Sequel: The Epilogue ›
A Place on My Pillow
.23
“I want to move into my own apartment,” Polly said one night at dinner. Two pairs of identical hazel eyes turned to her from their plates.
“Why? Aren’t you happy here?” Cady asked, her voice perplexed and fragile.
“No. No. That’s not it at all, Cades. I love it here. I can’t imagine being happy anywhere else,” Polly stumbled over her words before Cady started crying.
“Then, why do you want to leave?” Alex asked, patting his sister’s hand as she bit her lip.
“I hate being a burden to you guys. You’ve given so much for me. I mean, you opened up your home and continue to. You’ve done all this wonderful stuff for me, without much reassurance that I wouldn’t just run off with your wallet as soon as your back was turned. Not many people would do that. I want to stop relying on you for everything. I need to stand on my own.”
Cady got up, taking her plate to the sink. She stayed there, leaning on the counter. Polly stood up and walked over to her shorter friend. She wrapped the smaller girl in a hug from behind, leaning over slightly to rest her chin on Cady’s bony shoulder.
“It’s nothing personal, Cady. I love you. You know I do. And you know how thankful I am, for taking care of me and Otto when there was no one else. But I’m a big girl. I can’t keep sleeping on your couch and eating your food. I need to do this, for myself.”
Cady sniffled.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be crying. God, I’m such a wreck sometimes. I just, I don’t want you to go. We could get you a bed to put in my room. I’ve never had a sister,” she said weakly. “You’re the closest thing I’ve ever had.”
“Oh, sweetie,” Polly cooed, holding Cady tighter in her arms. “What am I going to do with you?”
“Don’t leave,” Cady begged.
“I gotta. I’m sorry. It’s just something I have to do. But, if it makes you feel any better, it’s gonna take me a while to find an apartment. You get me until then.”
“Will you visit?” the fragile, older girl asked.
“You know I will. I’d be stupid to leave all this behind.”
And with all that was Pollyanna, she meant it . She meant every last word. She’d be stupid to leave her best friends behind, just because her pride was hurting. She needed to get back on her feet. She had to be self-sufficient. She had to. There was no other choice.
“Why? Aren’t you happy here?” Cady asked, her voice perplexed and fragile.
“No. No. That’s not it at all, Cades. I love it here. I can’t imagine being happy anywhere else,” Polly stumbled over her words before Cady started crying.
“Then, why do you want to leave?” Alex asked, patting his sister’s hand as she bit her lip.
“I hate being a burden to you guys. You’ve given so much for me. I mean, you opened up your home and continue to. You’ve done all this wonderful stuff for me, without much reassurance that I wouldn’t just run off with your wallet as soon as your back was turned. Not many people would do that. I want to stop relying on you for everything. I need to stand on my own.”
Cady got up, taking her plate to the sink. She stayed there, leaning on the counter. Polly stood up and walked over to her shorter friend. She wrapped the smaller girl in a hug from behind, leaning over slightly to rest her chin on Cady’s bony shoulder.
“It’s nothing personal, Cady. I love you. You know I do. And you know how thankful I am, for taking care of me and Otto when there was no one else. But I’m a big girl. I can’t keep sleeping on your couch and eating your food. I need to do this, for myself.”
Cady sniffled.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be crying. God, I’m such a wreck sometimes. I just, I don’t want you to go. We could get you a bed to put in my room. I’ve never had a sister,” she said weakly. “You’re the closest thing I’ve ever had.”
“Oh, sweetie,” Polly cooed, holding Cady tighter in her arms. “What am I going to do with you?”
“Don’t leave,” Cady begged.
“I gotta. I’m sorry. It’s just something I have to do. But, if it makes you feel any better, it’s gonna take me a while to find an apartment. You get me until then.”
“Will you visit?” the fragile, older girl asked.
“You know I will. I’d be stupid to leave all this behind.”
And with all that was Pollyanna, she meant it . She meant every last word. She’d be stupid to leave her best friends behind, just because her pride was hurting. She needed to get back on her feet. She had to be self-sufficient. She had to. There was no other choice.