“Mom, I told you I don’t want to go to Chicago, it's dirty there,” I yelled down the stairs. 

“Well you're going cause I already paid for it,” Mom yelled back at me. 

“I don't even like Chicago, why are you forcing me to go?”

“Chicago is your favorite place. What are you talking about?” 

“Well not any more okay!” I yelled back. 

Mom just doesn’t understand, my grandma is my favorite person ever and my mom just acts like nothing happened. How could someone be so inconsiderate, I obviously don't want to go to Chicago. Me and my grandma would go everywhere together and Chicago was our favorite. We went at Christmas and for our birthdays and even saint Patrick’s day one time. 

“Come on Harper we are gonna be late for the train!” Mom said sternly. 

“I’m coming, give me five minutes, I can’t find my shoes” I replied, rolling my eyes. “Mom, do you see my black and white tennis shoes downstairs?” 

“Yeah come on let’s go.”

The whole car ride there was silent, for some odd reason my mom didn’t say a single word to me the whole way to the train station. Once we got there though she realized we didn’t even have seats together. So I didn’t have to talk to her the whole time about the fact that I don't want to be here. Hopefully no one bought the seat next to me so I can just relax and not worry about a rando sitting next to me. 

“Excuse me,” a random lady politely said to me, “I think that seat next to you is mine.”

“Ok,” I said shortly

“What are you heading to Chicago for?” the polite short brunette lady said confusedly.

“I don't even know you.” I snapped

“My name is Lena and I'm going to Chicago for a boring business trip.”

“That’s cool I guess, my name is Harper and my mom is forcing me to go to Chicago because she hates me.”

“I don't think your mom hates you, she just wants the best for you, Harper. Trust me I have three daughters and I always had a reason behind everything I did for them, even if they didn't like it.”

“Okay, I guess but I told my mom I don't like Chicago anymore,” I said desperately.

“What’s wrong with Chicago? It's a fun place I used to take my kids all the time.”

“I don’t like going anymore since my grandma passed away. It isn't the same without her.”

“I understand that, but you could still make the best of it.” 

“Who do you understand when you just said to make the best of it, why should I trust a stranger?”

“I lost my mom when I was your age, and I thought the world was going to end. I would even leave my house and nobody was there to tell me to stop living in the past and that if my mom saw me like this she would have been so mad that I was letting this control my life. I still regret it to this day because I missed out on a lot of things,” Lena expressed. 

Maybe Lena has a point even though my grandma was my rock. She would still want me to go do these fun things and go to chicago and remember the good times and be able to create new memories to have another reason to enjoy Chicago. I just still don't understand why my mom couldn't just say that and why she was so insistent about going. We could have gone anywhere in the world and she wanted to go to the place we go all the time. What is so special about Chicago? She is always saying there is more to explore than just the places we go every year. 

“Okay, but out of everywhere I'm not sure why my mom wanted to go to Chicago, because she always tells me we need more of an adventure and need to see more of the world,” I explained.

“Mabe she wanted to do something nice for you since Chicago means a lot to you,” wisely spoken from Lena. 

“Maybe or maybe it’s something else,” I said as she looked out the window at the amazing view. The shore of Lake Michigan was almost in view now, and the rows and rows of purple wildflowers seemed to go on into infinity.

“Possibly, or she just wants to visit Chicago because it's a pretty cool place, the city is beautiful,” Lena expressed.

“Sorry to interrupt but Harper, do you have a phone charger? My phone is about to die and I need to call into work,” Mom said, interrupting them. 

“Yes, it’s in my bag somewhere,” she said as she rolled her eyes, “Here it is.”

“Thank you,” Mom said gladly, “I really needed to call my boss.”

“Ok bye mom,” she said annoyed.

“Bye, I will see you later to go shopping.”

“Ok Mom”

I don’t know why she had to interrupt the conversation I was having just for a charger. She already told her boss she was going on a trip, there’s nothing more to say. She could have just waited until we got there because the ride is almost over anyways. 

“Lena didn't you just say you were going on a boring business trip?” I asked.

“Yes I did but that’s because my job is boring, I love Chicago" Lena explained.

“Can I ask you a question?” 

“Of course,” Lena gladly said.

“You said you lost your mom, but how did you move past that and not be sad all the time,” I asked.

“I had a very wise friend tell me that I couldn't keep living like this and in this sadness all the time. She said I needed to continue to live life, and that it's ok to be sad sometimes but when you are sad all the time you miss out on a lot of things. I realized she was right and that I needed to let go and move on. You can move on but still remember them at the same time though.” Wisely spoken from Lena

Maybe Lena has a point, I can still live without my grandma because she would be very mad at me if she knew she was the reason I have been so sad. She would tell me to have fun, make new memories, and go on adventures for her since she can't anymore. 

“The train ride is almost over but I hope you enjoy Chicago with your mom Harper”  Lena said. 

“I hope I enjoy it too, and lena try not to have a boring trip,” I suggested. 

“I don't think I will anymore, because I never know how many more times ill be able to enjoy chicago” 

“It was great meeting you Harper. You have such a bright future, as long as you live life to the fullest.” 

“It was good meeting you too lena, thank you for everything”

“Oh and one more thing before you leave harper”

“Yes?”

“You should enjoy this time with your mom, there is always more to the story.”

“What do you mean, Lena?”

“Remeber there is always a reason people do things,” she replied to me with a smile I’ll never forget.

“Bye lena have a good day!” Harper exclaimed as Lena disappeared into the crowd of people.

Time to go have a great time in Chicago, and spend it with my mom. I'm going to do a lot of shopping and probably eat some good food. 

“How was the ride here Harper?" Mom asked, looking distracted. 

“It was great, I met this lady named Lena and she was really nice. How was your ride mom?”

She paused, not answering directly. It was like her mind was somewhere else.

“It was pretty good, I took a nap and did a lot of thinking.”

Thinking? What could she be thinking about for the whole train ride? It was a long ride but thinking the whole time about one thing is very boring. 

“I wish I could have taken a nap. That would have been great,"I said “I spent the entire rain yapping with some old lady. She was kind of weird, but actually nice too. What were you thinking about for that long?”

“That's what I needed to talk to you about before we start shopping,” Mom said.

“Yeah, what's up,” Harper said, very confused.

“I have the same cancer your grandma had,” Mom said, scared.