A Sister's Heart

IVY Sitting there, with the metal of the waiting room chair digging into her back, she was lost. Ivy Hart had moved herself and her two kids back in with her mother just over five months ago after leaving her husband, Brad, and it had been exactly what she had needed, a fresh start. But now here she was, alone, and in pain. The hospital smelled so strongly of disinfectant that it was making her feel a little dizzy. “Ms. Hart?” A woman in scrubs approached and Ivy recognised her from when she had arrived earlier that morning. She was carrying what Ivy knew to be her mother’s belongings. “I’m Dr. Beth Hayden and I am so sorry for your loss.” She spoke with empathy in her voice, indicating that she had once been on the receiving end of news like this. “Thank You!” Was all Ivy said. She wasn’t really thinking straight, feeling numb to her surroundings. “Here.” Beth started. “I asked if I could be the one to bring these to you.” She held out the clear package which contained the jewellery and watch that Esther Hart had been wearing. Nothing much, just her crucifix, silver chain watch, engagement and wedding rings. Ivy hesitated before taking the items from Beth, trying her best to keep it together, but after a few seconds, she relented and took possession of them. She tried to speak, but no words came out. She thought about how good she had felt that morning as she dropped her kids off at school. They were happy and joking around; Lauren had been singing along to Lady Gaga on the radio and Matthew was telling them his best jokes. Then she got home and her whole world came crashing down around her. Her mother was dead. The doctor had explained that it appeared that Esther had suffered a stroke sometime during the night, but she was still somewhat in denial. She didn’t want to believe that her mother was actually gone. It was all on her now. She had to be the one to tell the kids and call her sisters. It dawned on her in that moment, that their mom had been the glue that held their family together, and now that she was gone, where did that leave them? Beth pulled Ivy back from her thoughts as she placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. “Are you going to be okay?” She asked, clearly worried about Ivy’s state of mind. “I’ll be okay, but right now I just need to get out of here.” A lone tear began to roll down Ivy’s cheek, but she wiped it away and dried her eyes before any more could follow. Reaching over, Beth gave her a hug, squeezing just tight enough for it not to be awkward, but enough so that it was clear to Ivy that she wasn’t alone; that other people go through this every day, herself included. Leaving the hospital, Ivy knew she had to go pick up Lauren and Matthew, and yet, she found herself driving in the opposite direction. Needing to think, she went to the one place she knew would always be there for her; somewhere she used to come all the time, and where she could just be by herself and clear her head of all the noise. As Ivy pulled into the car park at the west entrance to Schenley Park, a feeling of calm washed over her. The park had always been her special place and it never failed to give her focus. It was the first place she came after her father had died eight years ago, and now here she was again, in an almost identical situation. Making her way down to the lake, she reflected on her relationships with her sisters. Diana and Veronica were both high flying New York businesswomen; a fashion mogul, and a cosmetic queen. The three of them barely spoke but growing up they were pretty close. When the careers of her older sisters took off, they became too busy to attend family gatherings or even pick up the phone. The last time all of them had been together had been their mother’s 70th birthday four years ago, and their father’s funeral four years before that. Diana and Veronica had no clue about how her life had fallen apart. Of course, she had told them that she was living back at home after leaving Brad, but she kept the full story to herself, doubting they would understand. To them it was like there was no life outside of New York and they were too wrapped up in the latest product launch or magazine shoot to care, and honestly, sometimes it made Ivy feel like a failure. She stopped at the edge of the lake, hoping that it’s tranquillity would allow her to sort through her thoughts, figure out what to do next and who to call first. Sitting by the shore in silence, listening to the motions of the water, Ivy contemplated getting someone else to call her sisters for her. Maybe Beth from the hospital would do it, because the thought of having to tell them what had happened to their mother filled her with dread. However, the more she considered her options, the more Ivy realised that the news of Esther’s death would be better coming from her than some stranger, so she took her cell phone out of her jacket pocket and stared at the contact list for a moment before hitting the call button. . Author's Note - Thank You for reading this first chapter of my story. Please leave a comment and let me know what you think. I love to hear feedback from my readers. Emma xxx