Chapter 2

[Farewell to the World, 2023.4.17, 11:21 AM—Is an Empty House Still Home?]

When I woke up on the sofa, Chloe was crouched by my feet.

Hearing my voice, she looked up, her face streaked with tears. "Nina, is it true what they say—that dogs can tell when their owners are about to go, and they go on ahead to the next life to wait for them?"

I nearly dropped the camera.

I immediately reached out to touch Buddy.

He was gone.

He had been lying at my feet. While I was lost in sleep from exhaustion, he had quietly slipped away.

I tried to smile, but honestly, it looked more like I was about to break down. "What are you talking about? Buddy was ten years old. He simply reached the end of his road."

When the camera came back on, I was piling dirt onto a small mound on the back hill.

My breathing was ragged, my face was pale. I wiped the sweat from my brow and pointed toward the house. "Just head straight and you'll find home. Don't get turned around, okay? If you end up at Peter's place..."

I trailed off.

I smiled and pulled back my hand. "Don't go back there. It will be empty soon. When I get down there, we'll start a family again with Mom and Dad."

A choked sob came through, and the camera shook.

I looked up. I smiled as I pointed at Chloe, who was behind the lens. "What in the world are you doing? You can't even hold the camera steady."

Chloe just bawled even louder. "That goes for you, too. What are you even saying?"

I couldn't help but laugh, waving her over. "Look at you. Come on, let's go home and eat your cooking."

"Nina, if you talk like that again, I'm done with you." Chloe sniffled.

Still grinning, I walked over and threw my arm around her shoulders. "Relax, your Nina is invincible. A little cancer? Psh, I've got this handled."

Then, I laughed out loud.

*****

[Farewell to the World, 2023.4.18, 8:27 AM—Sometimes I Forgot I Was Sick]

"Nina! Nina, open up!" Chloe was pounding furiously on the door.

The camera was propped up to the side, and Chloe hadn't even had a chance to adjust the angle, so all the viewer could see was her lower half.

Inside the room, I was screaming and sobbing. "Get lost! I told you to leave. Go away!"

Then the room filled with the harsh sounds of me throwing up.

Chloe was on the verge of tears. "Nina, I mean it, I'm going to smash the door in. What happened? Just let me see."

"Beat it! Leave me be." My gut-wrenching cries pierced through the screen.

Chloe slammed her body against the door, and the old wooden door creaked open at last.

Inside, I was kneeling beside the trash can, my hair matted to my face with vomit, looking utterly a wreck.

There was no trace of the laughter and singing from the day before.

I looked up in despair, my eyes bloodshot. "Chloe..."

"Nina." She dropped to her knees and, paying no mind to how dirty I was, threw her arms around me.

My hands trembled as I held her back, my chin resting on her shoulder, tears soaking her clothes. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have snapped at you.

"But sometimes, when I wake up, I get so confused. For a second, I really believed I was still just normal.

"Then I stare at the ceiling for a long time, and I realize I'm sick. I'm sick, Chloe."

I was crying my heart out, unable to form words.

Chloe held me even tighter. "It's okay, Nina. You can pull through. You will. Because you're Nina Quinn."