Broken codes - PB5

one

Athena Booker was never one to want to stand out in a crowd.

She'd prefer to be sitting in a corner reading a book, listening to her music.

Her imagination would run wild with the words she read on the page, the descriptions clearly envisioned in her head, and the entire world around her fading to a blur.

The problem with being so entranced with books is the outside world is a let down, and she was alone.

There was no best friend or any friend, no boyfriend (not that she'd ever want one but 12 year-old Athena hasn't figured that out yet), and also no picture perfect family.

Her mother, Calliope, died almost a year prior from cancer, leaving just Athena and her father, Daniel Booker.

When her mother died, Athena fell quiet, she was already not much of an outgoing type but the whisper turned into silence, rarely talking to her father anymore.

Athena was much like her mother, same sea green eyes, brunette, wavy hair, and same drive to score goals.

Athena followed after her mother, playing soccer growing up and being the best on her team, hoping to one day play for UCLA like her mom.

Daniel was grateful for having a mini Calliope that he could love, as if he didn't love his wife enough, Athena was the best thing to ever happen to him.

When Calliope got diagnosed, Daniel had hope, praying almost every night to let God keep his beacon of light.

Athena was 7 at the time and didn't completely understand what was going on, just that "The other teams in the league insist that momma see the doctor often to make sure she isn't cheating to score all those goals." She didn't care, all she cared about was that momma came home and passed the ball with her in the backyard before dinner.

It wasn't until Athena was 10 that Calliope was diagnosed terminally.

Of course Daniel and Calliope didn't tell Athena, but she noticed the slight weakness that came along.

Every time Athena would ask to play, they just made more excuses, "momma isn't feeling well, momma needs rest after a long day, momma's leg hurts." She was sad, she was obsessed with soccer and just wanted to play.

Calliope felt horrible, feeling like she was abandoning her kid, but after one round of chemo treatment, her body was weak, barely able to walk without help from her husband.

Daniel's praying turned from once or twice a week to daily, sometimes almost multiple times a day, just praying, hoping for a miracle to keep their family together.

For Christmas when Athena was 11, her parents bought her a rebounder, and a mini goal to put out in their backyard.

Athena was in love with it, able to play soccer and her mother was able to watch her play, even when she wasn't feeling good.

Then came the New Year.

It had been a perfect Christmas, or whatever could be perfect for a California Christmas with a temperature of 48 degrees Christmas morning.

Every year Athena wished for a White Christmas, and every year Daniel and Calliope had to buy bags of fake snow and spread it around Athena's room and the rest of the house.

Once Christmas passed, New Years came.

December 31st at 11:30 pm, the Bookers would gather round the TV and watch the countdown, softly playing music in the background and just talking about their New Year resolutions.

That year Athena's goal was to read more, like she hadn't made her parents almost go bankrupt from spending money on books.

Daniel and Calliope couldn't say what they really wanted out loud and maybe thats why it never worked, so they just laughed and said theirs was to make more money to spend on books for their greek goddess of wisdom child.

January was long.

The treatments for Calliope's cancer intensified, her body growing weaker, her head bare, and her spirits at an all time low.

She just wanted it to stop, she couldn't take it anymore, it was hurting.

Daniel expressed his feelings, saying it would get better when they both know it wouldn't.

Calliope had accepted it, she was going to die, that's what terminal means, but Daniel didn't want to face that.

He cried almost every night since the conversation of stopping treatment, he knew it was coming, actually he wasn't expecting his wife to last this long, but he didn't want to let go, he couldn't.

Daniel only wanted his wife to be happy, that was his purpose in life, and if that meant she wanted to stop treatment then she would.

Of course now they have to face the fact that she is dying soon, and Athena still doesn't know.

Athena isn't stupid, she knows something is going on with her mother, a voice inside her was curious, but the rest of her didn't want to know because she knew it was bad.

February 3rd, they sat Athena down and told her what was going on.

Athena almost covered her ears when they first mentioned cancer.

She was 11 years old and losing the person she loved most in the world.

Athena later accepted it, even shaving her head in support of her mom.

Kids at school made fun of her, claiming that no girl should ever not have hair and that it's weird.

Athena didn't care, she just wanted to be as close to her mom as possible with the time she has left with her.

3 weeks after their conversation, Calliope had to be rushed to the hospital, doctors immediately crowding around her and shoving little Athena and her father out of the way so they could work.

Daniel sat in the waiting room with Athena, holding her in his lap, when the doctor called their name and gestured for them to follow him to Calliope's room.

Athena saw her mom and rushed over to her bed, climbing into it and clinging to her mother, Daniel stayed behind, softly smiling at the sight of his wife and daughter, but then he saw the paper laid on the table next to the bed.

A DNR form.

His eyes watered and he left the room, only to lean on the wall, out of sight.

After he collected himself, he walked back in the room and acted like everything was normal, perfect even.

That night at 3:42 am on February 25th, the machines monitoring Calliope began loudly and erratically beeping, Athena was lying on her mothers chest, sleeping when she heard a group of nurses and doctors run into her room.

Daniel was already awake, standing outside the door, watching.

The nurse ushered Athena out of the door to stand next to her father, then shut the door in their face.

Daniel could hear them start to do CPR, or whatever else they could to save her until one nurse told everyone to stop, "she's DNR....time of death 3:48 am."

Months later, 4 to be exact, Daniel got a job offer in Minnesota, more like he applied to the farthest place he could find a job in his field, and in late June, Daniel and Athena moved to Hopkins, Minnesota.

Away from the constant reminder of her late mother.