She sounded calm. Annoyed, even. “Are you still crying? For fucking sake, Miya, this is getting ridiculous.”

My breath hitched. “Mom… did you really just say that?”

She sighed like I was exhausting her. “Hanabi is younger than you! She maybe adopted but you should love her. She hasn’t had a happy life. She deserves to be loved too.”

“And me?” I whispered. “What about me?! I’m your daughter too. Don’t I deserve anything?”

There was a pause. Then my father took the phone.

“Miya,” he said firmly, “you need to think rationally. Hanabi is sick. She has cancer. The doctors said she might only have a year left.”

The words hit me hard.

“What…?” My hands started shaking.

“She’s dying,” he continued. “All she wanted was to marry the man she loves before it’s too late. Can you really be that heartless?”

Heartless. What about me? I am dying too.

“She loves my husband,” I said softly. “A-and you’re telling me I should be happy about that?”

“Yes,” my mother cut in. “At least she loves someone we know. Someone respectable. Not some random man. You should be grateful.”

Grateful. Wow.

My father added, “Gusion will be her husband now. For Nana’s sake, it’s best if you cooperate. Don’t make this harder than it already is.”

Something inside me broke clean in half. I screamed until I passed out.

I didn’t say another word.

I threw the phone across the room. It hit the wall and shattered before sliding down to the floor. Then I buried my face into the pillow and screamed until my throat burned and my body shook.

I woke up to a silence that felt wrong. My head was pounding, heavy and sharp at the same time.

Then I sat up.

Nana’s bed was empty.

My heart dropped straight into my stomach.

“Nana?” I called out, already standing, already panicking.

I ran down the hallway, checking her room again like she might magically appear. Bathroom. Living room. Kitchen.

“Nana!” My voice cracked.

Nothing.

My hands were shaking so badly I almost dropped my phone when I called my mother.

She picked up after a few rings, sounding perfectly awake. Perfectly calm.

“Oh,” she said lightly. “You’re finally up.”

“Where is my daughter?” I asked. I was barely breathing. “Where’s Nana?”

“With us,” she replied like it was obvious. “It’s her birthday. Of course she’s with family.”

My knees almost gave out. “You took her? While I was asleep? Without telling me?!”