"Cassidy, what's wrong?" Morgan asked as she got up to greet Cassidy.
"Oh, well, I might as well tell you all so I don't have to repeat it
again."
Now I would like to stall as long as possible, in order to keep you
waiting and reading. I love to dangle that little string of hope in front
of your faces and yank it away from you right before you like to grab it.
But, since this is chapter six in Morgan's life and chapters usually don't
include on sentence, I'm going to have to get on with the fact that Cassidy
is about to tell the condition of Angela to desperate and eager Morgan,
Cory, Topanga, and Shawn. What she's about to tell them is going to change
their lives forever.
Cassidy and Morgan sat back down at the table. "Look, you know that
they tried to do chemo to get what was left out," Cassidy said slowly.
Cory, Topanga, Shawn, and Morgan - like you, the readers - were watching
Cassidy. Cassidy was, like me the writer, dangling a string of hope in
front of them. They were watching her every move, her every word. They were
hanging on very strongly.
"And that, even though it was a small bit, they were sure it would
work," Cassidy continued. "Hurry it up, girlfriend, we ain't got all day!"
Morgan said, laughing.
"Well, it looks like we got it all out. She won't be home for
Christmas but she will be home shortly after, possibly sometime in January
at the latest."
"Are you serious?" Shawn asked. "You're not just trying to cover up
the fact that she really died and my entire life is over?"
"Oh no Shawn. I don't do that. It's too disappointing to watch their
happy smiling faces and then me tell them the truth and they start crying.
Plus, I'd lose my job and any other job plays jack. Well, gotta go.
Congratulations, Shawn. I'm sure you're thrilled." Cassidy got up and
exited.
They all were thrilled. Knowing that Angela survived was pretty
awesome, Morgan thought. "So, since she's surviving, I'm thinking you
oughta pop the question that ties the knot," Morgan said.
"Oh, I don't know. I just can't see me actually getting married to
someone you know?" Shawn asked. For some reason, this made Morgan - shall I
say, forceful?
She jumped up and put her hands around Shawn's throat like she was
going to strangle him. "You will propose to Angela! Now!"
"Down girl, down," Topanga said. "Don't kill him. Besides, you can't
force someone to get married. It's a big step. Not to be taken lightly."
"Oh, please! You have to be kidding me. I mean, seriously. Just don't
have kids until you're sure that you are going to spend the rest of your
lives together. That way, if you want a divorce, no custody to worry about.
At least, not for people, anyway."
"It's not that easy in the real world, Morgan," Topanga calmly
explained. "What do you guys know? You can't talk. You've been in love your
entire lives. I, however, am the resident adult romance specialist. I'm
trained," she said proudly.
"I thought you were a fashion designer," Cory corrected. "Yeah, well,
I studied psychology when I was in Europe, too. So sue me. Listen," Morgan
said. "What you'll have to do is simple. Can you see yourself committing to
Angela your entire life?"
"Yeah," he said. "Then why not? I mean it's not like killing
yourself, where you can't go back and cancel it. Di-vorce, di-vorce!" she
said, emphasizing the "di" making it sound like "dee".
"What with today's technology, you can do just about anything," she
continued. "You can practically get married over the Internet, if you
wanted."
"But then you wouldn't get to hear the cool music!" Cory said.
Everyone looked at him like he was crazy.
"I'm not saying you're gonna get married over the Internet. I'm not
saying you even have to get married. But I think you should at least think
about it. Ya know, sleep on it. Make sure that you're absolutely sure
you're not going to get married. It'll haunt you for the rest of your life
if you don't."
"Why does everything have to haunt us for the rest of our life?"
Topanga asked. "Well, Morgan, it's not like I don't want to. I do, I really
do. But then again, I'm still young and I'm living my life."
"You're twenty-two. That ship has sailed," Morgan exclaimed. "Fine.
If you really want me too, I'll sleep on it. I'll think about it. And I'll
tell you in three days."
