Afraid of Losing You {AcornTree}

Status
Not open for further replies.
When William started to shift, Hope had half a mind to think that he was going to pull away from her and leave. It sent a wave of nerves through her, a feeling that made her feel sick all over again as her throat tightened and as more tears fell from her eyes. Had she said something wrong? Did he not believe her anymore? Did he not want her there anything because he just couldn't handle it? But when all he did was turn over on his side to face her, she stared at him, wide eyes and scared before she felt his arms go around her. She pulled herself closer to William, her hands wrapping around him a little tighter because the thoughts of losing him continued to persist through her mind. She just... Couldn't lose him.

She bit her lisp as she listened to him, reaching with one of her hands after a moment of being unable to move because of her own fear she wiped away the tears that fell from his eyes until he turned his head to look away from her. What could she do to make him feel better, what could she say to make his fears go away so that he wouldn't be feeling this way, so that she wouldn't be feeling this way? Likely, nothing. The fear was there and it was real and the only way she could see it going away is if the cancer just suddenly disappeared and they were transported back to a time when they were happy and unafraid, like just last night, or even a week before when they had just been going about their normal lives. "We just have to work through this...." She hadn't really meant for the words to come out of her mouth in the whisper that they had, but they were out nonetheless, and they were true. All they could do was work through this to see where it would land them.

The two lay in bed for a long while after that in silence. Hope didn't want to bring up any words for anything because she felt as if she had nothing else to say to him other than she loved him and that she would be there for him no matter what and that she wouldn't leave him over this. But he already knew that, no matter how many times she would repeat it. But eventually Hope did start to sit up. She wiped at her eyes again before she looked down at William and leaned down again to place a kiss against his temple before she got up and moved to the front of the bed where she pulled the covers back and tried to get William to get under them so that they could go to sleep, or at least just lay their comfortably. Jazzy made a spot for herself on the bed as well, sitting in the middle of it as she curled herself up and looked at the two humans with her chin resting against the bed.

Hope gently rested her cheek against William as she pulled the covers up, sighing as she laid an arm against his stomach. "You should try and rest up. You need it."
 
Work through it? He knew Hope was right, and William was good at working at things at least, but he didn't feel like he'd be good at this. He didn't want to work at this. He just wanted it all to go away. But he knew that Hope was right. He just wished that she wasn't. He closed his eyes as they lied together for that time. His mind wandered. It wandered to his family and to Jazzy. It went to the hospital and cancer and what might happen there. Friday... it was so close. It was glaring him in the face, growling at him like a bear, ready to sink its teeth and claws into him.

He was interrupted in his thoughts as Hop got up. He sat up half way, watching as Hope moved, at first not sure where shew as going. He wanted to tell her to come back to bed. He was tired, and likely would have fallen asleep in a few more minutes had she not gotten up. When she was just turning back the covers and getting them ready for bed, he moved to get under the covers, waiting for Hope to get in under them too. Once they were properly together in bed again, he closed his eyes and sighed.

"I know... you too." He murmured. He put his arms around Hope again and nuzzled a little closer to her.

William fell asleep quickly, and when he did he dreamed of being chased by an entire pack of bears. He woke up in the morning panting and sweaty from the dream, startled awake not by the bears attacking him but by their doorbell ringing. William took a moment to calm his heart, Jazzy moving to lick his chin as he did so. He looked for Hope as he moved to get out of the bed, not sure if she was still sleeping with him or if she was up already.
 
She hadn't slept very well that night, not that Hope had ever thought that she would. As William finally closed his eyes for the night and started to go to sleep, she continued to watch him, watching as his expression turned into a peaceful one as he started to fall into a dream like state, her mind buzzing and whirring with thoughts. How could this be happening to him? What was she going to do without him here at the apartment with her when it was time for her to go to bed? Those questions, though having stayed in her mind since the beginning of everything, were beginning to bother her because she continued to think about them. If she had no answer, why continue to think about them? It was just something that she couldn't help.

