The Sister and the Lie (based on the O' Henry short story The Last Leaf)

It seemed like they had been together forever. They had loved each other since they were children. He chose to leave her one winter day. He said he had enough of the bad weather.

The girl caught a bad cold soon after. It seemed to get worse the colder it got. She stayed in her bed and became very weak. Her sister came to see her and saw that she was not going to last very long.

The girl looked out of her window and said that she would be alright.  There was still a leaf on the tree. It is holding on just like me.

The girl would look out and see that each day the leaf was still there. She ate something her sister made for her and let her brush her long dark hair. Every morning she would see that the leaf was still there.

The girl sat up one day and got dressed. She told her sister that she was feeling better. Maybe she had just needed some rest. Her sister said that things will turn out for the best. The girl smiled for the first time in a long while.

The girl pointed out to the tree. Do you see that leaf ? It has been holding on just like me. Why don't we go outside and take a walk? Her sister went with her and they had a long talk.

The girl said that she felt well enough to go back to school. I think I will focus on getting a career. She felt the snow come down and the wind blow.

Her sister said let;s go inside you still need to rest. How does the leaf stay on the tree through this bad weather? Some leaves do that her sister replied. She saw the glow that was back on the girl;s face.

She knew that by painting a leaf on the building behind the tree was not really telling a lie. It was the only thing she could think of to do to help the girl survive. The leaf had blown away weeks go. It was something the girl would never need to know.

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