The Bucket List - Ep. 1
Inspired by the true story of Eileidh Paterson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJEoTHJMJME
Contains some upsetting themes
3 months later...
Damon sat on the sofa, neck craned so he could see out of the window. A taxi pulled up. He placed down the book he was reading, sliding the bookmark in. He walked to the stairs and called up to Lou.
"Lou, Sophie's here!" he shouted
"Okay! Coming!" came her reply.
Damon heard their wardrobe close upstairs before turning and opening the door.
Sophie grinned at him, her purple suitcase standing beside her.
"Hi Dad." she said.
Damon stepped outside onto the patio and hugged her.
"How are you sweetie?" he asked
"I'm good thanks. Sorry I'm late, my flight got delayed. You know how things are..."
Damon nodded.
"How's Uni been?" Damon asked again.
"Amazing! It's so good being able to learn in such a unique place."
"And their fine with you coming back here for a while?" he said nervously.
"Yeah, they've been amazing. They all completely understand and they said some essential coursework will be emailed to me whilst I'm gone."
They both smiled but it wasn't long before a tear was ripe on Sophie's eyelid.
"I can't believe that this has happened, I assumed it was nothing. I'm sorry I took so long to get here, I thought they'd be able to treat her... How is Mikaela anyway?"
"Don't be sorry Soph, we felt the same. It's reality now and we need to make the most of it. As you know the chemotherapy failed and that was kind of our only chance..."
"So Mikaela..."
"They think she's got three months..."
The pair were silent for a moment letting the news sink in...
"Come on Soph, Lou can't wait to see you. We've set up your old bedroom again as well."
He put his arm around his daughter's shoulders and guided her into the house. Lou was waiting nervously in the living room. It had been more than a year since they last spoke and even though they got on well now, they were both very hostile of eachother when they first met.
"Hi Sophie!" Lou cried. She pulled away from the hug but kept her hands on Sophie's shoulders, "How are you?" she asked.
"Fine thank you. How are you with... well... everything?" Sophie carefully muttered.
"I'm fine..."
A bubble of expectation and fear surrounded them as they looked into each other's eyes with silent understanding until eventually Lou speaks.
"We haven't told Mikaela you're coming," She begins excitedly, "so she'll be so so happy when she sees you. Do you want to go up and see her now?"
"Of course I do!"
They walk up the stairs as Damon swings around the corner and chases up after them.
"Sophie!" he calls
"Ssh! She'll hear you!" Lou hisses playfully in reply.
Sighing and rolling his eyes, Damon stops Sophie in the landing.
"Sophie, just so you know before you go in... The chemo-" he says
"Mikaela, I've got someone to see you..." Lou's voice breaks in. Sophie smiles nervously and walks over to the door. It creeps open to reveal Mikaela playing contentedly on the floor.
She turns her head around, it's bald top catching the light. A small sob catches in Sophie's throat. Mikaela's face breaks into a sudden, uncontrollable smile.
"Soph, Soph!" she shouts.
Sophie runs towards her and picks her up.
"Hey Mickey!" Sophie cries, swinging Mikaela around, "I've missed you so much!"
"I've missed you too Soph!" Mikaela replies through her giggling.
"How are you my beautiful?!" Sophie sings.
"I'm good thank you," she says quietly, still stifling her giggles, "What's your new school like?"
Sophie smiles at her half-sister's response.
"It's amazing and so pretty, you would love it. I get to sleep there overnight with all my friends and we go on adventures sometimes, when the teachers let us."
She almost says how much Mikaela will love it when she goes to university but silences herself a moment before. She blinks as a tear rolls down her cheek.
"Why are crying Soph Soph?"
"I've missed you, that's all..."
Faking a smile through her tears, Sophie picks Mikaela up and carries her down the stairs closely followed by Damon and Lou.
They all sit and have a drink, listening to Sophie talk about her new university and how her studying's going. Lou and Damon keep the conversation upbeat talking about Mikaela's new toys and schoolmates. After an hour or so Damon goes to work and the girls are left sitting around the dining table.
"Lou," Sophie begins, leaning across the table and speaking in hushed tones so Mikaela can't hear.
"Yeah."
"I know you want to make the most of the time... that... what she's got left..."
Lou turns to Mikaela who is scribbling on a piece of paper with a selection of colourful crayons and nods slowly.
"I've been thinking, what if we help her write a bucket list? Everything she wants to do, everything she wants to achieve..."
Lou thinks for a moment and smiles, "Yes, that's an amazing idea. Tell her..."
"What now?"
"Yes, she'll love it"
Taking a deep breath, Sophie sits back in her chair and looks at Mikaela.
"Mikaela?"
She snaps her head up, grinning.
"Me and mum have been thinking about some things we could all do together..."
Sophie looks across at Lou who smiles encouragingly.
"Have you ever heard of a bucket list?"
"No... Is it like a list of stuff to do with beaches and buckets and spades?"
"Not quite. It's a list lots of people like to write and it has everything you want to do on it. Like climbing mountains and taking up different activities. We thought we could help you write one. What do you think?"
Making a long 'hmmm' sound, Mikaela looks at her fingernails, something she clearly got from Lou.
"So?" Lou says.
"Yeah!" Mikaela shouts suddenly, thrusting a piece of paper from her stack in Sophie's direction. Sophie takes a pen out of pocket and writes the title, 'Bucket List'.
"Right, number one"
"Build a GIGANTIC blanket fort with all my teddies and watch a film with you two."
"Okay..." Sophie says scribbling it down in her scruffy shorthand.
"Number two?" Lou prompts.
"Meet a real-life princess!" she screams.
Laughing, Sophie writes it down.
"Three?"
"Be able to do the monkey bars all by myself."
"Four?"
"Get married."
"What?" Lou says, breaking the repeating rhythm.
"I want to get married like grown ups do. I want a poofy, white dress and an aisle to walk up and fairy lights."
"Who will you get married to though?" Sophie interjects
"Brandon. He's a boy in my class."
"Oh" they both say.
"Do you think Brandon will want to get married?" Lou asks.
"Yeah, we're already engaged. It happened last Thursday by the slide."
Lou's mouth falls open and Sophie giggles at her expression.
"I never knew this!" Sophie protests.
Mikaela smiles and laughs, "I was going to tell you! I didn't want to tell dad though in case he didn't like Brandon."
The laughter continues from all three of them as Lou and Sophie begin to realize how grown up Mikaela really is and how many words and phrases she's picked up from others.
"Okay then it's decided... You Mikaela Erin Anderson will be wed to Brandon within the coming weeks." Lou announces.
They all cheer jokily before falling into a fit of laughter.
