"Abigail, I'd like you to meet my sister-in-law, Lori Beth Cunningham," said Joanie. Lori Beth and Richie were visiting the Arcolas, and Joanie had arranged a lunch date for Lori Beth and Abigail to meet.
"How do you do." Abigail smiled and shook Lori Beth's hand.
"It's wonderful to meet you, Abigail," said Lori Beth. Joanie had told Lori Beth about the twenty-year coma that Abigail had so recently emerged from.
"Marriage must suit you, Abigail. You're positively glowing!" Joanie exclaimed. This was the first time she'd seen Abigail since the wedding.
"I suppose it does," Abigail said with a shy smile.
The three women ordered their food and found a table.
"I've been contacted by a movie producer," Abigail told the other two women. "He wants to make a movie about me."
Joanie's mouth dropped open. "You're kidding!"
Abigail shook her head. "I couldn't believe it myself at first. When I got the call, I felt sure it was someone playing a joke on me. But when he started talking about contracts and agreements I knew he was serious."
"What does Jack think about it?" asked Joanie.
"He thinks it's wonderful that someone thinks that my experience is special enough to make a movie about. He says that perhaps the movie will serve as an inspiration to others."
"And how do you feel about it, Abby?"
"If there's any way at all that it can help other people in my situation, I'm all for it, of course. That's the most important thing in the world to me, to help other coma victims. But my sister..." Abigail's voice trailed off.
"Ellen? What about her?"
"She thinks that to make a movie about it would be an invasion of the family's privacy. She's afraid that the movie won't be sympathetic to her and that it will make her look bad. Jack thinks she's just being jealous, and I think he's right. Ellen's always been jealous of me."
"Joanie told me that Ellen married your high school sweetheart," Lori Beth told Abigail.
"She did! That really hurt me, too. Worse than anything has ever hurt me before."
"I can just imagine," Lori Beth said sympathetically.
"Yet she's the one who's jealous of you?" Lori Beth asked incredulously.
Abigail nodded sadly.
"So how did your lunch date go today?" Jack asked Abigail that evening. They had just put away the last of the dinner dishes and were snuggling cozily together on the sofa.
"It was great! Joanie's sister-in-law Lori Beth is really nice."
"I'm so glad you enjoyed it." Jack smiled. "Did you tell them about the movie plans?"
"Yes, and they were really impressed."
"As rightfully they should have been. I can't tell you how proud I am of you, Abby."
"For waking up after having been in a coma for twenty years?"
"For having come as far as you have despite having been in a coma for twenty years. You're truly an inspiration, girl. That's why they want to make a movie about you."
To Abigail's surprise, her sister Ellen called a few days later.
"I just wanted to know how the movie plans are coming along," she told Abigail. "And to let you know that our family will soon have two celebrities."
"What do you mean?" asked Abigail.
"I'm about to become a published author!" Ellen exclaimed, giving Abigail time to be duly impressed. "I'm almost finished with the rough draft of my new tell-all book, 'My Sister: The Twenty-Year Coma Girl.' Now all I have to do is find an agent and a publisher to submit it to."
"That's great, Ellen." Somehow Abigail just couldn't seem to muster the appropriate enthusiasm.
"I'm sure my book will be at least as big a hit as your movie will," Ellen boasted. "I think we should have a celebratory dinner or something."
"That sounds like a good idea," Abigail conceded. "Why don't you and David come over for dinner this Friday night?"
"We'll be there," Ellen promised.
Abigail hung up the phone, wondering whether she had just made a mistake.