I walked into my favorite coffee shop heading straight for the table by the window.
I sat down with a sigh.
If it was going to be my last day, the least I could do was spend it with the thing I loved most in the world, Coffee.
Cassandra placed a hot cup of coffee in front of me with a sad smile on her face. She knew how I loved it already. I picked it up, bringing it to my lips.
I was about to take a sip when I realized something, it would be the last time I would drink coffee.
I dropped it.
The air in the cafe felt surreal blowing at my bald hair. For the past three months, I had been told what to eat, what to drink.
My mother, bless her soul occasionally brought me coffee because she knew much I loved it.
I had fought, the first and the second time. When the Doctor Lily had called, right from the tone of her voice, I knew.
A part of me had expected it so it wasn't much of a surprise.
I had lived my life everyday like it would be my last so I wouldn't have anything holding me back.
No one needed to tell me. From the look on everyone's face, I didn't have much time left. If I was going to die, I refused to spend my last moments stuffed in the hospital surrounded by the smell of nauseating chemicals.
Speaking of which I took a deep breath. Perfect.
I stared at the coffee in front of me. I had accepted my fate about death right from the first time I was told I had cancer but something about taking a sip just made it final.
"I thought I would find you here". I diverted my stare from the cup. My mum stood in smiling at me. No matter what, I'd always think she was the most beautiful woman in the world.
Even though grey hairs was sprinkled all over her hair, she was still beautiful.
I smiled back, "I didn't want to spend my last hours in the hospital". Her smiled dimmed. I stretched out my hand to hold her, "It's okay Mum. By this time tomorrow, it won't hurt anymore".
A tear escaped her eyes.
"Remember when I was five and Mr Jordan failed that assignment on the family tree because you cut little pictures of yourself and placed them on each branch?"
My mum laughed, "And I stomped to school to ask him to marry me since he wanted you to have more family members".
I joined in the laughter, "He looked like he would pee his pants. Speaking of which, Remember Jameson?"
My mother was a lot of things really, Jameson was the first boy to ask me out in high school and also the last because the news spread that my mother was a terrorist and would destroy anyone that came near her precious daughter.
She had actually made him wet himself.
The laughter died down, she looked at me and asked, "Do you miss him?"
I shook my head. Any man that was capable of walking out on his five year old daughter and wife didn't deserve anything good in life.
"You have always been more than enough for me. I never felt like I missed out on anything. I have never really said thank you. So thank you Mum".
Her lips quivered, "I don't know how I'm going to go on without you Mika".
"You are the strongest person I know Mum and I might not be here to frustrate you but I'll always be here with you".
I began coughing after that.
"Come on. Time to get to you back to that dreadful place", she said as she helped me up.
I laughed in between coughs.
Night fell, I sat up on the hospital bed staring out the window. The machine supporting the last hours of my life beeped in the background.
My mum walked in, "Here". She handed me one of the cups she was holding, "You didn't drink the one at the shop".
I took it from her gratefully. She brought hers to her lips. I did thesame. My very last cup, it tasted like everything life was. It tasted perfect.
She climbed into bed with me. We talked and laughed about the silly things I had done during my rebel years while sipping our coffee.
It was a perfect last day with the person and the thing I loved most in the world.
I felt it. Slowly I laid my weak body on the bed, my mum wrapped her hands around me.
Her tear dropped on my face, "I love you", I whispered.
She hugged me tighter, "I love you too my darling" was the last thing I heard before I took my last breath.