Three days meant Christmas Eve, when they were supposed to spend time
together.
So exactly three days later, Morgan, Cory, and Topanga were all in the Matthews's apartment (which looked strangely like Eric, Jack, and Rachel's did when they were in college). Cory was in the middle and Morgan and Topanga were all on either side of him on the couch. Shawn stood up to announce his decision. "I've made a decision," he said. Morgan jumped up and grabbed his arm. "Ooh! That's so sweet! You're going to do it! Oh, that's so sweet! And please don't drag it out, like Mr. and Mrs. We've-Been-In-Love-Our-Entire- Lives here did." Cory must've told her that, too, Shawn guessed. "How'd you know about the decision?" "I thought I told you already!" she said impatiently. "I'm the resident adult romance specialist. So, do you have the ring?" "I'm not going to ask her," Shawn said. "I'm just not. I don't think it's the right thing to do." "Denial, denial, denial," Morgan clucked disapprovingly. "Tsk, tsk, tsk, Shawn. You'll never get anywhere in life if you deny things." There was a knock at the door. Angela was standing there when Morgan opened it. "Angela! I thought they said you wouldn't be home for Christmas! Wait, this is too short of a time for you to come home. Do you see her too?" Morgan asked Shawn. "No, actually, it's been the amount of time. What, did Cassidy just tell you guys or something?" Angela laughed. So Angela, Cory, Topanga, Shawn, and Morgan had a great Christmas Eve. But for some reason, Shawn and Angela couldn't sleep. So at 3 am, they wound up both in the Matthews' living room, with the light of the Christmas tree that Cory had forgotten to turn off both shining brightly. "What are you doing here?" They asked at the same time. "Couldn't sleep," they both replied at the same time. "Glad you made it," Shawn said. "Me too," Angela said. And maybe it was the tree making Angela look really beautiful, even though she was just wearing jeans (she hadn't changed out of her clothes) and a t-shirt. Or maybe it was the time of night, when at 3 am, the most magical hour at night, the hour that makes people do out-of-the-ordinary things. But whatever it was, Shawn didn't think. It didn't matter, though, because anything that he said in the next few lines until the line break is totally, totally true. It didn't matter what Shawn said because he meant it. And it didn't matter that he didn't think. Nor did it matter what Angela said or that she didn't think because if she had thought, she would have said the exact same thing. So no matter whether or not they had thought about what they said, they would have said the exact same thing because it wasn't their minds speaking. It was their hearts. "Angela, I've done some really, really stupid stuff over the past few years. But.I think.I think I can fix that." Okay, he thought about that. Because of the "I think" part. But this next part, he didn't think, which is why there are no spaces. "Willyoumarryme?" he asked very, very fast. "Yes," Angela said. Okay, now here's where they started thinking.
"Oh, my, gosh, what did I just say? How am I supposed to do this now? I mean I want to get married and now that it's all in the open I guess it's okay, but I mean, what the heck. Oh, okay, here we go now. I don't even have a ring or anything. What's Morgan going to say? She'll think I lied to her." That's an example of Shawn's current thoughts. Angela's however went like this. "Should I have said yes? Or should I have said no, I need time to think. But what if the cancer comes back? I don't want to.I really don't want to die before, you know, before it's necessary. I'm doing it, I'm going to get married and if I die from cancer again then I will, but at least I'll have completed my life's worth." Well, maybe Angela's life's worth wasn't getting married to Shawn. But what the heck, you know? They were young despite what Morgan said.
So even if it was the time of night, it didn't matter. Even to Morgan, who also couldn't sleep and happened to be listening and watching when The Event happened. But the truth was, something was finally happening between Shawn and Angela, after all those years. Angela's survival really was a miracle - what they had needed. It showed them all never to give up hope in anything. But it only meant bigger than imaginable to one person, and that was Shawn. Angela was Shawn's miracle. And nothing, nothing made Morgan happier. Until, of course, Christmas day, when she got the call the same call that would change her life forever.
