Skye's Heart-Original Copy

Dericia Winnick smiles as she watches her daughter Skye, playing in the front yard. Skye is catching grasshoppers with Luka, her best friend. She has a lot of other friends that are in her second grade class, but they care more about girly things like their glitter tattoo kits and nail art than they do anything else. Luka, who is also the same age as Skye, likes outdoor activities and doesn’t complain when he gets dirt under his nails, like all her other friends do.  

     “I wish Luka could go to school with Skye like he used to. Seems like a lifetime ago, when they’d walk together. Remember?” Dericia asks. She leans back on the porch swing, next to her husband, who is watching their other daughter, Melodie, play with her plastic flower garden set on the mat next to him.

     “It seems like so long ago now, because of the changes that are happening. Luka just turned eight, and in a few days, so will Skye. You know, we’re gonna have to tell her the truth about him sooner than later,” he says.

     “I can’t Ishmael. How can we tell our baby that her best friend is dying? I just wish they could have more time together.” 

     “I do too, but she’s not blind and it won’t be long before she starts asking questions. She has to notice that he’s not as energetic, and he’s not able to go to school with her anymore. They stopped running together and when’s the last time she brought out her skateboard? Luka can’t keep up with her like he used to and she deserves the chance to say goodbye, before that choice is taken away from her.” 

     “I know it’s just...her birthday is coming, and Luka has always been the one she hangs out with on all her birthdays. It’s a few days away, can’t this conversation wait until after this Saturday?” 

     “We can’t wait too long Dericia, I know this will devastate her but it has to be done. We’ll have to tell her on Sunday.” 

     Saturday comes fast, and Skye and Luka enjoy the day playing in the pool, eating vanilla ice cream and celebrating the beginning of spring. Skye devours her cake before she and Luka play with the soccer ball that she received, although Luka doesn’t play much before taking a break and resting. Skye takes several pictures of the two of them with her new camera and Dericia is relieved that Skye’s capturing every moment they’re sharing together on film. 

That night, Dericia can’t sleep and stays up all night considering different scenarios, trying to find the right way to break the news to Skye in the morning that her best friend has cancer.

     Sunday morning creeps up on her and she is exhausted but forces herself to walk to Skye’s bedroom. When she approaches her door, she can hear Skye playing with her starter pottery set she just got for her birthday. Dericia sighs and opens the door. 

     “Skye baby, we need to talk. Oh child, what have you done in here!” The carpet is covered in wet clay, some of it already hardening and setting into the strands of the carpet. Frustrated and ready to scream, Dericia forces herself to remain calm while she cleans, knowing that her daughter’s world is about to be shattered. 

     By the time Dericia has scrubbed the carpet clean, Skye is dressed. She’s excited to play with Luka, who Dericia can now see out of Skye’s window. Luka is standing in their front yard next to the yellow fence. As she takes Skye downstairs, Ishmael is in the living room with Melodie, waiting to join them. 

     “Honey, we have to tell you something,” Ishmael says as soon as they all take a seat. Ishmael and Dericia explain Luka’s condition to Skye as gently as they can and then they tell her that she has to say goodbye. Skye’s eyes are filled with tears as she makes her way to the front yard. 

    Before she can reach the front door, someone knocks and Ishmael moves past her and answers the door to see a police officer standing there. 

     “We received a complaint from the neighbors about the trash,” the officer says. 

    “What about our trash?” Ishmael asks, sliding past the officer. Dericia walks out on the porch to see that both of their metal trash cans are overflowing and spilling across the bottom of the driveway.  

     Ishmael opens the garage and grabs his large shovel and begins cleaning up the trash. The officer walks out of the fenced in yard, thanks Ishmael and leaves. Once Ishmael is finished, he comes back inside and explains what he saw to Dericia.  

     “Someone took a knife or scissors and made cuts across several of the bags. Who would’ve done that?”

     “Did you tell the cop?” Dericia asks. 

      “No, no point, it’s not like we have any cameras around here. Damn, I’m gonna have to get some.” 

