be buried near him?”
“You’ll have the plot I’d reserved for myself right next to him.”
“You’d do that for me? Give me your plot?”
“I’d do anything for you.”
“Let Austin’s dad do the service. That will be comforting.”
“If that’s what you want.”
“And I’d like you to bury me in my lace dress, the one with the puffy sleeves.”
“You look so beautiful in that dress.” Their mother’s voice sounded soft, but full of tears.
“Is the sun up yet?” Cassie asked.
“Almost,” Dani replied, watching it edge through a bank of clouds. “Maybe you can see it?” Dani hoped that Cassie’s eyesight would magically return.
“I can feel it.” Cassie turned her face heavenward. “It feels … warm.”
A cry escaped from their mother’s lips. She took Cassie in her arms, held her, rocked her. “I love you, baby. I wish I could die for you. I love you.”
“I love you too, Mama.”
Dani pressed her hand against her mouth. Cassie reached out for Dani and pulled her closer. “You’ll have to be good to each other. I’ll count on that so I won’t have to worry.” She paused, then said, “You can get Dr. Phillips now, Mom. I’m ready.”
N
ineteen
C ASSIE INSISTED ON staying with Dani by the water while their mother ran to wake the others. Alone with her sister, Dani wiped her eyes. She wanted to be brave, like Cassie. The tears stung her eyes. “I don’t want you to die,” she sobbed. “I’m sorry I’m crying. I just don’t know how you can face this.”
“I don’t want to die. But nobody gave me a vote.” Cassie stretched out on the sand, balling her fists into its depths. “It feels so soft. Is the sun up all the way yet?”
Dani glanced seaward. “Not quite … just a little more.”
“I’m sorry I couldn’t see it one last time. But I’ll never forget these past few days. I’ll carry them here”—she touched her heart—“even if I’m locked up in some old hospital.”
“Oh, Cassie.” Dani continued to weep in spite of her best efforts to control herself.
“You have to be strong for Mom.”
“But who’s going to be strong for me?”
“Austin will be there for you. I like Austin, Dani. And he’s crazy about you.”
Dr. Phillips couldn’t treat Cassie at the local hospital, but he arranged for her medical records to be sent from Ohio and acted in an advisory capacity to the doctor in charge.
Cassie drifted in and out of consciousness. Her mother called grandparents, friends, and other people back home. When Austin’s parents returned from their mission work in Haiti, he explained the situation. Dani was glad they didn’t bawl him out for taking their van on an unauthorized trip to Florida. It saddened her to realize that the next time she saw them, it would be at her sister’s funeral.
Dr. Phillips made certain that Cassie’s new doctor understood her wish that no extraordinary measures be used to keep her alive, so there was a minimum of equipment in her room. Dani, her mother, Austin and Dr. Phillips spent their days at the hospital staying with Cassie.
When the waiting became unbearable for Dani, she’d go back to the hotel room and run on the beach. If she ran at night, Austin ran with her. She concentrated on the beating of her heart, the pounding of her bare feet on the wet sand, the regularity of her breathing, the pumping of her arms. She found the exercise soothing.
“I’d rather play racquetball,” she admitted to Austin after an especially long run. “Remember the day I beat you? It seems like a million years ago.” They were walking back to the hotel, along a moonlit shoreline.
“I could probably find us a court,” he told her, “if you really want to play.”
She shook her head. “I don’t want to be anyplace but here or at the hospital.”
Dani mopped her brow with her hand. Perspiration dripped between her shoulders, and the air felt muggy and heavy in her lungs. A line of hotels stretched down
“You’ll have the plot I’d reserved for myself right next to him.”
“You’d do that for me? Give me your plot?”
“I’d do anything for you.”
“Let Austin’s dad do the service. That will be comforting.”
“If that’s what you want.”
“And I’d like you to bury me in my lace dress, the one with the puffy sleeves.”
“You look so beautiful in that dress.” Their mother’s voice sounded soft, but full of tears.
“Is the sun up yet?” Cassie asked.
“Almost,” Dani replied, watching it edge through a bank of clouds. “Maybe you can see it?” Dani hoped that Cassie’s eyesight would magically return.
“I can feel it.” Cassie turned her face heavenward. “It feels … warm.”
A cry escaped from their mother’s lips. She took Cassie in her arms, held her, rocked her. “I love you, baby. I wish I could die for you. I love you.”
“I love you too, Mama.”
Dani pressed her hand against her mouth. Cassie reached out for Dani and pulled her closer. “You’ll have to be good to each other. I’ll count on that so I won’t have to worry.” She paused, then said, “You can get Dr. Phillips now, Mom. I’m ready.”
N
ineteen
C ASSIE INSISTED ON staying with Dani by the water while their mother ran to wake the others. Alone with her sister, Dani wiped her eyes. She wanted to be brave, like Cassie. The tears stung her eyes. “I don’t want you to die,” she sobbed. “I’m sorry I’m crying. I just don’t know how you can face this.”
“I don’t want to die. But nobody gave me a vote.” Cassie stretched out on the sand, balling her fists into its depths. “It feels so soft. Is the sun up all the way yet?”
Dani glanced seaward. “Not quite … just a little more.”
“I’m sorry I couldn’t see it one last time. But I’ll never forget these past few days. I’ll carry them here”—she touched her heart—“even if I’m locked up in some old hospital.”
“Oh, Cassie.” Dani continued to weep in spite of her best efforts to control herself.
“You have to be strong for Mom.”
“But who’s going to be strong for me?”
“Austin will be there for you. I like Austin, Dani. And he’s crazy about you.”
Dr. Phillips couldn’t treat Cassie at the local hospital, but he arranged for her medical records to be sent from Ohio and acted in an advisory capacity to the doctor in charge.
Cassie drifted in and out of consciousness. Her mother called grandparents, friends, and other people back home. When Austin’s parents returned from their mission work in Haiti, he explained the situation. Dani was glad they didn’t bawl him out for taking their van on an unauthorized trip to Florida. It saddened her to realize that the next time she saw them, it would be at her sister’s funeral.
Dr. Phillips made certain that Cassie’s new doctor understood her wish that no extraordinary measures be used to keep her alive, so there was a minimum of equipment in her room. Dani, her mother, Austin and Dr. Phillips spent their days at the hospital staying with Cassie.
When the waiting became unbearable for Dani, she’d go back to the hotel room and run on the beach. If she ran at night, Austin ran with her. She concentrated on the beating of her heart, the pounding of her bare feet on the wet sand, the regularity of her breathing, the pumping of her arms. She found the exercise soothing.
“I’d rather play racquetball,” she admitted to Austin after an especially long run. “Remember the day I beat you? It seems like a million years ago.” They were walking back to the hotel, along a moonlit shoreline.
“I could probably find us a court,” he told her, “if you really want to play.”
She shook her head. “I don’t want to be anyplace but here or at the hospital.”
Dani mopped her brow with her hand. Perspiration dripped between her shoulders, and the air felt muggy and heavy in her lungs. A line of hotels stretched down
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