So exactly three days later, Morgan, Cory, and Topanga were all in the Matthews's apartment (which looked strangely like Eric, Jack, and Rachel's did when they were in college). Cory was in the middle and Morgan and Topanga were all on either side of him on the couch. Shawn stood up to announce his decision. "I've made a decision," he said. Morgan jumped up and grabbed his arm. "Ooh! That's so sweet! You're going to do it! Oh, that's so sweet! And please don't drag it out, like Mr. and Mrs. We've-Been-In-Love-Our-Entire- Lives here did." Cory must've told her that, too, Shawn guessed. "How'd you know about the decision?" "I thought I told you already!" she said impatiently. "I'm the resident adult romance specialist. So, do you have the ring?" "I'm not going to ask her," Shawn said. "I'm just not. I don't think it's the right thing to do." "Denial, denial, denial," Morgan clucked disapprovingly. "Tsk, tsk, tsk, Shawn. You'll never get anywhere in life if you deny things." There was a knock at the door. Angela was standing there when Morgan opened it. "Angela! I thought they said you wouldn't be home for Christmas! Wait, this is too short of a time for you to come home. Do you see her too?" Morgan asked Shawn. "No, actually, it's been the amount of time. What, did Cassidy just tell you guys or something?" Angela laughed. So Angela, Cory, Topanga, Shawn, and Morgan had a great Christmas Eve. But for some reason, Shawn and Angela couldn't sleep. So at 3 am, they wound up both in the Matthews' living room, with the light of the Christmas tree that Cory had forgotten to turn off both shining brightly. "What are you doing here?" They asked at the same time. "Couldn't sleep," they both replied at the same time. "Glad you made it," Shawn said. "Me too," Angela said. And maybe it was the tree making Angela look really beautiful, even though she was just wearing jeans (she hadn't changed out of her clothes) and a t-shirt. Or maybe it was the time of night, when at 3 am, the most magical hour at night, the hour that makes people do out-of-the-ordinary things. But whatever it was, Shawn didn't think. It didn't matter, though, because anything that he said in the next few lines until the line break is totally, totally true. It didn't matter what Shawn said because he meant it. And it didn't matter that he didn't think. Nor did it matter what Angela said or that she didn't think because if she had thought, she would have said the exact same thing. So no matter whether or not they had thought about what they said, they would have said the exact same thing because it wasn't their minds speaking. It was their hearts. "Angela, I've done some really, really stupid stuff over the past few years. But.I think.I think I can fix that." Okay, he thought about that. Because of the "I think" part. But this next part, he didn't think, which is why there are no spaces. "Willyoumarryme?" he asked very, very fast. "Yes," Angela said. Okay, now here's where they started thinking.
"Oh, my, gosh, what did I just say? How am I supposed to do this now? I mean I want to get married and now that it's all in the open I guess it's okay, but I mean, what the heck. Oh, okay, here we go now. I don't even have a ring or anything. What's Morgan going to say? She'll think I lied to her." That's an example of Shawn's current thoughts. Angela's however went like this. "Should I have said yes? Or should I have said no, I need time to think. But what if the cancer comes back? I don't want to.I really don't want to die before, you know, before it's necessary. I'm doing it, I'm going to get married and if I die from cancer again then I will, but at least I'll have completed my life's worth." Well, maybe Angela's life's worth wasn't getting married to Shawn. But what the heck, you know? They were young despite what Morgan said.
So even if it was the time of night, it didn't matter. Even to Morgan, who also couldn't sleep and happened to be listening and watching when The Event happened. But the truth was, something was finally happening between Shawn and Angela, after all those years. Angela's survival really was a miracle - what they had needed. It showed them all never to give up hope in anything. But it only meant bigger than imaginable to one person, and that was Shawn. Angela was Shawn's miracle. And nothing, nothing made Morgan happier. Until, of course, Christmas day, when she got the call the same call that would change her life forever.