Chapter 14: Mother

Soundtrack: NiGHTS into Dreams... 'Escape into the Twilight' by Skrypnyk

The doctors had said Abner's mother only had a few months to live. Sometimes, however, doctors can make mistakes.
She lived to take Abner to his driving test. Both times. She was there to fawn and ask embarassing questions when Abner informed her that he was bringing a girl home for dinner for the first time. She was around to cry and take pictures when her son graduated high school. She was still in well enough health to worry about Abner's when he broke his leg. She was the first person Abner broke the news to when he asked his girlfriend to marry him, and the first to squeal with delight at the news. Now, however, it became apparent that she would not be there to see the two married or the inevitable grandchildren. It hurt her, much more so than she let on to Abner, but she wouldn't, could not, let him know.
Abner's mother had been hospital ridden for the past few weeks, and her condition was in a clear and obvious decline. There was simply not much time left.
Abner himself had barely left her side the whole time, choosing instead to sleep at her bedside. As a man of 25 with a career and a fiancee at home, it was hard, but he flat out refused to leave his mother by herself when it happened.
As he awoke on the 23rd day of her hospitalization, Abner looked into her eyes and his heart broke; she was weakened to such a state that it was clear it was a struggle simply to look at him, and yet he knew that she had been for hours, waiting for him to get up. It was time.
"You will al..ways be...always be loved...my Ab..." she said weakly, still looking directly into his eyes and smiling.
"I know mom...you too...no matter what," Abner replied. As he took her fragile, cold hand into his of strength and warmth, a single tear broke through Abner's resolve. Still smiling at him, his mother closed her eyes, and within seconds, the grip of her hand went limp in his.
He knew he should get up and inform a nurse, or maybe a doctor, but decided that he would sit there for just a little while longer, holding her hand. Sure, there were other things that should be being done at this point, but none of it mattered much at the moment; it would all still be there for him later.