What little bit of sleep she was able to get eventually hadn't been restful. Hope felt as if she had never really 'fallen asleep' and instead just had her eyes closed to rest them. She tried to relax her body, and she tried to relax her mind, but every time she did she thought about William and she pictured how he looked when she came home that afternoon. She heard his voice sounding weak and frail like it had when he talked to his parents and when he got worked up over talking to her about the cancer, and it was enough to keep her awake with tears being at the forefront of her eyes. She just hated this so much. She hated being so sad, she hated being in so much pain, and she hated to see William in so much pain. Even Jazzy seemed to have been bothered throughout the night. While she stayed in the general area of the middle of the bed throughout the night, she continued to shift and move as her legs twitched as she fell asleep.

Eventually laying in bed became too much for her to handle. Though she didn't want to leave William's side, she couldn't take the thought of just laying in bed doing nothing while she couldn't even get a little bit of sleep much longer. She got out of the bed quietly, making sure to not make much noise as she rolled out of the bed, and headed towards the bathroom where she closed the door softly behind her and turned the lights on. Sighing, she looked at herself in the mirror as she rested her hands on the counter of the sink, bending her head down as she closed her eyes and sighed. This was getting too much to be handled. How was she going to be able to continue to do this? She turned to faucet on and splashed her face with cold water, trying to cool herself off a bit and just calm her mind.

It wasn't long after she started to wash her face off that she heard the doorbell ring, a sound that caused her to stop for a second to make sure that what she heard was right. When the noise went off again, she furrowed her brows. Okay, so that was the doorbell. Who was... Right, William's family. Were they there already? Hope swallowed at the thought before she turned the faucet off and headed out of the bathroom by turning the light off and opening the door that lead back to the bedroom, and when she saw William standing she stopped for a second and looked at him. Something seemed off about him. She pushed the ringing doorbell out of her mind and took the steps to William. "Hey, are you okay? You should get back in bed, William. I'll go get the door."
 
William's eyes landed on Hope when she came out of the bathroom. William nodded a little when she asked if he was okay. "No, its okay. I'll... I just need some water or something. It was just a nightmare, nothing else." He told her, trying to put Hope's mind at ease that it wasn't the sickness and to emphasis that he did NOT want to go back to bed. He wasn't going to risk another nightmare. He was pretty sure dealing with his parents would be easier than the nightmare. Then again, maybe not.

Either way, he came out to the kitchen, letting Hope get the door like she said she would. He opened the fridge instead, deciding lemonade would be better than water. He had no idea what would and wouldn't be allowed as far as a diet went at the hospital, but he knew for sure that he'd have water and he might not get lemonade. He poured himself a glass and leaned against the counter, drinking it in measured sips. He left the carton on the counter in case Hope and whoever came through the door wanted some too.

When Hope opened the door, a young woman with dark brown, very curly hair was standing there. She was wearing a yellow t-shirt under very short overalls and had a duffel over one shoulder. She looked very much like William, and for good reason. It was his sister, and seeing Hope she gave her a quick hug and then asked; "Where is he?" and upon spotting William, rushed past Hope to hug William hard, causing the lemonade in his glass to splash out of the top and onto the kitchen floor. Jazzy instantly went to lick it up, tripping William up even more until he was mostly off balance except for the counter holding him up.

"Cami!" He spluttered out. He hadn't realized she was coming too. She hadn't said she was, and he thought it was just going to be his parents.
 
Just a nightmare? Was that supposed to make her feel any better about anything? Hope frowned at the thought, herself biting the inside of her cheek as she willed down the urge to want to tell him something, to tell him to just relax and lay back down and that she would go get him some water. She knew that she couldn't do that though; he wouldn't like it, and more than likely that would start another argument up between the two and she didn't want to start that. It was too early in the morning for them to argue, and, really, she just didn't have the energy to do so. Besides, the ringing of the doorbell again told her that one of them had to get to the door, and probably fast.

So with a sigh, Hope ran a hand through her hair before she watched William walk out of the room and into the kitchen, herself following along shortly after she was able to shake the nerves out. Before making it to the door, she turned her head to look in the kitchen, bypassing William for a second before she turned her eyes to look at the clock. Seven in the morning; his family couldn't have waited until at least nine to get there to see their son? Again, she told herself to not blame them because they were only concerned and they only wanted to be there for their son. She could understand, even if she didn't like it, but it was something that was going to happen no matter what.

