I was running around the house chasing my little brother Tod. I scooped him up and threw him on the couch.  

“Again, again, Emma again!” he chanted. 

 “What's going on here”? Asked my dad. 

“Daddy, daddy!” Tod had run and hugged him.  

“Emma and I were playing tag”. Replied Tod  

“oh, is that so and who won, you”? 

“No, I could never win against Emma”.  

“Oh, so Emma you are a champ now”? I started backing up slowly with my hands raised as a sign of surrender. 

 “I didn't say that da.... you know Tod didn't mean it, wait no”! He had picked up me and Tod and started tickling us.  

“Did I just hear somebody say daddy is a good tagger”? Said mom  

“You know nobody would say such....... Tod had interrupted and yelled Mommy it RUN”!  

We played tag for an hour until it was time for bed.  

“Did you take your medicine dad”? I asked, 

 “I don’t need that medicine because the bad guy got fired, no more stress”.  

“The bad guy finally gotten caught”? Said Tod 

 “Yes, he is the bad guy and we are the superheroes flying to your bed now, super Tod and Emma”. “Daddy can you tell us a story” asked Tod in an angelic voice 

 “Only if you go to bed afterwards ok”? Ok we said in unison. 

 “I will go take a shower good night my little superheroes” she had left out of the room and dad had begun the story. 

 “Once upon a time there was two kids who wished to do right but to do that they had to make a sacrifice and leave their love ones her brother agreed but the girl told her little brother there's nothing greater or valuable enough for us to leave mom and dad we can do good here the world will just have to depend on somebody else The End”. Dad had kissed our foreheads and left the room I had gone under the covers with a warm feeling inside me. 

                                                                ∞∞∞ 

The next night dad didn't come home. Mommy had called his job, but they said he had quit three months ago but the people told us to try Red Cherry when we arrived. My mom told us to stay in the car while she went in.  

“I wonder why mom didn't know daddy quit his job, but we did” said Tod  

I wonder what else she doesn't know  

“Come on Tod let's go see dad”, I said when we walked in, and we spotted my mom right away.  

“You were right Emma mom can't fit in a club but dad sure, enough can”. 

 “Oh, thank the lord you aren't on one of though poles” said my mom happily 

“Why on earth would you think something like that, is it because they get paid more because I listen to people's stories for ten bucks each? A Bartender is more civilized. I was not raised to be a lowrider”. I had laughed at the dirty joke dad had made and thank god I did because he wouldn't have seen the knife heading my way if he didn’t push me, I would have died. But dad was not so lucky he had gotten stabbed in the side.  

We had driven behind the ambulance to the hospital and waited for the doctor to come out when he finally did, he went to go talk to mom. 

 “That can't be good, let's go see dad”. We had abruptly stopped to see a woman standing over dad.  

“Sir you must let us do the surgery so can you please sign this” said the nurse 

 “I guess the lady had figured out and the doctor is telling mom” I said  

“Crap this is worse than the time mom had burnt the tater tots why you must do this to me universe oh w.....”  

“Shut up brother,” I whispered.  

“I don’t want any needles, medicine, or a god frickin tube down my throat”! My dad yelled.  

“Go away you're a big meanie disperse nobody want you here”! Yelled Tod   My dad had started laughing at Tod yelling and chasing the nurse out of the room.  

“Come here Emma and Tod, you know people can honestly mistake you two for twins or just one whole person doesn’t ever let someone manipulate you”.  

“Daddy are you going to be ok”? I asked 

 “No, and you knew this would happen Emma and Tod” he said,  

“But why so soon daddy” said Tod  

“Can't the universe give us more time to do things”? Said Tod glumly,  

“I sure hope so Tod, I sure hope so, and I shall spend them well”.  

We sat next to daddy until it was time to go.  

“Aren't you coming Emma”? Asked  

“Mom, just a minute I will meet you at the car”. 

 “Ok dad let's get this straight you must promise me you will try to do something to make your lifespan longer” I had said pointing at him.  

“I promise as long as you don’t put me on life support do you understand I want to die a happy man and know that I had raised two young children to do right in the world that is all I ask Emma because you are in charge of me when I die, you remember where to bury me right”? 

