The pale, watery sun filtered through the window panes. The small figure in the bed looked so fragile and frail in comparison to the large, brightly coloured pillows surrounding her head. As Summer Stratford struggled to sit up in order to see the outside world at dawn, she realised how much of the summer season she had missed. The little girl rarely ventured outside nowadays. She was too weak, the doctors told her.

“Could you open the curtains a little more so I can see the sun, please?” Summer asked her mother, weakly, softly. As her mother walked towards the window and did as her daughter asked, Summer had to shield her eyes from the brightness pouring through the window at her. Just like every day, her mother described everything she could see out of her window to her as she lay back on her bed, closing her eyes and smiling. She loved to hear about the birds, animals and insects that were right outside her window in the mornings. She loved to hear about the royal blue summer skies. However, the summer season was coming to an end, her mother told her. She knew this already. From where she lay in her bed she was able to see the top of the large tree that had been in her garden, outside her window for as long as she could remember. Its leaves were already beginning to turn brown and she was sure there lay leaves on the ground beneath it too. The tree was dying. Summer Stratford had been ill for a long time, and knew that her time was almost over too. Just like the tree. Just like the summer season. Her summer was coming to an end.

As her mother finished describing the intricate details of the things she saw out of the window, she smiled down at the once blonde girl who lay in the bed. Realising just how small and delicate her daughter looked, she walked towards the chair by Summer’s bed and sat by her side. She didn’t say anything, just sat down, and held her cool, limp hand, the youthful skin made papery and thin from months of harsh medication.

Summer looked up at her mother and smiled. She knew she would miss her the most. She could smell the sweetness of her perfume, as she tried to memorise every little detail of her mother’s face. It was not hard to do. Without trying, Summer could close her eyes and she would see the image of her mother’s face with every detail, from her short, greying hair and large blue eyes down to the small dimple on her left cheek when she smiled. She looked just like her grandmother when she had been alive. She stared up at her caring mother, smiling down upon her and she felt reassured.

Summer wasn’t scared of death. She felt relief to know that her time was almost up. Before, she had been fearful of leaving her family behind but now, as she looked deep into her mother’s caring, blue eyes that seemed to have the knowledge of the world inside them - just like her grandmother - she knew they would get by.

The sun was still weakly shining in, and Summer coughed quietly. Even a cough required a lot of effort and caused a lot of pain. She looked about her small room. She remembered when it had been painted, only a year ago, in a sunny bright yellow. Her favourite colour, the colour of the sun. The small photograph that stood in a silver frame on the bedside cabinet showed her grandmother smiling back at her. Her last words to the little girl before she had died had been very important to Summer. She had told her,
“Everything comes to an end, but we should not fear it.” Summer realised now her grandmother had been right. As she sat up, very slowly, she could see a little more out of her window. She could see the tops of the trees, the birds flying past, the sun, weakening but still glimmering, the mountains in the background; she could even see some parts of buildings. Summer struggled out of her bed. She had not been out of bed for some time now, and she was extremely weak. However, she wanted to see out of the window. She wanted to watch summer end. She wanted to see the last rays of the sun, the green leaves on the trees, the last clear skies before the autumn.

She clambered towards the window seat, stumbling, and feeling faint. Wearing her long, flowing nightgown with her tousled hair, she collapsed onto the soft, cushion of the window seat, coughing weakly. She looked out of her window and stared in surprise. The summer was definitely coming to an end. The skies were not as clear as she had been told by her mother, the children were wearing their jackets, and the trees had lost many of their leaves already.

Summer sat at her window for a while, gazing out at the people passing, and the small breeze picking up. And then, to her amazement, it started to rain. She saw the first few drops of rain land on the window pane as she looked out. The sun had gone behind a cloud. She hadn’t even realised! The summer had changed to autumn right before her eyes, and although the summer season had ended, the world, through this little girl’s eyes, was still beautiful.

As Summer slowly climbed back into her bed, listening to the tiny pitter-patter of the rain dropping onto her window, she smiled. She looked towards her grandmother’s photo and whispered, “See you soon, grandma.” Picking up the photo frame she brought it to her lips and gently kissed it. As she laid it back down in the same place on her bedside cabinet, her small, papery thin hand shaking with the effort, Summer smiled, knowing she would be happy and safe with her soon.

Want to comment on this Short Stories? Sign up to Edit Red and you will be able to comment on Short Stories and get access to: Upload your own stories and poems, get readers and their feedback, promote your work...