Drawn to Life by Elisabeth Wagner Read Free Book Online
Authors: Elisabeth Wagner
anyone could ever have through an ordeal like this.” Slowly I raised my eyes. “Thank you.”
Mom threw her arms around me, and I had to make an effort to tolerate the sudden, intense physical contact.
Pressing her wet cheek against my neck, she sighed, “Ah, Mia, I’ll always be here for you . . . always.” She loosened her grip to better look at me. Across her tear-streaked face, I saw smudgy traces of her black mascara. She stood on tiptoe and whispered in my ear, “Take good care of yourself. Give us a call once you get there.”
She hesitated but finally let go of me, smiling through her tears. I reached into my purse for a handkerchief, then handed it to her.
Clearing his throat, my father moved closer, patted my shoulder, and gave me a smile.
“You’ll do this thing, Mia.” He fought to keep his voice neutral, but in this situation like this, even my dad seemed to be finding it impossible to control his feelings.
“All I ask is for you to get back home safe and sound. Everything will be all right,” he murmured.
My heart grew heavy when he mentioned my eventual return, but I didn’t want to ruin the moment and remained silent.
My father took a step closer and did something I’d never have expected of him. He gave me a hug. A real hug. It felt weird and clumsy, but I liked it. It took me back to a time when I was ten and had hurt my knee. Crying, I had run to my dad and sobbed into the crook of his arm. He’d wiped my tears with his thumb, kissed my cheeks, and whispered that everything would be OK.
“Thank you, Dad . . .” I smiled and blinked rapidly. “Thank you for everything,” I whispered, leaning my head against his chest. I felt so sheltered, I didn’t even mind the physical contact.
“Be careful, my girl.”
To hold back the tears, all I could do was nod. If I cried, I might have decided to stay, just to remain in the safe presence of my parents and my sister.
No. Under no circumstances. I had to be strong and stick to my plan.
Then Anna kissed me good-bye, and I boarded the train. There was no going back. This was supposed to be the trip of my life .
Slowly, the train began to move. I looked out the window one last time. My father was holding my mother, who was weeping against his shoulder. Dad’s fingers caressed her arm. It hurt so much to see them like this.
I closed my eyes to compose myself. Then I looked back, feeling a bittersweet nostalgia. I forced a smile and waved good-bye to my parents and my sister.
I waved good-bye to my past.
I had to let go. I would miss them, although not my former life. Except for my family, I hated everything about it, including myself. Why should I hold on to an existence that had been destroyed in a single blow?
Chapter 6 ½
Mia—Nobody Wants to Hear That
Graz, April 2011
I don’t think I’d ever experienced a day like this before.
For a week now, I had been in the hospital. My condition stressed me out, made me restless and irritated. I knew the drugs, treatments, exams, diet, and rest were all supposed to be for my benefit, but I was confined to bed and only allowed to get up when I really had to. My body was extremely weak. At least the high fever was dropping—raising my hopes for an early release, despite less-than-encouraging results from my blood work. For the time being, I was just glad I had a room all to myself.
The days dragged. My only comfort came on afternoons when Christoph visited. He always tried to cheer me up.
“Just wait and see, Mimi. You’ll be out of here in no time. The results from the CT should be here any day now. I’m sure everything will be fine.”
I sat up and looked at him warily. He took my hand in one of his, and with his other, he caressed my cheek. Then he kissed my lips.
“Don’t worry. You were just overworked. These tests are routine. A mere formality.”
I nodded and bit my lower lip. A CT didn’t seem routine. My stomachaches had become so bad they were unbearable without
Mom threw her arms around me, and I had to make an effort to tolerate the sudden, intense physical contact.
Pressing her wet cheek against my neck, she sighed, “Ah, Mia, I’ll always be here for you . . . always.” She loosened her grip to better look at me. Across her tear-streaked face, I saw smudgy traces of her black mascara. She stood on tiptoe and whispered in my ear, “Take good care of yourself. Give us a call once you get there.”
She hesitated but finally let go of me, smiling through her tears. I reached into my purse for a handkerchief, then handed it to her.
Clearing his throat, my father moved closer, patted my shoulder, and gave me a smile.
“You’ll do this thing, Mia.” He fought to keep his voice neutral, but in this situation like this, even my dad seemed to be finding it impossible to control his feelings.
“All I ask is for you to get back home safe and sound. Everything will be all right,” he murmured.
My heart grew heavy when he mentioned my eventual return, but I didn’t want to ruin the moment and remained silent.
My father took a step closer and did something I’d never have expected of him. He gave me a hug. A real hug. It felt weird and clumsy, but I liked it. It took me back to a time when I was ten and had hurt my knee. Crying, I had run to my dad and sobbed into the crook of his arm. He’d wiped my tears with his thumb, kissed my cheeks, and whispered that everything would be OK.
“Thank you, Dad . . .” I smiled and blinked rapidly. “Thank you for everything,” I whispered, leaning my head against his chest. I felt so sheltered, I didn’t even mind the physical contact.
“Be careful, my girl.”
To hold back the tears, all I could do was nod. If I cried, I might have decided to stay, just to remain in the safe presence of my parents and my sister.
No. Under no circumstances. I had to be strong and stick to my plan.
Then Anna kissed me good-bye, and I boarded the train. There was no going back. This was supposed to be the trip of my life .
Slowly, the train began to move. I looked out the window one last time. My father was holding my mother, who was weeping against his shoulder. Dad’s fingers caressed her arm. It hurt so much to see them like this.
I closed my eyes to compose myself. Then I looked back, feeling a bittersweet nostalgia. I forced a smile and waved good-bye to my parents and my sister.
I waved good-bye to my past.
I had to let go. I would miss them, although not my former life. Except for my family, I hated everything about it, including myself. Why should I hold on to an existence that had been destroyed in a single blow?
Chapter 6 ½
Mia—Nobody Wants to Hear That
Graz, April 2011
I don’t think I’d ever experienced a day like this before.
For a week now, I had been in the hospital. My condition stressed me out, made me restless and irritated. I knew the drugs, treatments, exams, diet, and rest were all supposed to be for my benefit, but I was confined to bed and only allowed to get up when I really had to. My body was extremely weak. At least the high fever was dropping—raising my hopes for an early release, despite less-than-encouraging results from my blood work. For the time being, I was just glad I had a room all to myself.
The days dragged. My only comfort came on afternoons when Christoph visited. He always tried to cheer me up.
“Just wait and see, Mimi. You’ll be out of here in no time. The results from the CT should be here any day now. I’m sure everything will be fine.”
I sat up and looked at him warily. He took my hand in one of his, and with his other, he caressed my cheek. Then he kissed my lips.
“Don’t worry. You were just overworked. These tests are routine. A mere formality.”
I nodded and bit my lower lip. A CT didn’t seem routine. My stomachaches had become so bad they were unbearable without