Cory was extremely angry with me over the arsenic, but he was quiet about
it. I was the one that spoke up between us. It took a while for him to
leave my side. I didn't notice it at first, but he was always in the same
room with me whenever he was home.
Cathy was another story. I woke up the next morning and she was sitting on the rocking chair watching me. Slowly she would rock back and forth, back and forth. It reminded me of being in the attic when all of us would sit on Chris' lap in the rocking chair. She noticed that I was awake and she moved to sit on the bed. All she could say was, "Why? Why did you do it?" She wouldn't understand, or would she? I swallowed and I tried to sit up in bed.
"Cathy, I don't know if you will understand. I had to feel the same as how Cory felt." She blinked trying hard to understand. "What?"
"I had to know. He is leaving.." I looked away. She touched my arm. "Carrie. I do understand. I feel the same way about Chris. I would be horrified if.." she closed her eyes "I would the same if he was leaving." "But, Cathy, he did leave. Chris lives at the dorm." Shaking my head I added quietly, "I couldn't think about life without him." I couldn't tell her about whom I saw the other day..it would drive her crazy.
I think this was the moment that I began to understand my sister as a sister, not as a "pretend mother." She nodded her head and crawled into bed with me. Without words, she comforted me as a sister would. A few minutes later, she touched my cheek and said softly, "Darling, he isn't going to leave you. We all are just growing up and being who we are meant to be. This is how life is supposed to be, Carrie."
Cathy stayed with me and watched a movie. Chris came in after he came home. Cathy's eyes glowed when he walked in, both of them smiling. Chris handed me a bag full of books. Kissing the top of my head he said, "I thought that you would like to read these." I smiled and nodded. "You know exactly what to do, don't you?" He laughed. "I try. What are you guys doing?" Cathy passed by him touching his hand and said, "I'll go start dinner." They tried to hide the look that passed by them, but I had seen it.
At the door, she turned around, "Carrie? Alex called. He would really like to see you." Immediately my hand went to my head where half of my hair was missing. Cory was behind her and he came in carrying pansies and violets. Without missing a beat he walked up to me and kissed my cheek taking my hand off of my hair. "You are beautiful. Alex will think so, too." Smiling, I spent the next hour with my two brothers.
Cathy was another story. I woke up the next morning and she was sitting on the rocking chair watching me. Slowly she would rock back and forth, back and forth. It reminded me of being in the attic when all of us would sit on Chris' lap in the rocking chair. She noticed that I was awake and she moved to sit on the bed. All she could say was, "Why? Why did you do it?" She wouldn't understand, or would she? I swallowed and I tried to sit up in bed.
"Cathy, I don't know if you will understand. I had to feel the same as how Cory felt." She blinked trying hard to understand. "What?"
"I had to know. He is leaving.." I looked away. She touched my arm. "Carrie. I do understand. I feel the same way about Chris. I would be horrified if.." she closed her eyes "I would the same if he was leaving." "But, Cathy, he did leave. Chris lives at the dorm." Shaking my head I added quietly, "I couldn't think about life without him." I couldn't tell her about whom I saw the other day..it would drive her crazy.
I think this was the moment that I began to understand my sister as a sister, not as a "pretend mother." She nodded her head and crawled into bed with me. Without words, she comforted me as a sister would. A few minutes later, she touched my cheek and said softly, "Darling, he isn't going to leave you. We all are just growing up and being who we are meant to be. This is how life is supposed to be, Carrie."
Cathy stayed with me and watched a movie. Chris came in after he came home. Cathy's eyes glowed when he walked in, both of them smiling. Chris handed me a bag full of books. Kissing the top of my head he said, "I thought that you would like to read these." I smiled and nodded. "You know exactly what to do, don't you?" He laughed. "I try. What are you guys doing?" Cathy passed by him touching his hand and said, "I'll go start dinner." They tried to hide the look that passed by them, but I had seen it.
At the door, she turned around, "Carrie? Alex called. He would really like to see you." Immediately my hand went to my head where half of my hair was missing. Cory was behind her and he came in carrying pansies and violets. Without missing a beat he walked up to me and kissed my cheek taking my hand off of my hair. "You are beautiful. Alex will think so, too." Smiling, I spent the next hour with my two brothers.