Anne sat in her recliner, busying herself with researching the new cure, when her phone rang. Closing her laptop, she picked up her phone, seeing that it was her mother calling for the third day in a row. She sighed, a bit agitated, and clicked the answer button.

"Yes, mom?" She said shortly, Her forehead creasing in annoyance, knowing her mom was calling to brag about the regular doses of LyfeX she received once a week.

"What a way to talk to your mother. Honey, I have good news! I just got word that LyfeX wants to open its first facility. Do you know that rundown building downtown, the one used as a community center right now? They've bought it and plan on renovating the whole building. And guess what else! I can give two people a year's worth of treatment once it opens."

Anne's heart stopped. This was good news! With her breath coming a little faster, she asked one question. “Who are you going to choose?" She knew her mother understood how much she wanted to try the new miracle cure; surely her mother would give that to her.

Her mother had gone through quite a transformation over the past month. If Anne was correct, and she usually was, her mother had de-aged almost 30 years. She now looked like she could be Anne's sister, not her mother. And once more, her mind was as sharp and witty as it was when Anne was just a kid. It had solidified in Anne's mind that the cure worked, and she wanted it.

"Well, of course, the two people I chose were my lovely daughter and her husband! Why do you think I called you? Just to gloat?" Her mother's melodic laugh rang through the phone. Her mother hadn't laughed like that in years. It was almost enough for Anne to be moved to tears. Almost.

"When will they be open?" The words came out harsher than she had meant them to, and Anne tried to adjust her tone from anxious to curious. "They must have told you! I need this as soon as possible!" She could feel the minutes pass as she waited for her mother to answer. The nerve of that bitch to dangle the cure in front of her like a carrot. There were sounds of papers shuffling on her mother's end, and then there was a quick sound Anne couldn't quite place. Her mother exclaimed and began to speak.

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“They are starting construction next week and plan on opening the LyfeX clinic in the next three weeks. They need to inspect the building, and you know that dump isn't up to code.” Anne sighed, her exasperation making the sound harsher than was necessary. She told herself her mom deserved it for causing her so much anxiety.

“How many times do I need to go through the year? Will it hurt?” Anne's mind raced with the implications of this. She would soon have fewer wrinkles and the ability to do things she thought were lost to her long ago. Maybe I'll go skydiving, she thought wistfully. A wry smile spread over her face. Her mother laughed again, and Anne could hear her smile through the phone.

"It will be a weekly injection for a year. I was told it would take twelve to fifteen years off of you, depending on how sensitive you are to the shot. And no, it doesn't hurt, just like getting a flu shot without feeling sick afterward." Even though the idea of getting fifteen years back was very appealing, something made her stop short. She was happy, sure, but the number was much smaller than she wanted. She knew her mother had already gotten three decades younger, and it had only been a month; why would she only de-age 15 years at most? That didn't seem fair. She pursed her lips angrily.

"How is that fair? I only get 15 years off in a year, and you get an entire 30 years back in just one month? Why can't I get 30 years back?" Her mother sighed through the other side of the phone.

"Anne, you want your husband to be able to get some years back, right? To get the serum for both of you, I had to split the 30 years between both of you. It's the best I could do for you both. I thought you'd be happy!" Anne ground her teeth together in frustration. Mom gets 30 years, and I get a measly 15? How is that fair?! She bit her lip as her ire grew towards her mother. She knew she would need to hide it, though, if she would be the one to get the treatment and not her brother.

"Of course, that makes sense. Well, 15 years is better than nothing, I suppose." She managed through gritted teeth. "Thank you, mom. When will we be able to start treatment?" She tried to keep her voice light and grateful, though resentment still raged through her veins.

"As soon as the new facility is open. You will be the first on the list, along with Frank. They will call you to schedule a time for you when they are certain of the grand opening. Like I said, it should be in the next three weeks." During that time, her mom would de-age even more, and Anne would be wasting away in her house, waiting for her turn. Her stomach tightened with anger and jealousy, causing her to bring her arms across her belly.

"Fine. That's just fine." She said to her mother, deciding that fifteen years was enough to start with. Now, she had to figure out how to keep getting the cure after her time was up. She had a whole year to figure it out. "I have to go tell Frank the good news, Mom. I will talk to you later." She hung up the phone without another word and tramped with heavy steps to find Frank.