Mom’s Last Day 

I had started my shift at McDonalds when my phone rang. I didn't recognize the number but the restaurant was slow so I picked it up. It was the local hospital St. Joseph Mercy and a nurse told me in a rush that my mom has stage 4 lung cancer. It's been over a year since I last saw my mom so I was shocked by this news. The nurse told me my mom wanted to see me before she passed, which was going to be anyday. I sat stunned in silence on the phone with her. After a long pause the nurse spoke again asking if I would come. I finally agreed and told her I would be there soon. I immediately left work shocked, so shocked that I didn't even tell my boss I was leaving. I just walked out in a daze. When I got to the hospital and saw my mom I was flabbergasted at what I saw. She was skinnier than I had ever seen her, pale as a ghost and bald. As I approached her bed, she smiled and told me she was happy I came, I still wasn't sure why I did. Maybe it was the child in me remembering the few good years we had, perhaps it was guilt for not seeing her for a while or maybe I have too much empathy. We start talking like no time has passed and she seemed to have forgotten how we parted ways years ago. After a little while she asked me an impossible question, was she a good mother. This answer wasn't simple, it wasn't a yes or a no. I could see their pain in her eyes though, she needed a yes.  I may have lied in the moment but I gave her what she needed, but really we both needed it, we needed one more happy memory before she passed.