Chapter 1: Kid with the Big Head
Earth 5709
“I’ll be honest with you. Your rare telomere disorder has suddenly taken a turn for the worse. Even with the most optimistic projections… you have at most two months left. I know this is—”
“It’s okay doctor. I understand.” Langley patted the doctor on the shoulder and turned his attention to his phone.
Seeing how the middle-aged man, with salt and pepper-colored hair, was too stubborn to continue listening, the doctor sighed and took his leave. Once Langley confirmed the doctor was gone, he opened up a picture on his phone from his Favorites folder.
It was a vintage photo of a middle-aged lady who was beaming at her son while he tried to break free from her grasp. He took a moment to compare his youthful self from the picture to his now withered hands, and it quickly made him realize how much time had passed.
As Langley sipped on his tea while looking at the old picture of his mother, a memory from the distant past resurfaced. A memory of the time he had failed his first test in school.
“Don’t be sad, son. I’m already proud of all the hard work you always put into everything you do.”
Little Langley continued to cry into his mother’s arms.
“But mom…”
“Listen to me, son.” She held up his chin to make him meet her eyes. “Things don’t always work out. Hard work isn’t always rewarded, but I am so proud that you always still have the courage to try your best, even when you know it may not work out. I hope that part of you never changes. After all, true failure is when you become too afraid to even try.”
“...I won’t change, Mom.”
Back then, he didn’t fully understand her words. There were so many things he had wanted to say to his parents or do for them. But it was too late.