     “Yes, but that’ll have to wait, right now we have other things to sort out, and then you have to go. Skye baby, let’s go see Luka.” Skye’s eyes begin to water again and she walks as slow as she can towards Luka, who is now playing with bugs at the end of their yard. As Skye and her mother get closer, Skye hears her father starting the car and watches him pull out of the garage.  One of the tires is going KLUNK KLUNK KLUNK. 

     “What the-“ Ishmael says. He gets out of the car and slams the door.  

     “Dericia! One of the damn tires is flat!” 

     Dericia leaves Skye’s side, and hurries to the car. Skye continues toward Luka, teary-eyed. She sits down next to him but doesn’t say anything. Dericia is still examining the tires when Ishmael points out that the tire has been cut. 

     “What is going on, how did someone get into our garage? Who is cutting up everything?” Ishmael looks over to Luka and Skye, who are playing in the dirt together.  

“Where’s Melodie?” he asks. 

“In the house, watching cartoons. I’ll go check on her,” Dericia says. 

“Okay, once I get this tire changed, we’re leaving,” Ishmael says. 

After a few moments, Dericia and Melodie join Skye and Luka at the end of the yard. Skye watches her father as he pulls off the flattened tire and replaces it with the spare. 

     “It’s time for Luka to go,” Dericia says, her voice soft, almost a whisper. 

     “No mama,” Skye says, tears now pouring out of her eyes like fountains. Skye bends down and lays next to Luka in the dirt, her fingers running through his black fur. She holds his front paw in her hand and clutches it close to her heart, gently petting the white fur on his foot. 

     “You can’t go, look mama, he’s fine. He’s alright,” Skye says, wiping her eyes. Her mother notices a cut on her hand and grabs her arm. 

     “What is this? There’s dried blood on your palm. What happened to you?” Skye doesn’t say anything.  

     “Ishmael!” Dericia says. 

     “I’m almost done,” he calls back. Dericia walks Skye and Melodie over to the car.  

     “She’s got a cut on her hand, did you know about this?” Dericia asks. Ishmael drops the torque wrench and examines Skye’s hand. 

     “No but…” he stops, and takes a moment before continuing. 

     “Skye, tell me the truth.  Did you cut the trash bags open?” Skye drops her head and pulls her hand back.  

     “Are you suggesting she’s the one who slashed the tire as well? She’s not capable of-“

     “-It’s true mama, I followed her downstairs and saw her go in the garage after you went to bed,” Melodie says. Skye continues to keep her head down, causing her tears to fall straight to the ground. 

     “What? Skye baby, why would you do this?” her mother asks. Skye begins to sob. 

     “I didn’t want you to take Luka. I tried to block the driveway with the trash last night and when it didn’t work, I knew you couldn’t take him away if I cut the tire.” 

     “Skye! I can’t believe you did that!” her mother says. 

     “Please don’t take him away mama please,” Skye says. 

     “Wait, is this also why you made such a mess in your room this morning?” Dericia asks. Skye nods. 

     “I thought if you were too busy cleaning, you wouldn’t have time to take him away,” Skye says.

     “How did you know we were gonna take him today?” Ishmael asks.

     “I heard you and mama talking before my birthday party yesterday, when you were baking the cake.” Ishmael and Dericia exchange looks and Dericia pulls Skye close and embraces her. 

     “I just wanted to keep him a little longer,” Skye says. 

     “Aww baby, I know. I wish we could too, but remember what we just talked about? Sometimes things like this happen, and there’s no good reason for it. It’s not fair, but it’s also not fair to let him suffer anymore. We have to be grateful for the time we got with Luka because that’s all we can do. I thought it would be too hard on you if you went with your father to take him, but I think it should be your choice. Do you want to say goodbye here or go with your father to take him in?” 

     Skye makes her decision and walks back over to Luka. She calls him up and together they walk to the car, where Ishmael helps Luka in the backseat and Skye takes her place by his side, just like she always has. Ishmael shuts the back door and Dericia watches them as Ishmael backs out of the driveway and heads down the street. 

     “Come on baby,” she says and she and Melodie walk back into the house. Dericia flips the television back on and holds Melodie tight, thinking about how fast both of her girls are growing up and how another chapter of their lives has sadly come to an end.

We never have enough time.