She closed her eyes before she walked to the door, putting her hand on the handle before she unlocked it and opened it up, instantly seeing the sight of a bright yellow shirt and a girl that looked a lot like William. Before she was even able to say anything she had been enveloped in a hug, causing Hope to stutter a bit before she door opened wider for William's sister to get into the door. "Um, he's right-" But again, before she was able to say something the girl quickly passed her and entered into the apartment and into the kitchen. Hope couldn't help but wince, herself bringing her hand up to rub against her forehead as she closed her eyes, frowned, and then opened them back up to turn and looked out the door. She leaned out a little, turning her head side to side to see if the parents were there, but when she caught the sight of neither of them she pulled her body back and turned to look back at the two siblings, almost feeling sympathy for William and the position that he was being put in.

"Um... Where are your parents? Are they here yet?"
 
Cami finally let go of William and he managed to steady himself back on his feet. He looked down at the floor where Jazzy was licking up the remaining lemonade and then looked at his sister. A small smile came to his face. He had dreaded his parents coming here, but Cami was a different story. He and his sister had always gotten along together. They understood one another, and for the most part Cami wasn't going to be annoying or upsetting, even if the hug was a bit much. That was just how Cami was though. It wouldn't have been a different hug if he'd not been sick either.

Cami looked back at Hope. "Oh, I dunno. Probably still on the way here." She answered. Cami did not live with them. She was older than William, and had her own apartment, job, and life in a different city.

"Did you drive here all night? I thought I said not to." William complained.

Cami grinned and then ruffled William's hair. He sent her a glare and flattened it back down. "You did say not to, but I'm the big sister and I get to tell YOU want to do, not the other way around." She teased with a shrug. She sat down on one of the stools at the counter.
 
"Right," Hope muttered after her questioned had been answered. She blew out another breath before she went and closed the door, figuring that once his parents got there that the doorbell would ring again so that she could open it again, or William if he wanted to. Pushing the thought aside, she shook her head and folded her arms over her chest before she made her way into the kitchen, looking down at the ground to see the puddle that had been formed that Jazzy was having a fun time lapping up at. No, that wasn't good. Even if most of it had been licked up, she still didn't like the thought of the floor being sticky, which caused her to head over to the sink to grab the washcloth that was there, wet it, and then bend down to wipe up the floor.

Jazzy snorted a bit at the sight as she backed up, watching Hope clean up the mess that she had happily been cleaning herself. But once it was cleaned Hope stood back up and brushed her knees down, running another hand through her hair as she listened to the little conversation that Cami and William were having. At least, she thought, there was one person who seemed to be in good spirits. Now whether or not Cami was only being this way because she didn't want to be sad in front of William Hope couldn't be sure of, but she nonetheless appreciated the effort if that was the case. After all, the sister didn't seem too happy on the phone last night after listening to what William had said.

She cleared her throat after putting the washcloth back in the sink. "So... How are you, Cami?" Hope finally questioned as she turned to look at her, leaning back against the counter next to the sink then. "It's been a while, or at least since I've seen you."
 
Cami kicked her feet back and forth at the counter. "Sorry about that." She mentioned about the lemonade Hope had just cleaned up. William rubbed at his eyes and sighed. He was still tired, but he wasn't going to go back to bed. He poured himself some more lemonade since most of his had ended up on the floor, and then poured the two girls some also whether they wanted it or not. He put the carton away afterwards and then leaned back against the counter comfortably again instead of the forced position Cami had put him in moments before.

Cami looked over at Hope with a quick smile. "Oh you know. Been alright. Got a raise so thats nice. Not much, but I like working there anyway so thats all fine and dandy." Her face suddenly became serious though, and she reached a hand up to tangle into her hair. "Are you alright?" She was asking Hope specifically, since she knew how William was. It upset her to hear it, but then why would it not? That was the whole reason she was here, after all. For William and what hew as going through.
 
