Promise

“Bring this to her, alright?”

That night, Frankie got a plate of leftovers to carry to her sister. It had become obviously apparent she would not be leaving her room tonight. It felt possible, if not likely, that she would never leave it again.

Frankie reminisced as she brought the hot bowtie noodles down the hallway. Nostalgia was a painful thing. Always had been, for her, but now more than ever. She wanted for this to be okay… for the sum of her life, all the happy memories, to overshadow all the trauma, to make dying no big deal, but…

Really, all they did was make it worse.

Every giggle stung, and every smile ached. Those times had left her now. And they were never coming back.

She started to understand how Katie felt, before she forced the two of them out of the house.

Frankie approached the girl’s door, but as she stared at the carpet, she didn’t notice the other girl blocking her way.

“Frankie.”

Cheryl didn’t look angry or sad at first. It was… just like she’d been when they met, a cold-faced, immovable professional. She thought that part of her was cute in hindsight. What Frankie didn’t realize was why she returned to this loveless mask. She wasn’t brave enough to see the obvious greif it was hiding.

“Good to see you again… um, do you wanna hang out tonight? I’m… really… tired, but… you know, it could be nice…”

“I couldn’t take it, Frankie.”

Instantly ridden by a shotgun blast of guilt, the girl sat her sister’s meal down by a lamp. It could wait.

“…I’m sorry.”

“I was just… so sure it was over. Right as it started, I just- couldn’t imagine it was anything else than you leaving me forever. I was… so, so scared, Frankie.”

“I can’t leave you. Cheryl, I- I’m sorry. She made me. Katie’s not well.”

“…You always put her first. Before yourself. Before anyone.”

Frankie swallowed, unable to so much as watch her partner as she wept. It was a terrible thing, and she wanted to deny it, but she knew Cheryl was right.

“I’ll make it up to you.”

She grabbed the lonely cowgirl’s hands, trying to express every ounce of her love.

“If it takes until the end of the world, I will make it up to you. There’s no one I care about more than you. I’d feel the same as you do now, if you were the one who left.”

Cheryl sobbed as she collapsed into her.

“…Sorry.”

“It’s fine.” She stroked her back. “Is there anything you need?”

“No, just… Never do that to me again, okay?”

Even though Frankie held that young woman like they were bound by the soul, she never did respond.