Chapter 4 – Leaving Home

"What? No, that can't be true? Charity? But she was so healthy when I last saw her. What?" Leah said, she was babbling, how could Charity be sick?

"Leah, sweetie…" Jeremy started to say.

"Ethan? Answer, please!" Leah said cutting Jeremy off.

"Leah, maybe we should sit down, all this stress shouldn't be that good for you leg," Ethan said pointing to the living room. Leah obeyed quietly and followed him in.

"Leah? What is this with your leg and stress?" Jeremy asked.

"Cancer, a few years ago I had cancer, no big deal. Now Ethan, tell me about Charity."

"That is a big deal, I'm about to marry you and you can't open up to me. Everything about your childhood you keep a secret, why?" Jeremy asked.

"Because I had a crapy childhood, ok. And by the way the wedding is postponed until Charity is feeling better." Leah said.

"Don't listen to her Jeremy, she doesn't mean it." Kelly said.

"YES I DO!" shouted Leah.

"Leah calm down!" Jeremy yelled.

"Fine!" Leah yelled back at him. This was the first fight they had had. "Ethan I will be returning with you." And with that she ran up stairs to pack her bags.

"Wait here, I'll talk to her." Kelly said and ran up after Leah.

"You can't change my mind." Was the first Leah said when Kelly walked into her room.

"I'm not going to try to." Kelly said sitting on the bed. "But you have to understand how Jeremy's feeling right now. I mean, he found out about your cancer, you childhood romance and that you postponed your wedding all in one day."

"But you don't understand. Charity is my best friend!" Leah exclaimed.

Kelly's head looked down.

"I mean, you are too of course. She's my best friend from my past, and you're my best friend from my present."

Kelly's head rose and looked at Leah.

"I really was looking forward to wearing that new dress I bought for the wedding." Kelly said.

"And you will, just not when you planned to." Leah said stuffing clothes into a duffle bag.

"Do you need help?"

"Sure. I need only very plain cloths, nothing eccentric." Leah responded.

"Why?" Kelly asked.

"You saw what Ethan wore. Amish people wear plain clothing. Girls wear dresses and skirts." Leah responded.

"Are you done?" Kelly asked.

"Yup, I think so. I'll buy anything that I forgot." Leah said. She pocked up her duffle bag took one last glance at her room and marched down the stairs.

"Leah, sweetie, are you sure about his? Couldn't you wait until tomorrow? You just graduated. And shouldn't you tell your mother?" Jeremy pleaded with Leah when she was loading her stuff into the back of the taxi she and Ethan would take.

"Every moment I waste here, is a moment of Charity's life gone. I will call my mother in the morning. Bye Jeremy. Bye Kelly!" She called. As the taxi back out and drove down the street, Leah got this feeling as though she wouldn't be seeing this place for a long time.

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