When she was handed a glass of lemonade, Hope took it with a small thank you to William before she took a quick sip of it. It was good, though it wasn't something that she really wanted -she didn't really want anything at this point- but she figured that it would at least give her something to do. In the back of her mind she couldn't help but wish that instead of this being lemonade that it was some sort of strong alcohol, despite the fact that it was so early in the morning, just so that she would be able to drink her troubles away. It wasn't necessarily that healthy of a thought, and had her parents ever heard her say something like that, or even had an inkling of a thought that she was even thinking something like that, they would have smacked her so quickly across the face that she wouldn't know what to think after that. But... She just couldn't help it. She knew that that wasn't the answer to the problems, because she wanted and needed to be of a sane and rational mind so that she could handle and help William in any way that she could, but she just wished that there was something to help.

Her eyes stayed on Cami as she spoke up, answering what she had been asked which made Hope nod her head. "That's good to hear." She tried to give the woman a smile, but as soon as the expression had come to her face it faltered and fell as instantly as it had come, causing her to turn her head and look down. It wasn't until the question had been sent her way that Hope looked back up, her eyes widened a bit as she bit her lip. Was she alright? No, not really. But could she really tell her that? While she was fine with being open and honest with William about her feelings, she wasn't sure she was willing to open up to anyone else other than him, even his family especially since she really didn't know them.

"I'm... Okay," she finally answered back, her hands tapping against the side of her glass as she turned her head and looked away. "As good as someone probably can be, given the circumstances." But even that was probably a lie, and she knew that. It wasn't something she wanted to get into though, or at least not right now. Besides, William was the one who had cancer; he should be the one everyone was concerned about, not her. She cleared her throat after that and turned, setting her glass down on the counter before she went over to the fridge. "Um... Are either of you two hungry? I could probably cook something up if you want."
 
Cami raised her eyebrows. She reached over the counter to pat Hope on the shoulder. "Horrible lie, but good try." She answered, shaking her head. Things were a bigger mess here than she first realized. Her brother was way lower than she first thought, and Hope was just as far. "Soooo... whose excited about the inevitable parental units showing up?" She asked.

William made a face and Cami laughed. "We could always ditch them." She suggested. "Just... leave. We can say we went out for breakfast. Save Hope from making breakfast and get out of the house. When they come up it won't be our fault, its not like we knew they were coming so early, and really who can blame a couple and the guy's sister for going out to eat under such grim circumstances?"

William hesitated. He wasn't certain about that. Could he really do that to his parents? But it might be kind of fun... and even a kind of fun would be better than just moping about the apartment. He looked towards Hope. "What do you think?"

"Come ooooon." Cami goaded.
 
Hope glanced her eyes over to William after she opened the fridge at the mentioned of his and Cami's parents coming to visit at any point during the day, her brows raising though a frown ever present on her face. She bit the inside of her cheek to quiet down any sort of words that dared come from her mouth in that moment, herself wanting to say that maybe their parents wouldn't be that bad and overbearing as they were all thinking that they would be, and instead turned her attention back to the fridge. They still had some eggs left, along with some fruit and a little bit of milk and some juice still sitting in there along the shelves along with a few condiments and leftovers that had yet to be eaten. She knew that they had bread in the cabinets that could be used to make for breakfast, and she knew that they had oatmeal, so, really, while it wasn't that much, at least there was food that could be cooked. Besides, Hope figured that it wouldn't really matter one way or another given how her and William were likely going to go without eating much, so the amount of food they had wasn't much of a concern to her.

But when it was brought up that they could leave to head out to breakfast to ditch the parents, she turned her body with a hand still on the fridge door and looked to Cami with a skeptical gaze. She really wanted to do that? Ideally it was a good idea; it would get them out of the apartment for a little bit, and they wouldn't have to be forced upon the presence of the parents should they get there while they were away, but was that not wrong? She breathed out a sigh at that, scratching the back of her head before she turned her attention to look at William. Obviously he was contemplating on the matter as well, but after hearing his question back to her when he looked at her, as well as Cami's little plead to the request, Hope bit her lip and thought about it.

