As we quietly make our way to the EL I notice that my mom is wearing the same thing she wore last night.
Paige: How are we going to get your stuff out of the hotel room?
Mom: We aren't. Prue and I are going to stop by after lunch while you and Phoebe go shopping.
Paige: No way, I'm coming with. He'll hurt you guys.
Mom: Which is why we are going to ask the hotel security to come up with us.
Phoebe: Can I come with?
Mom: No. I don't want to hear any arguing out of either of you about this. Prue and I are going to get my stuff and leave, we aren't looking for a confrontation. Were only going to be ten minutes so you might as well have fun doing something than sitting in the hotel lobby.
Phoebe: But..
Prue: Pheebs drop it, you aren't going to win this.
Phoebe: Fine, but its not fair.
I silently agree with Phoebe, but keep my mouth shut knowing that anything I say is not going to be taken into consideration. Prue lets us know that this is our stop and we all head out of the subway and walk the two blocks to Piper's busy resturant. Prue talks to the hostess and we are seated right away next to a window. The waitress comes over and apparently knows Prue and strikes up a conversation with my family. I smile politely and then stare out the window at the people hustling around the city. I feel someone grab my hand underneath the table and give it a squeeze. I look up and see that it is Prue. I give her a smile and trie to focus on the conversation at our table. A few minutes later our drinks come out and we order our food.
Mom: So Phoebe how has school been?
Phoebe: Good. I am really liking my Psych courses and think I'll go for my masters in Psych.
Prue: Wow, you are actually sticking with it.
Phoebe: Yep, its interesting the way the mind works and I'm actually good at the course work.
Mom: I'm happy for you. Are you going to stay out East or are you coming back to San Fransisco?
Phoebe: I don't know yet. I actually wanted to stop by De Paul University while I was here to see what it looked like.
Prue: Not a problem. It's on the north side, like a 15 minute ride.
Mom: Then I'll have three of my girls in Chicago, maybe I'll have to move out here as well.
Paige: I'll be right back. Prue, where is the bathroom?
She points me in the right direction and I make my way towards the back of the resturant. Just as I am reaching for the door I hear Piper call my name. I turn around and see her coming out of the kitchen and walking towards the dining room.
Piper: I heard you guys were here. I was going to come out after your food was served, but another table wanted to speak to me.
Paige: Hey
I look back towards the bathroom door and walk in with Piper not far behind me. I turn on the water to wash my hands and I see Piper standing behind me in the mirror. I just want to get away for a few minutes, but it doesn't look like that will be happening right now.
Piper: Are you ok?
Paige: I wish everyone would stop asking me that. I'm fine.
Piper: Well you don't look fine. You look real spacey even the waitress noticed when she told me you guys were here.
Paige: I just have a lot on my mind. Sorry I jumped down your throat.
Piper: Don't worry about it. So where are you guys sitting?
Paige: By the front window. I better get back or they'll send someone looking for me.
Piper: Alright, I'll see you in a few minutes.
I walk back to the table where the conversation has turned to Prue's work and how she did a photo shoot of 'Batman Begins' when it was shooting here.
Phoebe: Your job is so cool. You get to meet all these famous people.
Prue: I didn't meet anyone that time just took a bunch of pictures.
Mom: Still it had to be exciting. When we get back I want to see some of your pictures.
Prue: Sure, I have a whole book of the ones I like.
Mom: Looks like our food is here.
Paige: I ran into Piper and she said she would come out and see us in a few minutes.
Mom: Oh good.
We each quietly eat our delicious meals until Piper comes over to see how we are doing.
Piper: Hey guys, I'm glad you came. How's the food?
Phoebe: Really good.
Mom: This place is amazing Piper. It's so crowded, the food is great, and everyone seems really nice.
Piper: I love it. This is the best resturant I have worked at so far. So what are you guys doing today?
Prue: Well mom and I are going over to the hotel to pick up her stuff and Phoebe and Paige are going shopping.
