Chapter Three.
"Meet me at the park at 3 o'clock" the letter said, so Kelly did was she was told.
When she arrived, her brother was already there, waiting for her.
"And… How is she? Is she alright?"
"Hey! I've missed you too!" his sister replied, sarcastically.
"C'mon, Kell! Please, tell me she is fine. It's all I ask."
The girl looked at him. She was right, he had really changed. He used to be so sure about life, so independent… And now, there he was, in pain for a girl. Because he was really suffering, Kelly could tell. Many times she had asked him what was so important about Rose, and she had always received the same respond: 'I'll tell you one of this days'.
She was about to answer that first she wanted to know all about this girl Rose, but one look into her brother's blue eyes was enough to change her mind.
"She's fine. Well… I mean, she is as fine as one could be having that horrible woman around."
"You mean Ruth? She is hard to handle, isn't she?"
"Hard to handle? She is a bitch!"
"You are right. But Rose… She is fine, isn't she?"
Kelly doubted.
"What's wrong, Kell?" her brother asked, noticing her expression.
"Well… she is not dying. But… If you must know, she seems kind of lost. All the time. Even when her mother is talking to her (though I can't blame her for that). And what's worst is that no one cares! I can't believe it but it's true. Her mother talks only about the wedding while the bride is somewhere beyond all of us."
"And what about Cal? Does he know about Rose?"
"Cal's attitude is much worst than Ruth, for me at least. He is aware of the situation but he seems to enjoy it. I mean… The other day, for instance. I was serving dinner and he and Ruth were talking about the wedding. Suddenly, the word 'kids' appears out of nowhere. Cal said that he wanted a boy and he wanted to name him after someone he had known. Jack, was this man. Then, he began to laugh and says 'Oh, no! It's an awful name. Isn't it, sweetpea?' I don't know what's that suppose to mean, but I can tell that Rose did, because her face went red and her eyes became full of tears."
"I can't believe he actually did that! He's even worst than I thought! Kelly, you will understand it soon, I promise. Now… What about that invitation?"
"Sorry, I couldn't get you in, yet. I will, I swear. The wedding is in two weeks, in Philadelphia."
"You are just wonderful! What would I do without you? Kelly, thanks a lot. I owe you big!"
"And you'll pay me back…" she added, only half serious.
"Well, I should be going now. I have work to do. They want me to have I don't know how many drawings for next week. I'm getting really tired of doing this. I wish I could change places with you…"
"That should be interesting, you with a dress. It's something worth paying."
"Funny. Really funny. Take care. And don't…"
"Don't be recognize. I know! I should be the one giving advices, you know? I'm the big sister, aren't I?"
Brother and sister laughed and kissed good-bye. She watched him as he left and wondered how someone like him could ended up involving with a girl like Rose. She would have killed to know his secret, but she couldn't betrayed him. He had promised that he'd tell her about it one day or another and she trusted him.
She heard the clock of the church and realized that she had to return to the Dewitt-Bukater's before tea time or Ruth would get really upset.