Part 1

"I just don't know what to do, Dani."

I'm sitting on the countertop at an empty Vanilla Haven Coffee Shop ranting about my troubles to my best friend of 16 years, Dani Vasquez. I decide to stop by after my 6-hour shift at a local Dollar General for a cup of coffee and some desperately needed life advice. She's standing behind the counter running the coffee machine while simultaneously having a conversation with me.

"This is ridiculous, how can a round of chemo treatment cost so much?"

"I don't know Dani, but my income right now isn't cutting it anymore. I'll just have to get another job."

For 21 years, I had a comfortable life with a small family, mom, dad, and me an only child who was spoiled with gifts and love. After 18 years long years of childhood, I went to college so I could eventually be a teacher for elementary school students until, one day I got a call from my mother who told me one of the things that no child ever wants to hear about their father.

"Your father has cancer."

My mother spoke quitely through the old iPhone I used to have with the ugly, messed up case. I could tell my mom was trying to keep a sob from rolling out of her mouth just from the years of watching sad Disney movies with her but we both cracked and shared tears and quiet moments through the hour we spent on the phone with each other.

Once we finally caught our bearings, my mother assured me that there was nothing to worry about and that she was going to take care of the cost for the chemotherapy treatments and medication needed to fight the leukemia that my father has but, a few months later, my mother had passed away due to a heart attack and since no one would be able to pay for my dads treatments I had to step up.

I dropped out of college and gave up on my dream of teaching to pick up 3 different minimum wage jobs, make 2 GoFundMe's, and take charity from anyone offering because my dad is the only one I have left and I just can't lose him.