Once everyone was back home, Will found himself in the kitchen helping Luke
and Kevin set the table. "So, how was everyone's day?" he asked them. "Very
enlightening," said Kevin. "I think I'm starting to make some real
progress." Will couldn't quite tell if he was being sarcastic, but moved on
to Luke. "Not quite that," he replied. "But I'm still not giving up hope."
"Keep that up and I'm sure you'll succeed," said Will.
In the living room, Helen approached Joan, who was resting on the couch. "You know, Adam had a little talk with me today," she said. Joan instantly perked up. "What did he say?" Helen answered, "He asked me what you were like before we moved. You've kept yourself so distant from me I wasn't able to give a real answer, but I got the impression something bad had happened between you two."
Joan paused for a bit. "When I first got diagnosed, I told him what my hallucinations were. Today he wanted to know more but I told him too much. It was something pretty hurtful. I haven't seen him since." Helen sat down next to her daughter. "Have you tried to see him?" "Not really. I'm just so afraid of what he'll say."
Helen had thought through what she would say. "Honey, I know you're not comfortable telling me just what has been going on, so I can't really know what's wrong now. But I do know that shutting yourself away isn't the answer. Why don't you call him?" "What, now?" "Yes. There's still a few minutes until dinner. I'll leave you alone."
As Helen left the room, Joan went to the phone and dialed Adam's number. She got the answering machine. Not wanting to give up, she left a message. "Adam, it's Joan. I know I said something terrible that I can never take back. But please don't shut me out again. I don't think I can handle that. Please, I just want to talk to you. Call me back." As she hung up the phone, the tears were forming again.
A few seconds later, the phone rang. Joan picked it up, and heard Adam's voice say, "Hello." Now with the tears fully streaming down her face, she said, "Adam?" "Yeah. I guess I kind of left you hanging there." "Yes, you did. Please say I didn't ruin things between us again."
"I don't know. I was hurt very badly by it. Bad ripples." "Please, just don't do it. I'll do anything, just don't stop talking to me again." She heard Adam take a breath. "I don't know if things can ever be the same between us again, but I'm still willing to try and work on it if you are." "Oh, I am, I am!" "All right then. I'll see you tomorrow. Goodbye, Jane."
As Joan hung up, her mother called her to dinner. As they ate, Helen asked her, "Is everything okay?" She answered, "Yeah. Yeah, I think it is." Will next said, "I guess you and your mother had a pretty good talk. If you don't mind, I'd like to have one after dinner."
In the living room, Helen approached Joan, who was resting on the couch. "You know, Adam had a little talk with me today," she said. Joan instantly perked up. "What did he say?" Helen answered, "He asked me what you were like before we moved. You've kept yourself so distant from me I wasn't able to give a real answer, but I got the impression something bad had happened between you two."
Joan paused for a bit. "When I first got diagnosed, I told him what my hallucinations were. Today he wanted to know more but I told him too much. It was something pretty hurtful. I haven't seen him since." Helen sat down next to her daughter. "Have you tried to see him?" "Not really. I'm just so afraid of what he'll say."
Helen had thought through what she would say. "Honey, I know you're not comfortable telling me just what has been going on, so I can't really know what's wrong now. But I do know that shutting yourself away isn't the answer. Why don't you call him?" "What, now?" "Yes. There's still a few minutes until dinner. I'll leave you alone."
As Helen left the room, Joan went to the phone and dialed Adam's number. She got the answering machine. Not wanting to give up, she left a message. "Adam, it's Joan. I know I said something terrible that I can never take back. But please don't shut me out again. I don't think I can handle that. Please, I just want to talk to you. Call me back." As she hung up the phone, the tears were forming again.
A few seconds later, the phone rang. Joan picked it up, and heard Adam's voice say, "Hello." Now with the tears fully streaming down her face, she said, "Adam?" "Yeah. I guess I kind of left you hanging there." "Yes, you did. Please say I didn't ruin things between us again."
"I don't know. I was hurt very badly by it. Bad ripples." "Please, just don't do it. I'll do anything, just don't stop talking to me again." She heard Adam take a breath. "I don't know if things can ever be the same between us again, but I'm still willing to try and work on it if you are." "Oh, I am, I am!" "All right then. I'll see you tomorrow. Goodbye, Jane."
As Joan hung up, her mother called her to dinner. As they ate, Helen asked her, "Is everything okay?" She answered, "Yeah. Yeah, I think it is." Will next said, "I guess you and your mother had a pretty good talk. If you don't mind, I'd like to have one after dinner."