"I..." She paused, bling her eyes as she looked between the two siblings. "I think we should go. It'll get us out of the apartment, anyway." To that she said to William, giving him a short nod of her head. While she really just wanted to sit around the apartment with him for the day since tomorrow he would be gone, laying around all day probably wasn't the best option; likely, that would only serve to push the two further into the depression and fear that they were beginning to fall into. "Um... Just give us a minute to get dressed, and we'll be ready to go, okay?" She turned her attention to Cami with that.

She leaned over and reached for William's arm then, gently grabbing it with her hand as she started to lead him out of the kitchen and into the bedroom. "You're okay with going, right?" She questioned once they were in the room, her gaze turning back up to him with a curious and concerned look crossing her features.
 
Cami was always the one to get into more trouble when it came to their parents, and often times she managed to get William to go along with it. Even when they were small kids, and William wouldn't be sure about something, she'd eventually know just what to say to get him to go along with whatever it was she wanted to do that they shouldn't. It was no different now that they were older. When Hope suggested that perhaps they should, it basically sealed the deal this time too. He nodded and Cami practically bounced up and down.

"Great!" She said as the couple went towards the bedroom. She grinned, obviously quite satisfied with herself.

William looked at Hope when he was asked if he was okay with going. He let out a soft sigh and then nodded. "Yeah. We probably shouldn't do that to our parents but..." he shrugged. "Maybe getting into a little trouble before I can't for the next month would be good for me." Once they got to the bedroom William patted Hope's hand on his arm and then pulled away so he could put something on. He looked into his closet, thinking about dressing as he might for school, but deciding to not go that far. He just wasn't feeling up to it. He pulled on one of his nice shirts but opted for jeans instead of slacks, finishing with shoes he would wear to school. Not completely dressed up, but not completely dressed down either.

He turned then to wait for Hope. "It might freak them out more but..." he shrugged. "Don't think thats possible at this point really..."
 
Maybe getting into a little bit of trouble was all William needed to feel a little better; maybe all he needed to do was something out of the normal so that he could feel a little more normal than he had been feeling over the past day. It was a far fetched idea, one that was simple and stupid at best, but perhaps it would work. After all, look at the way he had been acting before yesterday; happy and upbeat because he had convinced himself that he was normal and that he wasn't ready to succumb to the cancer that swelled in his body. Why couldn't he have continued to feel that way? Why couldn't he have continued to think that way because maybe if he did he would have a better chance of surviving all of this? But that was too much to ask of him. He had been repressing the cancer before and now that he was coming to terms with it it was rushing through him and pinning him down, just as it was pinning her down.

She gave a nod of her head to him, pursing her lips in that same moment. "Right. Okay, good. Maybe you're right about that." When he dropped her hand, Hope headed over to the drawers that her clothes occupied and started to sift through everything. She wasn't planning on taking a shower, figuring that that would take too much time, time that would likely increase the likely hood of them running into William and Cami's parents which was something all of them wanted to avoid at that point. So she dug out a simple black v-neck t-shirt that fit her well with a pair of jean shorts and decided to wear that for the day. When she got her underclothes out she put those on and then her clothes, occasionally catching a glimpse of William before she looked away and headed into the brush her teeth, wash her face, and brush her hair back so that she could put it in a ponytail.

When she was finished and ready she turned back to William in time to hear him speak to her. His words caused her to stop and look at the ground. "Unfortunately, you're probably right about that." She extended a hand out to him nonetheless after that, her head tilting back up to look at him. "We should probably get going if you want to miss your parents though; I"m sure your sister is itching to go too, so let's not keep her waiting."
 
William kept glancing at Hope as she changed too. When would he see her change again after today was over? Maybe Friday morning, but for the most part it would just be tonight, he could guess. He sighed quietly just as Hope answered him. He took her hand, and in that short second it took to do it he never ever wanted to let it go again. His hold tightened a little bit around her hand and he gently tugged her out of the bedroom and back towards the kitchen.

