Louis' POV
My mum waited until the door clicked shut before she spoke.
For a moment she just looked at me. The way she used to when I was younger and she was trying to find the right words, turning them over before she let them out. I hadn't seen that look in years. I'd forgotten it existed.
I missed how it was before. How I could speak freely and he would always believe me no matter what. That was the problem and I regret so many things now as I looked at her frail on the hospital bed.
"Come closer, Louis." she said, smiling weakly. "What I've got isn't contagious."
That was a bad joke. "Mum…"
"I'm joking, I'm joking." She waved me off.
I sighed, moved my chair until my knees were nearly touching the bed and sat back down. I held her hands and looked down to see the difference time had made. It felt lighter than I remembered. Frail, weak, bony. I hated it. It crushed my soul.
