Time For Her To Let Go

Kira racked her brain for an appropriate opening line. Should she go with ‘Good evening?’ No, it was morning over there. Should she call her Mom? But would it be too awkward? The word ‘hello’ was stuck in her throat when Kira finally caught sight of Charlotte. She knew Austyn’s mother was bedbound with some kind of severe illness, but she never expected Charlotte to be this sick. Her head was shaved. A tube snaked into her nostril, with the other end connected to a machine off-camera. She was hollow-cheeked, almost skeletal, though it was easy to see from her bone structure that she must have been a stunner in her younger days. Her skin had that sickly, whitish-grey colour Kira was familiar with—she’d seen it on her dad’s face. Charlotte McCarthy looked like she had one foot in the grave. Kira’s heart sank. She hid that thought and forced a smile. ‘H-hello.’ Charlotte smiled. It was a weak but joyful smile. ‘Kira, so nice to finally meet you.’ Kira felt tears stinging the back of her e