Cami got up out of her seat and then grinned. "I'll drive. You two adorable love birds can sit in the back and hold hands." She teased. She got up and grabbed her keys. William did not object or protest in the slightest. He felt already like time was moving by them way too quickly. Friday was just mere hours away. He followed Cami out of the apartment after patting Jazzy and promising to feed her when they got back. His hand remained around Hope's until they had to get into Cami's hatchback. He let it go only to get in to the back seat, intending on grabbing it again when Hope got into the car just like Cami had teased.

Cami got into the front seat, pulling her seat belt on and then starting up the car. She waited until they were all in before she started to drive. "Sooo... where should we go?"

"Sammy's." William answered instantly, naming a little breakfast and sandwich shop on main street of town. "Take a left here." He added, knowing that Cami had no idea where she was going.
 
The squeeze on her hand felt good, oddly enough, if only because it let Hope know that William was still there with her and that he didn't want to let her go. She reciprocated the action back to him after giving him a small soft smile, squeezing his hand back and then sighing after he started to tug her back into the living room where Cami was. She hoisted up the purse she had, herself having gotten it right before she was pulled out of the room, and rose her brows when the other woman stood from the chair and spoke her piece. Really, had she been in a better mood she would have commented back with some sort of joke, or at the very least she would have laughed, but now all she could do was huff a bit at the joke and nod her head. She wouldn't mind sitting in the back and holding William's hand the entire way there; actually, she was going to embrace it.

They said their quick goodbyes to Jazzy and then headed out of the apartment, Hope stopping to turn back to lock the door, and once that was taken care of she followed along to the hatchback that Cami owned. She couldn't deny the slight unease that came when their hands disconnected, but shortly after they settled themselves into the back seat and Hope searched out for William's hand and took it again before she leaned her back against the seat. She was silent throughout the entirety of the ride, not being able to think of something to talk about and not really having the energy to even keep up a conversation, but, luckily, Sammy's wasn't that far away from the apartment complex. After the directions were given, it took about fifteen minutes to make it to the little shop, and upon pulling in the parking lot and finding a space Hope was able to see a few cars parked and people inside the building. Generally the little place was crowded Saturday and Sunday mornings when people didn't have to work, but in that moment she was happy to see that it wasn't overly crowded.

She breathed out a gently sigh before letting go of William's hand again to get out of the car. She brushed down her pants and shirt and then rounded the car to the side where William was, again taking his hand, before turned and sent a look to Cami. "If you like sandwiches and breakfast food, you'll really like this place. They have some pretty good food," she mentioned briefly as they started into the building, Hope reached out to open the door upon reaching it and stepped into the air conditioned building. They were greeted upon entrance with the door giving off a soft ding and in front of them was a large counter with a few registers sitting in their respective spots, three people standing behind there with a menu on the wall behind and above them. Tables were scattered about the establishment, some of them occupied with people with stands in the middle of them so that anyone could put their numbers on it after placing their orders so that their food can be given to them.

The smells of the food drifted into her nose, causing her to scrunch her face a bit before she shook her head and looked back at the two siblings. Again she found herself without the urge to eat, but she knew that she couldn't just not order something and not eat, least she worry William and maybe even Cami, so when they stepped a little closer to see the items on the menu she looked up and sighed. "I don't know what to get. I'm not really that hungry..."
 
Once they got there, William was eager to get out of the car if only so that he could grab a hold of Hope's hand again. He was already hoping that Hope wouldn't think he was being too needy or ridiculous. He didn't want to get on her nerves, but he just couldn't help himself with how clingy he was being either. Today was it, and then tomorrow they would be separated. Yeah, they'd see each other again, but for how long? And would he even be up to doing much with her when she did come?

Pushing the thoughts from his mind, he stepped into Sammy's with his sister and girlfriend. He focused on the menu because it was better than focusing on the thoughts in his head. He looked over the board, noting the specials for today. He figured an egg salad sandwich wouldn't be a bad way to start the day, if he could manage to get it down. He really had no appetite though, and he was so busy attempting to hide it from the girls that he hardly noticed how obvious it was that Hope didn't have an appetite either.