Piper: Well you two be careful. So which stores are you going to send them to.
Prue: I figured they could walk a couple of blocks to the Mag Mile and then meet us back at home.
Piper: You guys are going to love it.
Phoebe: How could you not love shopping.
We all laugh at Phoebe and her obsession with shopping, then Piper headsback to work. I spend the rest of lunch not really eating, but pushing around my food worrying about when mom and Prue would go to the hotel.
Mom: Paige aren't you hungry?
Paige: Not really.
Phoebe: Come on Paige its really good and it will give you lots of energy to go shopping.
Paige: I know I'm just not hungry.
Prue: We'll get it wrapped up so you can take it home and eat it later.
Mom: You want to go back to Prue's?
Paige: No, I'll go shopping with Phoebe.
Mom: Ok, but I want you guys back at Prue's in two hours.
Phoebe: Only two hours but there are so many stores.
Prue: Phoebe you just went shopping over the weekend. Besides Paige doesn't like to shop and she has been a good sport about shopping all weekend.
Phoebe: Fine, but I'm coming back later in the week.
Mom: Alright girls lets go, I'll take your food Paige since we will be heading home shortly.
Paige: Ok. Be careful he is really mad. You're taking security with you right?
Mom: I promise Paige we will not go up to the room without security. Now go have fun with Phoebe.
We split up and I follow Phoebe around the stores without saying a word. After two stores she pulls me aside to talk.
Phoebe: You need to talk to me. I'm really worried about you, you're so distant.
Paige: Sorry, just nervous about mom and Prue.
Phoebe: They are going to be fine, besides you said he would never hurt us.
Paige: Well that was when he thought you would never believe me.
Phoebe: They are taking security with them just in case. They will be fine.
Paige: Are you mad at me?
Phoebe: A little, you should have told me.
Paige: You barely believed me last night I don't think you would have believed me eight years ago when I didn't have scars.
Phoebe: But I might have and I could have helped you.
Paige: I wasn't going to risk you hating me once Victor told you that mom was raped by my dad and that I was a constant reminder of her pain.
Phoebe: I could never hate you Paige. You piss me off a lot, but you're my sister and thats what we do best.
Paige: half-sister
Phoebe: No, were sisters and always will be. I'm sorry I doubted you at first, I was just shocked and the easiest thing to believe was that you were lying.
Paige: Don't worry about it, I kept it a secret a lot longer than you doubted me so we're even.
Phoebe: Lets go home.
Paige: No more shopping?
Phoebe: No more money. I'll have to get mom to come shopping with me.
I laugh and we make our way to the subway and head back to the condo. To my relief when we open the door I hear mom and Prue talking as they are looking through Prue's Pro folio. Phoebe sits down next to mom and I sit on the chair next to the couch.
Mom: So how was shopping?
Phoebe: Looked around, but I didn't see anything.
Mom: How about we go looking some more tomorrow.
I look at the floor smiling thinking about how my sister just tricked my mom into taking her shopping. Mom was too nice for her own good some times.
Mom: How about you Paige, find anything?
Phoebe: She didn't even look, just followed me around. Paige is the worst shopper ever.
Prue: I thought Piper was the worst shopper.
Phoebe: Well she just got bumped up a notch.
Paige: Hey! I'm not that bad. I just wasn't in a shopping mood.
Prue: Yeah, we have been dragging Paige shopping all weekend I'm sure she is just shopped out.
Mom: When you are in a shopping mood baby just let me know and we'll go.
Paige: So did you get your stuff.
Mom: Yes, he wasn't even there and the front desk said he requested to check out early, so he'll be out of town soon.
Phoebe: What did I tell ya, nothing to worry about.
Prue: Piper is going to be home in an hour, how about we cook dinner for her.
Mom: How about you three watch a movie and I make dinner for all my girls just like I used to.
Prue: Sure you don't need help?
Mom: I think I can manage.
