Chapter 6
Wow I finally updated this...Is anyone surprised?
"Hey." Ephram greets walking into Joey's room a week later, finding her sitting up and flipping through a picture album of some sort or the other.
"Hey yourself," Joey responds looking up from the picture album.
Ephram smiles, Joey is actually looking better than she has in a while, with slight color in her cheeks. "What are you looking at?"
"Come look." Joey motions over and Ephram stares at the young blonde girl in the picture mugging at the camera, chocolate ice cream smeared across her face. "You?"
Joey nods, "my mom kept baby books for all of us up through the age of 5, well except for Jessi but there has been so much going on since she was born."
Joey continues flipping through the book, passing pictures of Joey and younger versions of Leo, Meg and grandparents and all of her birthday parties. Ephram makes Joey stop on a Halloween picture with Joey's hair all done up in ringlets with a tiara an a fluffy pink dress. "What's this?"
Joey blushes lightly and responds, "I was a princess every year for Halloween from the age of three until I was ten. I wanted ot be a princess, to be pulled around in a horse drawn carriage in a big fuffie dress. It's silly."
Ephram shakes his head, "it's not silly. So did you want to go see a movie or something this weekend if you are up to it?"
"I can't." Joey shakes her head, "I have to go to Denver this weekend."
"Why?" Ephram asks suddenly concerned.
"It's just a check-up, see how I'm doing. They are going to prescribe some pills to keep my energy up."
"Well then I'll come with you." Ephram states.
Joey shakes her head, "no."
"What? Why?"
"Because you deserve to have a normal weekend. Hang out with your family or something. You could still go see that movie without me."
"Joey..."
"No, Ephram I made up my mind, besides we are leaving tomorrow while you are in school."
"My dad would..."
"Please Ephram, don't make me fight you on this."
"All right I will see you..."
"Saturday night." Joey informs.
"Saturday night." Ephram echoes kissing Joey gently.
"Where's Delia?" Ephram asks Andy coming downstairs Saturday morning.
"She's over with Sam, Nina got him a new video game and he wanted her to go over and play with him."
Ephram sighs and before he can say anything else the doorbell rings, "I'll get it."
Pulling open the door reveals Amy standing there holding a huge pile of DVD's, "a little help here would be nice."
Ephram takes the DVD's from Amy, "what are you doing?"
"I ran into your dad and he said that Joey was out of town today so I thought I would take advantage of it and hang out with you."
"Really?" Ephram asks surprised, "so what movies did you bring?" Ephram asks grateful for something to do for the day.
"Oh lot's of movies ranging from both Lord of the Rings to How to Loose a guy. Ephram makes a face at the second movie and Amy adds, "what If I have to watch a ton of action movies I had to bring a chick flick or two."
"Are you crying?" Ephram asks nearly six hours and three movies later at the end of Amy's chick flick of choice.
"So?" Amy asks wiping away the tears on her cheeks.
"So, the ending was cheesy."
"It was cute." Amy retorts throwing a pillow at Ephram.
"Whatever." Ephram responds holding the pillow and glancing at the clock, it's just after seven. "I wonder when they're getting in. Joey made it sound like they would be back by dinner time."
"She probably went home and crashed. That's what Colin does whenever he had to go to Denver for testing."
"She said she'd call when they got in."
Amy shrugs, "maybe there was traffic."
Before Ephram can respond the doorbell rings and Andy appears seconds later, "you have a visitor." Stepping aside reveals a weak and fragile looking Joey. Ephram is immediately on his feet and taking Joey into his arms and kissing her.
That's my cue to exit." Amy states gathering her movies together, "I will see you guys later."
Joey pulls out of Ephram's arms and looking up at him she asks, "Ephram do you mind letting us talk for a minute?"
Ephram looks between the two and he nods, "I'll be outside on the porch."
"Thanks for being there for him today." Joey states.
Amy smiles kindly at Joey and responds, "Ephram is my best friend. He was there for me the whole time Colin was sick. I'm just trying to be the same person for him."
"Well thanks just the same."
Amy grins, "no problem."
The girls hug awkwardly around Amy's pile of movies and both head outside to find Ephram sitting on the porch.
"Bye Amy, thanks a lot, it was fun." Ephram calls as Amy walks down the steps, "do you need a ride home?"
Amy shakes her head, "I'll see you Monday."
Once Amy has disappeared into the night Joey and Ephram sit in silence wrapped up in a blanket together. Once the silence has lain over the two of them Ephram asks, "you've been really quiet. What are you thinking about?"
Joey leans her head on Ephram's chest and looks up at him, tears shimmering in her brown eyes. "I don't know. This is going to sound stupid."
"I doubt it."
"I don't know...I guess...I...I think part of me was expecting to get my lab results back and have them be like 'oops, sorry something got mixed up and you are actually totally find. You aren't going to die when you are 16." Joey buries her face in Ephram's chest. "Ephram I'm going to die. I'm not going to be able to grow up and do all of the things I thought I would be able to do." Joey sobs.
Ephram pulls Joey ot him, not saying a word, just holding her as she cries.
