AN: Before I start this chapter, I just want to send out a big 'thank you' to everyone who has been reading this story so far. According to my 'Stats' page, this has now become the most popular story of all the ones I've written so far, with over 1,250 hits and climbing! I'm seriously moved, and I thank each and every one of you.
Now, on with the story...
Morning arrived with a bright blazing blood red sun that shone into Mark's face, waking him instantly. At the present time, he was sprawled out on the floor in Emily's room. Roger and Mimi were both still asleep, curled up in an easy chair and holding one another. None of them felt very comfortable with leaving Emily alone that night, so they had all decided to stay.
Mark looked over at Emily who was curled up in her bed. He could still see slight hints of tear stains standing out on her cheeks. Feeling a fresh wave of sympathy for his friend, Mark walked over and tucked her blankets closer around her before moving on to the window and gazing out at the city. He would never know just how long he stood there, but he was brought out of his stupor when he heard a floorboard creak behind him. Turning around, he saw Emily was awake and now standing behind him. Her eyes were still red from crying, and she was hugging her quilt tightly around her.
"You guys didn't have to stay, you know," she pointed out as she started to shuffle over to a trunk in the corner of the room.
"We wanted to," Mark insisted.
"Thank you. I don't know how I can ever convey how grateful I am for all your help this past month."
"I just wish we could have done more." Mark watched as Emily opened the trunk and took out a very old lop-eared plush rabbit. "A bunny?"
"It's… Mr. Twiggers," Emily confessed, fondling the long ears nostalgically. "I've had him since before I can remember. My dad gave him to me when my mom and I came home from the hospital after I was born. He always told me that this was a special rabbit, and if I kept him safe, good things would happen to me. I… I want Penny to have him now. Hopefully, if there is some bit of luck in him, Penny will find a way to unlock it. I know I never managed to."
"For what it's worth," Mark began, placing a hand on Emily's shoulder, "I think you would have made a great mother to Penny."
"Thanks, Mark. You're a true friend. Never let anyone tell you otherwise."
At that moment, the door opened, and, as if she had sensed that they were talking about her, Penny walked in.
"Good morning, Emily," Penny greeted with a smile, seemingly not noticing the somber mood that hung in the air. "Nana says that breakfast's nearly done. We're having blueberry pancakes."
"Mark," Emily said softly. "You, uh,… you head down with Mimi and Roger, okay? Penny and I; we got a lot to talk about, you know?" Mark sadly complied by wakeing his sleeping friends up before the trio moved to the door.
"We'll be downstairs if you need us," Mark offered before leaving the room.
"Thank you," Emily nodded, sitting on her bed and pulling Penny up onto her lap.
From the doorway, Mark couldn't help but pause for a moment, listening in on the conversation.
"Penny, listen to me for a moment," Emily began. "You've all been told what's going to happen to The Center, haven't you?"
"Yes, Nana told us all a week ago. Everyone else is all set to move later on today," Penny responded. "I'm gonna miss them. Especially Rupert and Jerry. It was never boring with them around, was it?"
"No. It wasn't." Emily sighed. "But, Penny, the thing is… I… we have to…"
"Emily? You're not that upset about them leaving, are you? The children's hospital isn't that far. Nana says we can still stop by to check up on them. Things aren't going to change all that much, right?"
Penny's innocent naivety over the situation was almost too much for Emily to take. From the crack in the door, Mark watched as Emily pulled Penny closer, before softly singing to the child.
"I can't understand it.
The search for an answer is met with a darker day.
And we've been handed these moments forever.
But I'm reassured there's another way.
You don't have to close your eyes.
There is room for love again.
Ease the pain to realize all that love can be.
Forced apart by time and sand.
Take a step and take my hand.
And don't let it go. Never let go."
Mark couldn't stand to hear anymore, and quickly went down to join Mimi and Roger downstairs.
Nana sat at The Center's dining hall table with Mark, Roger and Mimi, the four of them eating in silence. During the meal, Collins, who clearly had decided to stop by for Emily's sake, entered the room.
"How's she holding up?" he asked.
