A boy who was suffering from cancer had lived his whole life inside the house being taken care of by his mother. One day, he wanted to go outside. His mother was hesitant but reluctantly

A boy who was suffering from cancer had lived his whole life inside the house, being taken care of by his mother. One day, he wanted to go outside.

His mother was hesitant but reluctantly agreed, wrapping him in extra layers and warning him about the sun, the wind, germs, and even the neighbor’s overly enthusiastic dog, Mr. Snuffles.

As soon as he stepped outside, he took a deep breath of fresh air and looked around in amazement. Everything seemed so big, so bright, so… normal.

Then, suddenly, a loud voice boomed, "HEY, YOU! BOY WITH THE HAT!"

The boy turned around, startled, to see a girl about his age standing on a skateboard, pointing at him with narrowed eyes.

"Wanna race?" she challenged.

The boy blinked. "Race? Uh… I don’t think I can. I’ve never—"

"Never raced? Never lived, you mean!" she interrupted. "Come on! You’re out here now. Let’s do something fun!"

Not knowing why, the boy nodded.

Within seconds, he found himself on a borrowed scooter, rolling down the sidewalk at a questionable speed, his heart pounding with excitement—and a little bit of terror.

His mom, peeking nervously from the window, gasped. "Oh dear… oh no… oh—!"

CRASH!

The boy tumbled into a bush. The girl skated up, laughing. "Nice landing! But don’t worry, you’ll get better!"

The boy, lying in the bush, chuckled for the first time in a long time. "I think… I think I actually had fun!"

The girl smirked. "See? Told ya! Now get up. Round two, bush boy!"

From that day forward, the boy and the girl became best friends. He spent less time worrying and more time living.

And his mother? Well, she stocked up on band-aids, helmets, and heart medication… but she never stopped him from going outside again.