Amy wasn't sure at that moment. But she knew she had to call Ephram's dad,
upon glancing at his sleeping figure.
But then she thought of something. Her promise she had made to her father.
She woke Ephram up.
"Ephram," Amy said slowly, "Did you tell your dad about the party?"
"Yeah. Except he might not want to go. Because, you know, we're Jewish and all." Ephram whispered.
"Well my dad wants to still have it and he wants me and mom to decorate and set up. But we need help. You think your dad could help?" Amy asked.
Ephram leaned against the couch.
"I don't know. You know if he finds out I'm sick," Ephram's voice trailed off.
Amy nodded. She would have to explain the situation if she wanted help.
Ephram understood this. She could see it in his eyes. And besides Dr. Brown would have to come over here to pick up Ephram anyways.
Maybe he would help, maybe not. Amy had to try. She had to do this party for her father. And for Brigtt, Amy whispered to herself.
On instinct, Amy grabbed for the phone. In her haste, the phone fell with a clunk. But it didn't break.
"Opps!" Amy said aloud. The batteries had fallen out though. Amy replaced them in a quick manner.
Ephram smiled.
Amy smiled too. His first since we got here, Amy thought. I'm glad.
And she was. Because she knew Ephram wasn't feeling well.
She dialed the Brown's number.
"Hello?" Amy asked when the phone was picked up.
"Hello," Dr. Brown said.
"Is this Dr. Brown?" Amy asked cautiously.
"Yes, this is Dr. Brown," he said.
"This is Amy," Amy replied. She hesitated for a second. But before she could speak, Dr. Brown spoke. "Amy is Ephram over there?" he asked.
"Yes," she replied automatically. She closed her eyes in thought.
Amy hesitated once again. "You may not like this," she said slowly, "But Ephram's sick. He walked over here."
"What!" Dr. Brown demanded, "Put him on the line right now."
"Calm down!" Amy pleaded. "It was my fault." And Amy went on to explain the situation about Brigtt and how she had called Ephram in need of comfort not knowing he was feverish and sick. She also asked if Dr. Brown could come over and help her and her mother with the party.
It was to Amy's relief that he agreed.
Amy hung up the phone. She turned around. Ephram was awake still, lying on the couch.
***
Ten minutes later, Amy heard a car pull up.
It has to be Dr. Brown, she thought.
The door rang and Amy got up and went to get it.
It was indeed Dr. Brown. Amy greeted him and led him inside.
"Ephram!" he yelled immediately, "Why didn't you tell me you were sick?"
"Sorry. It's just Amy needed me. Besides you only care about yourself anyways," Ephram yelled back, but his voice held strain in it.
Amy was startled. Ephram had told them they argued, but it was still shocking to actually hear it. She shrank back near the phone, hiding. She was half scared that Dr. Brown would turn his anger on her.
After all it had been her fault.
"Next time tell me. You could have said something sooner." Dr. Brown demanded.
"Sorry," Ephram's voice was soft. He wasn't strong enough to fight.
He did not feel like fighting. It tired him, especially when he felt like he did at that particular moment.
Dr. Brown sensed this. He softened almost immediately.
He hesitated a moment longer and then he went to the couch and felt Ephram's forehead.
"I'm sorry, Ephram. I shouldn't have yelled at you." Dr. Brown said.
"It's okay," Ephram said, "Really." And he truly meant it.
Amy listened to their conversation. She started to cry. It was touching for her to hear.
Ephram heard her. He was startled.
"Amy?" he asked.
She wiped the tears away, embarrassed.
"Sorry," she said, "It's nothing." It was nothing. She had gotten emotional over nothing that even involved her.
Then the doorbell rang again.
"My mom," Amy explained to them. Dr. Brown nodded.
Amy went to get the door.
"Hey mom, where's your keys?" Amy asked, as her mom, carrying a load of groceries stepped through.
"I couldn't reach them, carrying all this," her mother explained. Amy nodded.
"Umm.listen, mom," Amy started to say. But her mom had already entered the living room.
"Oh, Dr. Brown!' she said, "Hello." Dr. Brown acknowledged her.
"Well I am going to take Ephram home," Dr. Brown said. "I'll be back to help you."
"That's fine," Amy said quickly. Late help was better then nothing. And besides Ephram did need to go home.
"See you," Amy whispered to Ephram as they left.
She watched them leave. And the question that was burned in her mind had an answer. Amy knew the one she loved was not Colin, but Ephram. She didn't know why, but it was fact.