 “Yes, I do by the tree where you and Tod went and where the moon and sun rise and set”.  

“Good job now go to your mother”.  

   2 days before the end of the 2 months 

Super Tod and wonder Emma I will put you to sleep if it's the last thing I do. We ran around the house and went into the liver room and plotted our butts on the floor under the tent and ate some cookies. “Dad, if you do die tomorrow what is your last wish”? Asked Tod Instead of answering, he had said, “Would you too like to listen to a story”? yes, we said. Ok  

“Once upon a time there was a nice family and that nice family was poor and they only ate what they could grow”. 

 “But the man was wealthy and to stay wealthy he would have to leave his family”.  

“But he had stayed with his family and told his parents and the village that his family is perfect not by how you see them. It's how they act: we have honesty; bravery and you'll be all cowards”. 

 “A few days later the man had become ill everybody said it was a curse from the universe the man's wife had left, and the two kids had stayed with his father”. 

 “Everybody who left never really loved you but the people who stayed truly are your family and they are not perfect by sight but by their honesty and bravery and their love and nobody shall take that from them or from you not even if you died” said the girl  

“the boy had leaned over the man and kissed his forehead and closed his eyes and said dream of the stars and a happy life”. 

 “Do you wish for me to continue Emma, you are the only one up”? No, 

 “I wish to hear the end continue please” I said  

“He had smiled at Emma and continued the story; the two kids had turned the man's bed facing the sky and held his hand until he died”. 

“What had happened to the kid's daddy”? Said Tod waking up, 

“Well the two kids had buried the man under a tree that looked up at the sky and is far away from the village and humans”.  

“Their dad had gotten up and put on his jacket and grabbed his keys”.  

“Well since we are all up why don't we go for a drive”? Emma had looked at mom asleep she had leaned over and pulled the blanket to her chin.  

“Let's go”! 

We had driven up to a house that had looked familiar to me. 

 “Where are we daddy”? Said Tod 

, “We are where my story began and where it will not end”? 

 “So, we are at your parent's house is what you are saying”? I asked 

 “Yes, we are Emma now, what time is it?” he said while looking at his watch. 

 “It’s about to be eleven o’clock” chimed Tod,  

“Well I'm bored, how about we go see a movie kid”? Yes! We both chimed at the same time. 

When we had arrived at the movie dad had bought us milkshakes and popcorn. We didn't end up watching the whole movie before he started coughing up blood. I suppose it was fair that it happened when we were alone without our mother and the doctor did tell us it was going to happen soon if he didn’t take the medicine. Me and Tod didn't complain or cry, to be honest I would if I could. While we got on the ambulance truck, we just sat there holding his hand silently. When we had finally got to the hospital our mom was rushing to us.  

“What on earth were you doing that was so important to not be at home we could have saved a lot of money”! I had walked away astonished by her stupidity while Tod just stared at her in disbelief. “You know what, I don't have time for your games”. She had walked away from the doctor. While we waited for him to get out of surgery, we told stories to each other. 

 “Shut up and don't make a fool out of me with your loud talking”! She started fixing her dress and waited silently for what was coming next. 

 “I'm going to hit her,” said Tod, pulling up his sleeves. I wasn't going to bother to stop him, but I had to because the doctor was coming around the corner.  

“Mam may I pull you to the side”? Said the doctor 

 “Yes, you can” after mom was done talking to the doctor she had walked in the room and started yelling. I think we should go see dad. I said, grabbing Tod's hand and pulling him to the room.  

“Why won't you take the medicine you can't leave us”! She cried,  

“you mean don't leave you without no money”, if you bothered to get a job you wouldn't be sitting here”  

“And I already know you don't love me so stop acting like you do”. She had turned around and tried to make us leave but we had said no. We walked to dad and stared at him. He had smiled, and we had begun to end the chapter and start a new one. 

 “Everybody who is not in this room never loved you”, “Me and Tod thank you for evolving around us and teaching us the difference between greedy and honesty” I said, me and Tod had turned dad facing the window and I had opened it, so he could see outside. Tod had said his goodbyes and closed dad's eyes and kissed his forehead. 

                                                               ∞∞∞