Wow I finally updated this...Is anyone surprised?
"Hey." Ephram greets walking into Joey's room a week later, finding her sitting up and flipping through a picture album of some sort or the other.
"Hey yourself," Joey responds looking up from the picture album.
Ephram smiles, Joey is actually looking better than she has in a while, with slight color in her cheeks. "What are you looking at?"
"Come look." Joey motions over and Ephram stares at the young blonde girl in the picture mugging at the camera, chocolate ice cream smeared across her face. "You?"
Joey nods, "my mom kept baby books for all of us up through the age of 5, well except for Jessi but there has been so much going on since she was born."
Joey continues flipping through the book, passing pictures of Joey and younger versions of Leo, Meg and grandparents and all of her birthday parties. Ephram makes Joey stop on a Halloween picture with Joey's hair all done up in ringlets with a tiara an a fluffy pink dress. "What's this?"
Joey blushes lightly and responds, "I was a princess every year for Halloween from the age of three until I was ten. I wanted ot be a princess, to be pulled around in a horse drawn carriage in a big fuffie dress. It's silly."
Ephram shakes his head, "it's not silly. So did you want to go see a movie or something this weekend if you are up to it?"
"I can't." Joey shakes her head, "I have to go to Denver this weekend."
"Why?" Ephram asks suddenly concerned.
"It's just a check-up, see how I'm doing. They are going to prescribe some pills to keep my energy up."
"Well then I'll come with you." Ephram states.
Joey shakes her head, "no."
"What? Why?"
"Because you deserve to have a normal weekend. Hang out with your family or something. You could still go see that movie without me."
"Joey..."
"No, Ephram I made up my mind, besides we are leaving tomorrow while you are in school."
"My dad would..."
"Please Ephram, don't make me fight you on this."
"All right I will see you..."
"Saturday night." Joey informs.
"Saturday night." Ephram echoes kissing Joey gently.
"Where's Delia?" Ephram asks Andy coming downstairs Saturday morning.
"She's over with Sam, Nina got him a new video game and he wanted her to go over and play with him."
Ephram sighs and before he can say anything else the doorbell rings, "I'll get it."
Pulling open the door reveals Amy standing there holding a huge pile of DVD's, "a little help here would be nice."
Ephram takes the DVD's from Amy, "what are you doing?"
"I ran into your dad and he said that Joey was out of town today so I thought I would take advantage of it and hang out with you."
"Really?" Ephram asks surprised, "so what movies did you bring?" Ephram asks grateful for something to do for the day.
"Oh lot's of movies ranging from both Lord of the Rings to How to Loose a guy. Ephram makes a face at the second movie and Amy adds, "what If I have to watch a ton of action movies I had to bring a chick flick or two."
"Are you crying?" Ephram asks nearly six hours and three movies later at the end of Amy's chick flick of choice.
"So?" Amy asks wiping away the tears on her cheeks.
"So, the ending was cheesy."
"It was cute." Amy retorts throwing a pillow at Ephram.
"Whatever." Ephram responds holding the pillow and glancing at the clock, it's just after seven. "I wonder when they're getting in. Joey made it sound like they would be back by dinner time."
"She probably went home and crashed. That's what Colin does whenever he had to go to Denver for testing."
"She said she'd call when they got in."
Amy shrugs, "maybe there was traffic."
Before Ephram can respond the doorbell rings and Andy appears seconds later, "you have a visitor." Stepping aside reveals a weak and fragile looking Joey. Ephram is immediately on his feet and taking Joey into his arms and kissing her.
That's my cue to exit." Amy states gathering her movies together, "I will see you guys later."
Joey pulls out of Ephram's arms and looking up at him she asks, "Ephram do you mind letting us talk for a minute?"
Ephram looks between the two and he nods, "I'll be outside on the porch."
"Thanks for being there for him today." Joey states.
Amy smiles kindly at Joey and responds, "Ephram is my best friend. He was there for me the whole time Colin was sick. I'm just trying to be the same person for him."
"Well thanks just the same."
Amy grins, "no problem."
The girls hug awkwardly around Amy's pile of movies and both head outside to find Ephram sitting on the porch.
"Bye Amy, thanks a lot, it was fun." Ephram calls as Amy walks down the steps, "do you need a ride home?"
Amy shakes her head, "I'll see you Monday."
Once Amy has disappeared into the night Joey and Ephram sit in silence wrapped up in a blanket together. Once the silence has lain over the two of them Ephram asks, "you've been really quiet. What are you thinking about?"
Joey leans her head on Ephram's chest and looks up at him, tears shimmering in her brown eyes. "I don't know. This is going to sound stupid."
"I doubt it."
"I don't know...I guess...I...I think part of me was expecting to get my lab results back and have them be like 'oops, sorry something got mixed up and you are actually totally find. You aren't going to die when you are 16." Joey buries her face in Ephram's chest. "Ephram I'm going to die. I'm not going to be able to grow up and do all of the things I thought I would be able to do." Joey sobs.
Ephram pulls Joey ot him, not saying a word, just holding her as she cries.