The scrawny guy standing behind the register they were in front of leaned against the counter as the three of them contemplated their orders. "Well you know, if you're not THAT hungry, you could just get the oatmeal. 'S really good." He suggested.

Cami made a face as the suggestion of oatmeal. "I'll have The Early Sammy. Eggs over easy and switch the oatmeal for grits. Not an oatmeal type of girl..." She answered. She waved at William and Hope afterwards. "I'm paying for these two also, so whatever they want too."

"Cami, you do-" William couldn't even finish his sentence before Cami shushed him.

"I am doing it anyway, now go on and order." She insisted. William was too tired to argue with Cami so he shook his head and then ordered his egg salad sandwich.
 
At the suggestion that was given to her, Hope gave off a sigh and looked back up at the menu, nodding her head. That was probably what she was going to end up getting; she liked oatmeal, and having it might actually get her to eat something, even if the thought was enough to sicken her in that moment. But she pushed the thought aside as best as she could and looked at William and then at Cami, listening to what she said she wanted and the exclaiming that she was going to be the one to pay for the meals. Well, that was something she was a little thankful for, even if she knew that her and William had enough to pay for their own things for the time being, but at least, now, this was one less thin they had to pay for.

Nevertheless, that was a troubling thought in its own self. Hope couldn't help but frown then as she bit her lip and looked back at the menu when it was her turn to give her order, which she did after a minute of looking, say that she wanted oatmeal with bananas and blueberries cut into it. After the order was placed and after the check had been paid, Hope went and grabbed the number that the boy behind the counter passed over to them, a number '4' stationed right in the middle of it. She gave a quick nod and another thanks before she started to walk to an empty table, a booth that sat in one of the walls of the building in the back. There was hardly anyone else around them, giving them a little more quiet so that they could talk among themselves and not be interrupted or ease dropped on.

She scooted into the booth with William beside her, herself going to put the number on the stand on the middle of the table so that the person bringing them their food could know which table to bring it to. "Thanks for paying, Cami," she started, looking to the woman with a little nod. "You really didn't have to do that."
 
William followed along with Hope to the booth. He sat down on the outside of it with Hope on the inside and then waited for their food. The pointer finger on his free hand made circles on the cheap laminate table top as Hope spoke up. He glanced across the table at his sister.

Cami waved her hand at Hope, dismissing her words with the gesture. "Nonsense. I did it because I wanted to, not because I had to." She insisted. She watched as her little brother drew circles on the table, frowning just a tiny bit a the action. Her brother was uncharacteristically quiet. Not that he was a very loud person in general, but he usually had things to say at the very least. Then again, she couldn't really blame him for being quiet, could she? This was... way bigger than anyone in their family had really had to deal with. "Soooo...." She said, reluctant to bring up anything about the cancer, but despite her upbeat attitude it was on her mind also. What could she talk about that was interesting but not that? Really, she would have just asked it anyway. She was that kind of person. The only reason she didn't ask about the cancer was because she knew that her parents would be here soon, and they'd want to know everything, and she wouldn't make William say everything twice. "Hope, hows the picture-taking going? Your parents still being sticks-in-the-mud about it?"

William had told Cami a lot about their relationship, including some of the frustrations. Despite William not being a part of that argument between Hope and her parents, it still frustrated William. He had talked to Cami about it a few times, and how he had just wished they'd accept it and move on already. Cami figured it was a safe enough topic to talk about before breakfast.
 
"Still... Thank you," Hope stated with a short nod before she let her eyes travel down to the table, quickly going over to look a the circles that William decided to pattern out with his finger against the table. She wanted to say something to him; she wanted to do something that could comfort him, but what could she do? Nothing, and that was what made her most upset about all of this. In another time, she knew that they wouldn't have acted like this. They, or at the very least William, would have been excited at the prospect of getting a visit from his sister, and in a different time he more than likely would have been brimming with conversations as she sat in the back and just listened until it was her time to speak up. They would all be smiling and laughing and they would all be happy, but now... The tension was here, meandering in the silence that overtook the three at the table as small clatters from the other occupants of the small establishment continued on around them.

