|| Maya's POV ||
I love sleeping.
Such a simple thing, meaningless to others, is my only escape.
For as long as I can remember, I have been living at Saint Thérèse Hospital. The doctors say I have brain cancer, apparently a rare case for a ten-year-old.
My mom left us two years ago, but every day after work, my dad comes to see me.
I've always seen him with dark circles under his eyes. I've never understood why adults have to work. It seems strange to me. Why not have fun and stay with the people they love?
But I know that my dad works so that I can stay in the hospital and live a few more days. When I see him, I give him my biggest smile. It's the only thing I can do to thank him.
I know I don't have much time left, I may soon join my mother in heaven.
When my father isn't around, I only have two hobbies. The first is reading. I love discovering wonderful worlds that transport me and lull me to sleep. Every day, I thank all the authors who bring me comfort.
My second activity is my favorite: sleeping.
I love sleeping.
When I dream, I can travel to imaginary worlds and live my own adventures. Last night, I was in the land of Oz, flying over the golden paths and talking to the wizard.
As I wake up, I see my father beside me, looking tired, as he does every day.
"Hey, Ma, did you sleep well?"
I look at him for a moment, then give him my biggest smile.
"Yes! I had a wonderful dream. Do you want me to tell you about it?"
"Oh? Tell me all about your adventures!" He replies, spreading his hands dramatically and speaking in an exaggerated voice, then winks at me.
When he does that, it always makes me laugh out loud.
I give him a sly little smile and announce loudly, "Don't fall over when you hear about my great adventures!" while puffing out my chest.
We look at each other for a few seconds, then laugh together.
After calming down, I begin my story.
"Today I was in a field of sugar!"
Before I can continue, my father interrupts me. "A field of sugar?" Then he widens his eyes in mock surprise. "Don't tell me... you ate the field?!"
"No! ... maybe some grass..."
"Grass?"
"Yes! It's a field of sweet grass, and when I walked on it, it made a 'squish squish' sound like dog toys!"
"Handy for walking quietly."
When I see his amused smile, I roll my eyes before continuing.
"In the distance, there was a cloud that said to me, 'Do you want to fly?' So, I replied, 'Of course!'"
I say this while raising my arms to imitate a bird flying.
"And you know what? As I flew, his whiskers fluttered and made a 'flap flap' sound. It was so funny!"
Just remembering it makes me laugh again.
While my father tries to stifle a laugh, I continue my story.
"And as we flew over the vanilla mountains, an army of flying fish arrived! They wore soldier helmets and wanted to eat my cloud!"
"Oh no, not the cloud!" said my father, feigning shock.
"I had the same reaction. I shouted, 'No way are we attacking Cloustache!'"
"Cloustache? Because it's a cloud with a mustache?"
"Yes, I think it suits him, so I jumped off his back!"
I say this while mimicking the swing of a sword.
"Then I grabbed the tail of the first fish and swung it around! That scared the others!"
My father raises an eyebrow, still smiling amusedly. "And what happened next?"
"Um..." I try to remember, but I can only recall the end of my dream. "I think we made peace? We ate the mountain; it was so good!"
"The mountain?"
"Yes! The mountain was made of vanilla ice cream."
.
.
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|| 3rd person POV ||
"And that's my dream! Don't you think it's better than yours?" she said, proud of her adventure, her eyes sparkling.
Her father nodded with a tender smile.
"Much better, mine was about me being late for work, I can't compete with that."
Hearing this, she stuck out her tongue amusedly.
"Oh wait, you'll see." Her father got up and tickled her, making her laugh out loud as she tried to struggle in her bed.
After calming down, Maya looked at her father. "You know, when I dream, nothing is ever sad, everything tries to make me laugh."
Her father looked at her tenderly. "That's good, sweetheart, cherish your dreams so they continue to love you."
After a few minutes, she falls back asleep, exhausted.
He watches his daughter sleeping deeply with a pained expression. She stays awake for less and less time, and he fears that one day she will not wake up at all.
Then he leaves the hospital room after kissing her on the forehead.
.
.
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|| Maya's father's POV ||
Leaving Ma's room, a nickname my late wife and I often used, I can't hold back the tears running down my cheeks.
The doctors say her condition is getting worse every day, they say it's a miracle she's still with us.
Every time I leave her room, my heart aches, she's so young and yet so brave.
When I look at her face, I see her mother's reflection in her eyes. I don't want her to leave me.
I want to stay by her side every day, but I can't afford to miss a day of work. All my money goes toward her care, and if it means she can live another day, then all my efforts are worth it.