Unfortunately for us Phoebe has brought her very own copy of 'Kill it Before it Dies' so we are forced to watch it. I grab another novel that I am suppose to read before the end of the semester and basically space out staring at the first page, while Prue flips through a magazine. An hour and a half later the movie is ending and Piper walks in the door.
Piper: Work was crazy after you left. I was just able to sneak out before the dinner rush.
Mom: Dinner is ready guys.
Piper: Thanks mom, now I don't have to cook.
Mom: My pleasure. Phoebe turn off the movie and get to the table.
Phoebe: There's only five minutes left mom.
Mom: I don't care, you have seen that a million times, you know the ending.
Phoebe: Fine.
Prue: Looks great.
Paige: Smells good too.
Phoebe: Yes, another good meal.
Prue: If you come to grad school out here you could get plenty of good meals Pheebs.
Phoebe: I know, but I have to get in first.
Piper: Your going to grad school?
Mom: She announce intentions at lunch today.
Phoebe: Maybe De Paul University.
Piper: That is so close to here, you totally have to do it.
Phoebe: We'll see.
The conversation dies down as everyone begins to eat. I don't know what my problem is but I'm not hungry again so I move the food around so it looks like I'm eating. I really hope they don't notice because I really don't want to talk about it. I know they are just worried about me and trying to help, but I just want to be left alone. All of a sudden I can feel a pair of eyes on me so I grab a fork full of food and eat it. I continue to force myself to eat until there is nothing left on my plate, which isn't proving to be a smart idea because now I feel sick. My brutally honest sister interrupts my thoughts.
Phoebe: Jeez Paige I didn't think it was possible for you to get paler.
Paige: Huh?
Prue: Are you feeling ok, cause you don't look so hot.
Paige: Thanks.
Mom: Sweetie come here let me feel your head.
I go over to my mom and she feels my head for a moment and says that I don't have a temperature.
Mom: Are you feeling ok.
Paige: Just not hungry.
Piper: Well you ate all your dinner.
Paige: I know. I figured I should since I skipped lunch.
Piper: You didn't skip lunch, in fact I made it for you.
Phoebe: Yeah your bottomless pit just pushed around her food.
Prue: It's in the refrigerator, she wasn't hungry at the resturant.
They continue to talk about my eating habits as I turn away from the table and head towards the bathroom. My mom sees me walking away and follows me into the bathroom just in time to see me get sick. She shuts the door and holds my hair back while I am in painful dry heaves. When I'm done I sit back against the wall and she helps me clean up and hands me a cup of water.
Mom: Feel better?
Paige: Yeah, I do actually. Guess I shouldn't eat when I'm not hungry. Thanks.
Mom: Do have any other symptoms of being sick?
Paige: Just feel really out of it today.
Mom: Well you have had a rough day. I'm sure some sleep will make you feel better. Are you tired?
Paige: No.
Mom: Lets go get ready for bed and watch movies with your sisters.
I nod my head and mom helps me up. I leave the bathroom and come back with my toiletries and pajamas. By the time I go back in the living room no one is around so I sit on the couch and wait for them. Eventually Phoebe comes in the living room.
Phoebe: You're still really pale.
Paige: Thanks for letting me know.
Phoebe: Mom is waiting in Piper's room since she has a king size bed.
Paige: Five people can not lay on a king size bed.
Phoebe: I know that silly. Prue, Piper, and I are going to a club so we won't be joining you for a movie.
Paige: Oh.
Phoebe: We figured since your sick we might as well go since your already stuck here.
Paige: That's fine. Have fun.
Prue: We will. Get some rest.
Piper: Yeah I bought enough food for two bottomless pits not just one.
Paige: Ok.
I walk into Piper's room and my mom is waiting for me on the bed.
Mom: How does 'Christmas Story' sound?
I climb up on the bed next to her and snuggle into her body and whisper, "good." She hits play on the remote and starts playing with my hair.