The air was cold, and he just felt compelled to go on.
He had this deep sense of regret inside, knowing that something was amiss, but instead ignored his gut feeling and pushed past his mothers house. His name was Jeff, and he was a heroin addict. For so many years, he'd felt like he was slowly losing himself, and it was true. His family all but ignored his existence, he lost all he had. His mother was the only thing that kept him sane. And for some reason, he felt something was off...
He had promised her that he would change himself, that he would get clean. This got harder, day by day, as he hadn't really had the urge to stop. His skin was pale, and his health was fragile. His mother knew whenever he came, he either wanted money, food, or just a safe place to sleep at night. She gladly obliged, just happy to see her son alive still. He knew she loved him, and he was her world. She was the same to him. But he had bigger priorities--getting high.
As he prepared to walk up to her, he had this sinking feeling that something was wrong, and turned around. "No, I can't go in..." he quietly uttered to himself. Just then, a cloaked figure across the street spoke up, "why don't you just walk in there?"
As he glared at the unknown figure, he was instantly taken back. He gave off this eerie aura. "Who are you??" Jeff said, almost yelling.
"Oh, I'm not anyone important," he replied, now moving towards Jeff, "but you really should go see your mother.."
Jeff now stood face-to-face with the cloaked man, who now appeared to be familiar, but no so much. He wore around his neck, a gold chain, with a half of a broken heart.
"What do you know about my mom?" Jeff asked.
"I know she's heart-broken."
"And how do you know that?"
"These are things that some people can just observe.." he replied, now pointing at his mothers house. "Go, she needs you."
Jeff turned and looked at his moms house, and spoke, "but wait--"
The man was gone.
Jeff knew that was too odd to be just mere coincidence, but he instead walked to his mothers door.
Before he could even knocked, a familiar face opened the door. It was his older sister. She had a grim look on her face. As he stepped inside, he saw his younger brother, as well as his oldest brother, the eldest sibling.
"Where's mom??" Jeff inquired.
His oldest brother spoke up, "in the hospital..."
"What??!?" Jeff exclaimed, almost screaming, "What happened???"
"She's dying, the doctors don't know what from."
"Take me there, please!"
As they all drove in silence, Jeff began to silently weep. He knew this would happen. He knew what was killing his mom.
She was dying from a broken heart.
As they arrived, his siblings sat out in the hallway, as he stepped inside.
"Mom?"
"Jeff? Honey?" his mother weakly spoke, "I missed you...."
"Mom..."
"Jeff," she began, "Don't regret your life.... You, your sister, and your brother have made me happier than I've ever been."
Jeff began to cry.
"I spent so many years clinging desperately to the hope that you'd change, that you'd clean yourself up. Not only for me and the family, but for yourself.."
"Mom...I'm so sorry..." Jeff whimpered, "I never meant to hurt you, mom..."
"No...you gave me the will to keep fighting. After your dad died..."
Just then, Jeff noticed his mothers necklace. It was the other half...
"Mom!" Jeff nearly yelled, "Your necklace!"
"I know...Jeff..."
"Mom...I'm so sorry...."
"Don't...please....I...love.......you......"
With that, his mom quietly passed away.
Jeffs heart sunk to the deepest depths...and he felt lost. But suddenly, he heard his mothers voice calling him.
"Jeff...please wake up.." he heard her, almost crying.
As he opened his eyes, for the second time, he saw his mother and siblings standing over him.
"Jeff, your sister found you half-dead on my doorstep. She ran you to the emergency room as fast as she could."
"Mom...." Jeff spoke weakly, now realizing what was actually happening, "I'm sorry for leading you down this beaten path with me. I won't regret my life. I want to change mom. I want to see you happy...."
Just as she spoke up, Jeff flat-lined.
He had been dying from HIV for 6 years now. It turned to AIDS a few weeks earlier, and his health rapidly began to fail. His time was limited.
As quickly as he decided to change, his life quickly ended. And with that, his mom held her sons hand for what seemed to be an eternity...