"Not so good," Mimi sighed. "Poor girl cried herself to sleep last night. You should have seen her, sobbing about how she felt after Zack had died, and how she was afraid Penny might hate her for not being able to adopt her…."
"Hold on one moment!" Nana looked up in surprise. "You mean to say that Emily actually started talking about her past with you?"
"Yeah, that's right. Why?"
"It's just a first. She hasn't talked about her past with anyone before. Up until now, she's only willingly talked about it with Zack. Do you think it's possible that she…"
"She what?" Mark urged.
"She actually trusts you?"
"Well, stranger things have happened," Roger scowled.
"Oh, no. Don't take offense. It's simply that she won't even go over some points in her past with me, and I'm just not sure if it's just a result of the pressure valve finally starting to break, or if something about you folks makes her feel more at ease. All I do know is that Emily has usually tried to deal with her problems on her own, because she's afraid of becoming a burden to others. She's always tried to put everything on herself, even when she can't handle it." Nana suddenly started to chuckle to herself. "I still remember, that time Mimi invited her to have dinner with all of you for the first time a few months back. The next day, she couldn't stop talking about you, did you know that? I've known Emily for practically her whole life. When she came home that night, she was laughing so hard, there were actually tears in her eyes. Emily has never laughed like that. Not even when Zack was alive. And then, for the first time in a long time, she actually started doing things for herself instead of concentrating solely on the needs of the children here. Before meeting you, her entire schedule revolved around these children. She even conditioned herself to wake up automatically in the middle of the night, just to go down and check up on them all. But now she's off window shopping with Mimi, Maureen and Joanne, or joking around with Roger and Collins, or talking with Mark while critiquing each others work…"
"You're blaming us for making her shirk her duties here?" Mark accused.
"No! Not blaming. Thanking you. Emily is still young. I want her to spend more time just enjoying being young while she can, doing all the things that twenty-three-year-olds are supposed to do, instead of being the responsible caretaker twenty-four-seven. If it's not too bold for me to say, I think it was a very lucky day for Emily when you crashed your bike outside the Center, Mark." As Mark opened his mouth to speak, the door in The Center's entryway burst open with a bang. Seconds later, Maureen and Joanne hurried in.
"Where's Emily?" Maureen cried, looking extremely excited about something.
"Oh, for goodness sakes, guys!" Emily, no doubt having heard the sound of the door flying open so quickly, instantly appeared at the foot of the stairs with Penny next to her. "I swear, if you've broken that door, I'm not paying the repair bill."
"Emily!" Joanne exclaimed. "We've found you a job! A paying job!"
"Wh…what?" Emily looked between the two, clearly confused as to what they were talking about.
"I've been going over the laws pertaining to adoption, and talked with the adoption agencies, and there's still hope!" Joanne quickly explained. "Since you've been caring for children for so long, they're willing to let you bypass the age and marital status points. But they won't ignore being jobless."
"Way to burst a bubble, guys."
"No, we found you a job! The Village Voice is in need of a photojournalist. Maureen and I just got off the phone with them. They're just asking to see a portfolio of your work, then the position's yours!" Emily stood stock still, looking incredibly like a stunned beast. Seconds later, her shock melted away, and she let out cry of excitement.
"Nana, quick! Where'd you put my portfolio?" she cried, dashing across the room to grab her Yankees cap, which was hanging from a coat rack on the wall.
"The hall closet!" Nana stated.
Before heading out the door, Emily stopped to give Penny a tight hug.
"You just sit tight here for a bit, Penny. When I get back, we're going out for ice cream. Things are finally turning around." With that, Emily raced out the door, with the other Bohemians following her.
"Aw, Maureen, Joanne, I owe you guys big!"
"You can just include us in that ice cream treat, and we'll call it even," Maureen joked.
AN: FYI, the song Emily sings to Penny really does exist. It's called 'Never Let Go', sang by Josh Groban and Deep Forest. I know it probably didn't exist during the time period in question, but it's just one heck of a song, and I really thought it fit the mood.
The remaining chapters should be posted quite frequently from here on in, since I finally think I've worked out all the bugs and twists in the plot. So, until next time...