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*trigger warning*: cancer, death of a loved one
MARA
*FLASHBACK* narrative
april 11th, 2023
The death of Nikki Lewis Sheffield wasn't surprising for her loved ones.
Nearly six months before her death, Nikki had been diagnosed with stage 4 terminal ovarian cancer. Originally, she was only given another month to live. She fought, and she survived.
As an only child Mara felt her support system thinning as relatives moved further and further away. She couldn't have been more wrong. Caitlin and her boyfriend, Connor, brought food to the hospital so that Mara didn't have to leave her mother's side. On days and times when the hospital wasn't open to visitors, Jada and Gabbie helped Mara with her homework to keep her mind occupied and her grades up. Sydney and Kylie brought clothes to the hospital regularly.
Sharon also did a lot for her. Having lost her mother to breast cancer, she knew what her teammate was going through. She talked Mara through a lot of things-coming to terms with the diagnosis, loving her mother every second she could, and believing in prayer. She was at the hospital frequently during those six months. She talked to Nikki a fair amount as well. They prayed a lot together. Sharon even stayed at the hospital for a few nights. She did everything she could to help her friend through what would be the worst time in her life.
But Kate did the most. When Mara was at the hospital, she was at the hospital, either in her car or in the hallway outside Nikki's room. She brought Nikki flowers and other small reminders of joy that the hospital would allow in her room. She always tried to put a smile on her face either with a cheesy joke or a funny story. When Mara was at her apartment, Kate was with her. She cooked dinner, took her to and from practice, and basically lived with her for that span of time. When Mara needed company, Kate laid in bed next to her. When she needed space, Kate took the couch. When she had panic attacks in the middle of the night, Kate was by her side and even slept on the floor next to make sure she was okay. Kate was in the room with Mara and her father, Joseph, when Nikki eventually took her last breath.
XXX
When Mara woke up the day of her mother's funeral, Kate was already up and dressed. She'd left to get her dress clothes early in the morning, the 45 minutes being the longest the two had spent without each other in the past months.
"Hey."
"Hi." Mara's response was nothing more than a weak croak. Kate couldn't help but look at her with pity. Her eyes were still red and puffy and her hair was greatly disheveled. The warm, joyful expression that often filled her face was gone. She looked numb, like the light inside of her had been put out.
"How are you feeling?"
"My mother just died. How do you think I'm feeling?" But how could Kate expect anything more? Mara was right, her mother had just died. "I'm sorry, that was mean."
"No, no. It's okay." Kate assured her. "There's breakfast on the table for you and I laid out your clothes on your office chair."
"Thanks, but I'm not hungry." Mara gave a weak smile, making her way back towards her bedroom.
XXX
Kate didn't hesitate to take Mara's hand once they'd arrived at the funeral processions. Though she couldn't imagine what Mara was going through, she knew how hurt Mara was. Mara felt like she was sinking as Kate walked her over to the large crowd gathered to recognize her mother's life. She almost completely bypassed the entire Iowa coaching staff and her entire team standing there.
"Hi, Pumpkin." Lisa gave Mara a sympathetic smile.
"What're you guys doing here?"
"We wanted to be here for you." Jada explained. "If you want us to leave, we'll leave, but we wanted to pay our respects and support you. We're family." In an instant, Mara dropped Kate's hand and rushed into Jada's arms. She was so overcome with emotion she almost cried.
Almost.
"You ready?" Kate asked, extending her hand to her friend once more.
Mara was still hurting and that wouldn't change. She and her mother had been thick as thieves for as long as Mara could remember. She missed the ice cream trips after her biddy basketball games. She missed the target trips where her mother would dance down the aisles to hear her little laugh. Her mother, her friend, her mentor was gone. But, to some extent, Mara was ready. Because no matter how bad the pain was, she still had her people. She had Coach Bluder, the coach who recruited her in the eighth grade. She had Caitlin, her partner in crime on and off the court. She had Molly and Jada, the two who never failed to put a smile on her face. She had Gabbie, the first person that had talked to her when she reached Iowa's campus.
Most importantly, she had Kate. The person who would sacrifice anything for her.
