Olivia shook her head violently, squeezing her eyes shut.
She couldn’t think like that.
Aurora wasn’t going anywhere. Olivia wouldn’t let her.
Her breathing was still fast, and her hands were starting to tingle.
She placed one hand over her mouth, trying to calm down, but her whole body felt too tight, too heavy.
"Stop it," she muttered. "Stop thinking like that!"
She dug her nails into her palm, trying to focus on the pain instead of the panic.
Aurora was going to be fine.
She had to be.
A knock on the door made Olivia jump.
"Olivia?" Emily’s voice ca from the other side. "Are you inside?"
Olivia swallowed hard. Her throat was dry.
She wiped her face quickly, even though she wasn’t crying.
"Yes," she called back, but her voice sounded weak.
There was silence for a mont. Then, Emily spoke again, softer this ti.
"Okay, be quick. I have to use the washroom."
"Yeah."
By the ti Olivia ca out, her expression had returned to normal.
No one could have guessed that just a few minutes before, she was having a panic attack.
She knew the reality of her family.
They could barely afford Aurora’s hospital fees and Lucas and Adriana’s university fees.
If she tells them about her panic attacks, it will only burden them more.
At night, Olivia returned ho, while Adriana stayed behind.
"Sister, what if I fall into a coma soday?" Aurora asked.
Adriana was baffled by the sudden question and asked,
"Why do you think you will fall into a coma in the first place?"
"Just a hypothetical situation." Aurora shrugged as if she were just making a suggestion.
"Then we all will wait till you wake up." Adriana smiled.
"How sweet." Aurora smiled. "You are much better than Olivia!"
Adriana was amused.
"But, sister, if I ever fall into a coma, could you co and tell about your day and teach my syllabus?
What if I fall into a coma and wake up after 3 years? I don’t want to be left behind. After all, I want to get into Harvard!"
Adriana tried to hold her laughter and asked,
"Since when did you have such a dream?"
Aurora grinned.
Getting into a Harvard? Not possible, but maybe when she fell into a coma, Adriana would rember the conversation because of how ridiculous it was, and hence Aurora nodded with a confident expression.
"Don’t ask. I feel as if I have a hidden potential in ." Aurora said.
"Or is it because you want to chase your childhood crush?" Adriana tapped on Aurora’s head.
"Huh?" Aurora was taken aback by Adriana’s words.
So fragnted mories surfaced in her mind.
When she was 5, a wealthy family had shifted to their neighborhood.
Everyone had been talking about them because they were rich and ca back to honor their ancestors.
Aurora didn’t care much at first, but then she t him.
She didn’t rember his na, but she rembered his face.
He had dark eyes and a serious expression, like he didn’t like talking to people.
But when she tripped and fell while playing outside, he was the one who helped her up.
"Be careful," he had said, his voice calm but firm.
Aurora stared at the boy and was srized.
He was cute! So cute, that Aurora couldn’t help but pull his cheeks, blink her grey eyes, and said,
"You are so cute! Can you marry my doll!"
He was so beautiful that only her beautiful doll could match him.
The boy was stunned, and his face turned pale. He calmly removed her hand and explained,
"I am a human. I can only marry another human."
Aurora was baffled, then she proposed,
"Then how about ? Can you marry ?"
The boy looked away, his ears turning pink.
"...You’re too young to talk about marriage," he finally mumbled.
Aurora pouted. "But I’ll grow up!"
The boy sighed like an old man. "Then ask when you’re older."
Aurora gasped, eyes wide. "So you’re saying there’s a chance?"
The boy froze. "No! That’s not what I—"
But Aurora had already decided. "Okay! When I grow up, I’ll find you and marry you!"
Before the boy could argue, a woman’s voice called from the house.
"Son, co inside."
He glanced toward the voice, then back at Aurora. "I have to go."
Aurora crossed her arms. "Fine. But rember! You promised!"
"I didn’t—"
Too late. She was already skipping away, humming happily.
Was that the last ti Aurora had seen that boy?
Nope!
They had spent a long ti with each other.
The boy frequently visited that place, but Aurora moved out of that place when she was 9 or sothing.
After a fever, she forgot about the boy and only vaguely rembered her childhood mories.
Hell, she wasn’t even sure if she rembered their first eting correctly or not.
Now, when she was about to turn 14, Aurora had given up on the boy.
Why?
So people are ant to be admired from afar.
And that boy was one of them.
Seeing Aurora’s reaction, Adriana understood what Aurora was thinking and changed the subject,
"Anyways, do you want to eat anything?"
Aurora shook her head and continued,
"If I fall into a coma, don’t eat in front of . Also, sister, there are so people whom you shouldn’t let near . Like..."
Then she told a long list of people.
After adding a few more instructions, Aurora was satisfied and said,
"That’s it."
Adriana’s head was spinning, and she joked,
"You are telling everything as if you will truly fall into a coma. Aurora people don’t fall into a coma mysteriously."
Aurora smiled and didn’t say anything.
Just then, Adriana’s phone rang. When she saw the caller’s ID, her expression turned grim.
"Go to sleep, I will return in few minutes."
Aurora nodded and watched as Adriana left.
Filled with curiosity, she followed Adriana. Her treatnt wasn’t started in full swing, and glucose was only injected to her occasionally so she could roam around freely.
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