Della ran. She took deep breaths, trying to pump the oxygen into the rest of her body, forcing herself to continue. It was urgent that she get over to Delaney's, and fast. As soon as it had happened, Della had sprinted away from her own hole, leaving her husband there with Mother. Della reached her sister's hobbit hole and pulled open the round door.
"Delaney! Delaney, quick!!!"
Della ran through the house, searching in every room. She found Delaney's husband in the kitchen, where he directed her to the bedroom. There, Della found Delaney, kneeling on the bed, her arms around Diamond, who had her head in Delaney's lap. Della's franticness was forgotten for a few moments.
"Diamond? Poor baby sister! Are you ill?"
Diamond could only shake her head and wipe her eyes. Della looked up at Delaney for an explanation.
"She refused Pippin."
Della rushed over to Diamond and took her hand gently.
"Surely it was a mistake! Can't you take it back? Why don't you tell him that you've changed your mind?"
Diamond shook her head again and squeezed Della's hand. Delaney also shook her head, then looked up at Della.
"You rushed in here awfully quick. What's the news?"
Della's countenance fell.
"I-It's Mother. Ther-There's something wrong with her. We think she's ill."
Delaney's eyes opened wide.
"Did you fetch a doctor? How sick is she? What are the symptoms? Why didn't you tell us sooner?"
"The doctor is on his way. I ran over as soon as it happened."
Soon after, all three hobbitesses were running over to Della's, panting from exertion. Sorrel had been laid in Della's bed.
"She was perfectly fine, then she just fainted. When she woke up, she complained about a pain in her chest," Della explained.
The three girls crowded around their mother's bed. Diamond now felt foolish for crying about Pippin, when here her own mother was in an awful condition. The doctor arrived, and the three stood back, crying quietly, as he inspected her. When he was done, he pulled Delaney to the side.
"Her heart's failing. There's nothing to be done, unless I bleed her."
Delaney quickly shook her head, thanked the doctor, and took Della along with her to show him out. Diamond was alone with her mother. Sorrel turned to her daughter.
"Well, it's just us for once."
Diamond nodded and rested her head on the bed.
"Child, what's wrong? Why do you cry?"
Diamond wanted to say that she was crying solely for her mother, Sorrel, but she knew that her mother would see right through it.
"I refused Pippin."
To Diamond's surprise, Sorrel smiled.
"Is that all? Dear, you shouldn't be beating yourself up about that!"
Diamond cocked her head to one side.
"What do you mean?"
"That means that there's always another day coming. Whether that day means that you accept Pippin or accept someone else, its still another day for opportunity."
"I guess you're right."
As Diamond sighed and rested her head on the bedside again, Sorrel reached over and ran her fingers through her hair.
"Ah Diamond. You were always an odd girl. You remind me so much of me when I was your age. Different from everyone else. But you were always special to me. My child, I'd hate to admit this, but I think that I favor you above your sisters. I love your sisters as much as you, but I favor you. You always looked at life from a different perspective."
Sorrel groaned from another pang in her chest, then continued.
"Diamond, everyone else will talk about you. Yes, they will talk enormously about you, but if you don't listen, then it doesn't matter what they say. Nothing that they say will matter. Only you do."
"Diamond, don't let your talent die. Writing is your only way of transport from this life, to another. That is your talent, Diamond, you must use it. Your writing is your legacy; you must put yourself into it. Your body, your heart, your soul must go into your writing. You need to find the courage to do that."
This was now the second time Diamond had heard this. She tried. How hard she tried! But she just couldn't find that courage.
Bump, rattle....
Diamond heard the window behind her. A wind was blowing it, and it was hitting the wall. She reluctantly left her mother's bedside and closed the window. She looked over to her Mother, and her mind refused to believe. Sorrel's eyes were closed. Diamond had no more tears to cry, but the pain inside was unbearable.
