the mess.
"She probably doesn't even remember that she said anything about dinner." Esmeralda stepped around him as she began putting the groceries away. "I'll make something easy for us in a little bit."
"I can do it."
Esmeralda chuckled. "Aladdin, you have about the same cooking experience as mom."
It was the wrong thing to say. Esmeralda meant it as a joke, but it struck a nerve. Aladdin was trying so hard to convince himself that what their mom was "remembering" was true so this whole situation wouldn't be so sad. More than that, he wanted the fantasies to be real. He grew up never knowing his father and never having a real family. Before she got sick, their mother was a workaholic and barely spent anytime with them. Now Aladdin had the chance to spend time with at least one parent and get lost in this fantasy world where everything was perfect.
But nothing was perfect.
Just like that, Esmeralda no longer felt guilty for what she said. "Aladdin, you have to get out of her head. None of what she's saying is real. This"- she motioned around her at the run-down kitchen- "is real. We basically grew up without our parents being around. We had to take care of ourselves most of our lives. I know our lives suck, but this is reality and you need to face it. Mom is sick and we need to figure out a way to take care of her and ourselves."
Aladdin set a pan on the stove and stared at it. "I know that, Es. But right now mom is happy and I want to keep her that way."
Esmeralda couldn't ignore the distance in Aladdin's voice. Something was wrong. "Aladdin, what aren't you telling me?"
"Nothing. I just-"
Esmeralda grabbed his arm and spun him around so he was facing her. His eyes were brimmed with tears and his cheeks were slightly puffy as if he had been crying. "Aladdin..."
"I used the money Rogue gave us and took mom to the doctor today."
"What did they say?"
Aladdin lowered his head. He tried to say something, but he couldn't find his voice. Esmeralda's stomach tightened. She had never see Aladdin so sad before. Something was seriously wrong.
"Aladdin, please tell me," Esmeralda pleaded quietly.
Aladdin glanced over Esmeralda's shoulder, then looked directly in her eyes. "Mom has a brain tumor."
Esmeralda involuntarily gripped Aladdin tighter. "H-how... how bad is it?"
"Bad. She's had it for a while and it's spreading. Even with surgery and treatment of the tumor itself, it won't do much good."
Esmeralda slowly stepped back. "How long does she have...left?" She could barely finish the question.
"A couple months with treatment. Less without..."
"We can't afford treatment," Esmeralda whispered.
"That's why I'm playing along with her, Essie. I want her to be happy in what little time she has left."
"Does she know?"
Aladdin raised an eyebrow at her. "She doesn't even know who we are."
"But, did you tell her?"
Aladdin shook his head and lowered his eyes. "I couldn't."
"You have to."
"Why? So she can be miserable and afraid?"
"She deserves to know the truth."
"I'm not going to tell her."
"Then I'm going to tell her." Esmeralda started to go towards their mom's room, but Aladdin stopped her.
"Don't. We're not going to tell her anything. Let her finally live happily. When she's gone she'll finally be at peace and she won't need to know anything."
"No. It isn't fair to her."
Esmeralda pushed against Aladdin, trying to get him out of the way, but he was stronger than her. He shoved her backwards, then turned and headed to their mom's room. Esmeralda glared after him. He closed the door behind him and she was left alone in the kitchen.