Pure and simple.
But then she thought of something. Her promise she had made to her father.
She woke Ephram up.
"Ephram," Amy said slowly, "Did you tell your dad about the party?"
"Yeah. Except he might not want to go. Because, you know, we're Jewish and all." Ephram whispered.
"Well my dad wants to still have it and he wants me and mom to decorate and set up. But we need help. You think your dad could help?" Amy asked.
Ephram leaned against the couch.
"I don't know. You know if he finds out I'm sick," Ephram's voice trailed off.
Amy nodded. She would have to explain the situation if she wanted help.
Ephram understood this. She could see it in his eyes. And besides Dr. Brown would have to come over here to pick up Ephram anyways.
Maybe he would help, maybe not. Amy had to try. She had to do this party for her father. And for Brigtt, Amy whispered to herself.
On instinct, Amy grabbed for the phone. In her haste, the phone fell with a clunk. But it didn't break.
"Opps!" Amy said aloud. The batteries had fallen out though. Amy replaced them in a quick manner.
Ephram smiled.
Amy smiled too. His first since we got here, Amy thought. I'm glad.
And she was. Because she knew Ephram wasn't feeling well.
She dialed the Brown's number.
"Hello?" Amy asked when the phone was picked up.
"Hello," Dr. Brown said.
"Is this Dr. Brown?" Amy asked cautiously.
"Yes, this is Dr. Brown," he said.
"This is Amy," Amy replied. She hesitated for a second. But before she could speak, Dr. Brown spoke. "Amy is Ephram over there?" he asked.
"Yes," she replied automatically. She closed her eyes in thought.
Amy hesitated once again. "You may not like this," she said slowly, "But Ephram's sick. He walked over here."
"What!" Dr. Brown demanded, "Put him on the line right now."
"Calm down!" Amy pleaded. "It was my fault." And Amy went on to explain the situation about Brigtt and how she had called Ephram in need of comfort not knowing he was feverish and sick. She also asked if Dr. Brown could come over and help her and her mother with the party.
It was to Amy's relief that he agreed.
Amy hung up the phone. She turned around. Ephram was awake still, lying on the couch.
***
Ten minutes later, Amy heard a car pull up.
It has to be Dr. Brown, she thought.
The door rang and Amy got up and went to get it.
It was indeed Dr. Brown. Amy greeted him and led him inside.
"Ephram!" he yelled immediately, "Why didn't you tell me you were sick?"
"Sorry. It's just Amy needed me. Besides you only care about yourself anyways," Ephram yelled back, but his voice held strain in it.
Amy was startled. Ephram had told them they argued, but it was still shocking to actually hear it. She shrank back near the phone, hiding. She was half scared that Dr. Brown would turn his anger on her.
After all it had been her fault.
"Next time tell me. You could have said something sooner." Dr. Brown demanded.
"Sorry," Ephram's voice was soft. He wasn't strong enough to fight.
He did not feel like fighting. It tired him, especially when he felt like he did at that particular moment.
Dr. Brown sensed this. He softened almost immediately.
He hesitated a moment longer and then he went to the couch and felt Ephram's forehead.
"I'm sorry, Ephram. I shouldn't have yelled at you." Dr. Brown said.
"It's okay," Ephram said, "Really." And he truly meant it.
Amy listened to their conversation. She started to cry. It was touching for her to hear.
Ephram heard her. He was startled.
"Amy?" he asked.
She wiped the tears away, embarrassed.
"Sorry," she said, "It's nothing." It was nothing. She had gotten emotional over nothing that even involved her.
Then the doorbell rang again.
"My mom," Amy explained to them. Dr. Brown nodded.
Amy went to get the door.
"Hey mom, where's your keys?" Amy asked, as her mom, carrying a load of groceries stepped through.
"I couldn't reach them, carrying all this," her mother explained. Amy nodded.
"Umm.listen, mom," Amy started to say. But her mom had already entered the living room.
"Oh, Dr. Brown!' she said, "Hello." Dr. Brown acknowledged her.
"Well I am going to take Ephram home," Dr. Brown said. "I'll be back to help you."
"That's fine," Amy said quickly. Late help was better then nothing. And besides Ephram did need to go home.
"See you," Amy whispered to Ephram as they left.
She watched them leave. And the question that was burned in her mind had an answer. Amy knew the one she loved was not Colin, but Ephram. She didn't know why, but it was fact.
Pure and simple.
