Post by Emma Parker on Jun 19, 2007 1:38:20 GMT
“Morning, honey,” Carol-Ann kissed Emma’s forehead as the fifteen year old stifled a yawn and tugged on her pony tail. “Want some pancakes?” Emma shook her head, stifling another yawn, and reached for the pitcher of freshly squeezed orange juice. She poured some of the juice into a glass and took a sip as her twin sister entered, already dressed. Emma avoided Emmy’s eyes as she took another sip of the orange juice and slid into her usual seat at the dinner table. Emmy opened the fridge and reached for the milk. She hated orange juice. Emma didn’t know how that was possible. Orange juice was amazing, nonetheless Emmy refused to drink it. She hated milk, too, she said it left a film in her mouth – but she would drink it if it had flavoring in it. Such as strawberry, like the kind Emmy was now mixing into the milk with a spoon. “Good morning, Emmy.” Carol-Ann said, with a bit of a less cheerful voice than she had used with Emma. Emmy grumbled a reply and guzzled down her milk before setting the empty glass in the sink and leaving the kitchen once more. Carol-Ann looked at Emma expectantly, who adverted her gaze to the plate of toast she had in front of her. “What happened with you two last night? I thought you guys had a good time…?”
Emma sighed and leaned back in her seat, fiddling with the fork that was beside her plate of toast. “We… we did… at first. Mum, Emmy’s so annoying sometimes! You know, I’m aware that I’m really sick and all, but I don’t need her constantly hovering over me!” Emma’s voice cracked as tears welled in her blue eyes. She loved her sister, she really did, but sometimes she felt so cluttered by Emmy’s attempts to keep her safe. “I… I just… sometimes I wish she’d just let me live my life like a normal teenager for once. I know it’s… it’s not as easy as that, Mum, I really do, but is it too much to ask to at least be allowed to pretend? I mean, she gets to do all these things that I can’t do! She might not do them, but she’s able to, you know? And I can’t do any of them because she… she thinks I’m so fragile I’m going to break into a million of pieces!” She wiped at her eyes angrily and stopped fiddling with the fork, still avoiding eye contact with her mother. “Sometimes I just wish…” Emma trailed off, knowing that if she said what she wished – her mother would fall to pieces. She shook her head and looked up, “You know what? Just… forget it. Forget I said anything, I don’t know what I’m saying because of my medicine. How about those pancakes?”
It was pathetic at how her mother’s face went from concerned or fright, to relief when Emma changed the subject. That was how it went. Carol-Ann would rather forget there was anything wrong in her life than to face the problems head on. It explained a lot of things, especially Carol-Ann’s adamancy about continuing with Emma’s treatments when the doctors keep telling her all she is doing is prolonging the inevitable. Emma wasn’t stupid; she knew what the doctors had told her mother and she knew that her mother kept saying it would all work out in the end. Denial was Carol-Ann’s best friend these days. Emma looked up as her mother piled two chocolate chip pancakes on her plate and offered the older woman a small smile. This was why Emma didn’t give up, or didn’t let her surrender show. Carol-Ann lived for Emma’s smiles, she lived for her daughter’s laughter and happiness. How would she react if she found out that Emma wasn’t really as happy as she let on? Well, Emma would never find out. She was determined to always pretend to be happy. She reached for her fork and started on her chocolate chip pancakes, trying to hide her sadness.
“Here are my angels! Good morning my lovely wife and daughter,” Campbell strode into the kitchen, setting his brief case on the counter and finishing up his tie. Emma smiled over at her father and continued to eat her pancakes as her mother rose to help him with his Windsor knot. Campbell kissed Carol-Ann joyfully on the lips and reached a hand up to push a strand of her blond hair behind her ear. Emma watched this small but affectionate gesture with a smile on her lips. Her parents had always been in love. She had never seen them been in anything but. Even when everything with her happened. Her father was there for her mother and he understood her ridiculous actions. Emma could only imagine what it would be like to marry someone like her dad. “How was your night, angel? Did you and Emmy have a good time?” Campbell had moved toward Emma and stolen a piece of her toast. Emma shrugged and finished her pancakes before standing and carrying the dirty plate to the sink. “Well, that’s good. Hey, if you’re going upstairs will you remind Emmy about Keith?” Emma nodded and left the kitchen, hurrying up the small staircase to the second floor where her sister sat waiting in their room.
Emma sighed and leaned back in her seat, fiddling with the fork that was beside her plate of toast. “We… we did… at first. Mum, Emmy’s so annoying sometimes! You know, I’m aware that I’m really sick and all, but I don’t need her constantly hovering over me!” Emma’s voice cracked as tears welled in her blue eyes. She loved her sister, she really did, but sometimes she felt so cluttered by Emmy’s attempts to keep her safe. “I… I just… sometimes I wish she’d just let me live my life like a normal teenager for once. I know it’s… it’s not as easy as that, Mum, I really do, but is it too much to ask to at least be allowed to pretend? I mean, she gets to do all these things that I can’t do! She might not do them, but she’s able to, you know? And I can’t do any of them because she… she thinks I’m so fragile I’m going to break into a million of pieces!” She wiped at her eyes angrily and stopped fiddling with the fork, still avoiding eye contact with her mother. “Sometimes I just wish…” Emma trailed off, knowing that if she said what she wished – her mother would fall to pieces. She shook her head and looked up, “You know what? Just… forget it. Forget I said anything, I don’t know what I’m saying because of my medicine. How about those pancakes?”
It was pathetic at how her mother’s face went from concerned or fright, to relief when Emma changed the subject. That was how it went. Carol-Ann would rather forget there was anything wrong in her life than to face the problems head on. It explained a lot of things, especially Carol-Ann’s adamancy about continuing with Emma’s treatments when the doctors keep telling her all she is doing is prolonging the inevitable. Emma wasn’t stupid; she knew what the doctors had told her mother and she knew that her mother kept saying it would all work out in the end. Denial was Carol-Ann’s best friend these days. Emma looked up as her mother piled two chocolate chip pancakes on her plate and offered the older woman a small smile. This was why Emma didn’t give up, or didn’t let her surrender show. Carol-Ann lived for Emma’s smiles, she lived for her daughter’s laughter and happiness. How would she react if she found out that Emma wasn’t really as happy as she let on? Well, Emma would never find out. She was determined to always pretend to be happy. She reached for her fork and started on her chocolate chip pancakes, trying to hide her sadness.
“Here are my angels! Good morning my lovely wife and daughter,” Campbell strode into the kitchen, setting his brief case on the counter and finishing up his tie. Emma smiled over at her father and continued to eat her pancakes as her mother rose to help him with his Windsor knot. Campbell kissed Carol-Ann joyfully on the lips and reached a hand up to push a strand of her blond hair behind her ear. Emma watched this small but affectionate gesture with a smile on her lips. Her parents had always been in love. She had never seen them been in anything but. Even when everything with her happened. Her father was there for her mother and he understood her ridiculous actions. Emma could only imagine what it would be like to marry someone like her dad. “How was your night, angel? Did you and Emmy have a good time?” Campbell had moved toward Emma and stolen a piece of her toast. Emma shrugged and finished her pancakes before standing and carrying the dirty plate to the sink. “Well, that’s good. Hey, if you’re going upstairs will you remind Emmy about Keith?” Emma nodded and left the kitchen, hurrying up the small staircase to the second floor where her sister sat waiting in their room.