She felt tired. In what felt like a long time, Hope was finally beginning to feel the fatigue that had begun to overtake her because of her lack of ability to really sleep. Of course, when her and William had been happy a few days ago at night she had been able to sleep through the night, though the sleep had never been the most restful. It gave her enough energy to get through the day and seem happy for him, but now it was beginning to wear down on her. In a way, she figured that fatigue was beginning to bear down on William as well, and when she tilted her head to look at him an overwhelming sense of dread and sadness overtook her again.

He was going to be gone tomorrow for a month. She wouldn't be able to sleep in the same bed with him, he wouldn't be at the apartment with her and Jazzy... How was she supposed to sleep well at night when she knew that he was going to be miserable sitting in a hospital room while silently hoping that his days weren't numbered because of the cancer?

The thought was enough to close her throat a bit, but Hope tried to push the feel aside as she cleared her throat and wiped a finger under her eye. When Cami spoke back up, Hope looked at her after blinking her eyes and after taking a deep breath to calm her anxious nerves. "Um... It's going well." She bit her lip after the statement as her eyes flickered back down to the table before she flicked them back up. It was just a normal conversation, she told herself. Cami was just curious and wanted to know how things were going. At least she wasn't asking about the cancer, though Hope suspected that Cami was purposefully avoiding the topic for the time being.

Again Hope cleared her throat and sat up a little straighter before she reached over with one of her hands that lay under the table to rest against William's leg, giving it a little squeeze. Just get it together, she told herself. "My parents are never going to accept that I make a living taking pictures of people, so yeah I guess they'll always be stick in the muds about it. Not that that's anything unusual since they act that way with every decision I make in my life... But I'm used to it and I've just learned to ignore them. I'm happy with what I do, and they're opinions about it won't change that." And, in her mind, that was all that mattered. Her lips tilted up into a small smile at that before it quickly dipped back down. "I'm still working at the studio that I've worked at since I graduated, so there's that. I'm just... Waiting on my time to start my own business."

Unfortunately, with everything going on now, Hope felt like it was going to take her a lot longer to reach that goal, if she was ever able to achieve it in the first place. But that wasn't something she wanted to think about in that moment either. "How about yourself though? I know you said you got a raise at your job and that you've been okay, but otherwise you haven't said much about yourself. So... How are you?"
 
William's silent circle-doodling on the table paused as Hope reached under the table and rested her hand against his thigh. He looked up from the table and towards Hope for a few moments before he took his hand off the table completely. He put it under the table instead, then right on top of Hope's hand. His fingers curled around her's in a desperate need to keep her hand there. To just... touch her. He did not join in on the conversation at hand, even though normally he would have put in his two sense before Hope could have even answered. Instead, he let the girls talk.

In that moment, he didn't feel like he was sick. No, in that moment, he felt like tomorrow he was going to be sent to prison, and this was his last day of freedom. It wasn't the happy-go-lucky, do whatever we want last day, it was the depressing, realistic version, where probably no matter what he did, it would not be fun. Just as Hope asked about Cami, their food was brought to the table. William stared at what was placed in front of him before trying to shake himself into some semblance of being alive. He sat up and picked up his sandwich with his non-dominant hand to take a bite.

Cami glanced at William and then back at Hope again. Her brother was really, really starting to concern her with how he was acting. She knew that he wasn't going to be okay, but she hadn't quite expected this. She pulled a smile onto her face anyway, personally taking it upon herself to make sure that things did NOT turn completely dark and depressing. "Ah, I can't complain." She answered with a shrug of her shoulders. She pulled her plate closer to herself and salted her eggs before she grabbed a fork and dug in to her food. "Just kind of.... going, you know? Working, eating, going home, all that normal stuff. Not much to report." She responded. "I WAS thinking I might go on a vacation soon though. Its been a while and if I don't use my vacation days at work they're gone." She made a motion with her hand, jerking her thumb backwards over her shoulder to indicate what she meant. "Not sure where yet though. Probably some place with snow. Dog sledding was always something I've wanted to try."
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top Bottom
Back