Lily this one chance … the chance I’ll never get.”
A hundred emotions erupted inside me, and I could do nothing but let them out. I gave Marcus the hug that Camille would not accept. “Thank you.” As if he were still connected to my sister, I didn’t want to let go of him.
He wrapped his arms around me, creating a little cocoon from the noise and the crowds and the fresh remembrance of watching Camille walk away from me in an attitude of hurt and anger. “I realize I’m making a blubbering fool of myself out here on the sidewalk, but I don’t care,” I said into his jacket.
“It’s all right.” He rubbed my back and made soft noises that consoled me as I continued to bury my face in the curve of his arm. Camille, why did you run? We need each other. How can you not see what I see? A car honked and then screeched to a halt in the street, jarring me from my little womb of daydreams. I eased away from Marcus and asked, “Where am I supposed to meet her?”
“Tonight. She’s going to play her flute. She’ll be in her usual spot.”
“That’s wonderful. Thank you again and again.” I shook my head. “But I don’t know what went wrong earlier.”
“I think she’s scared. Maybe your sister had planned to tell you off and then be rid of you, but now that she’s met you in person it wasn’t so easy. She’s scared to get involved … to care about you.”
“Do you think that’s really it?”
“It’s just a guess,” he said. “How’s your knee?”
“I sort of forgot about it.” I offered him a lukewarm smile.
“You might remember your knee again when we start walking. You still need to get it cleaned up and bandaged.”
“We’d better go back for now.” I knew we’d miss our fun outing, but for me the joy had ended when Camille walked away.
“Here, lean on me.” Marcus held out his arm to me. “And if you don’t, then I’m going to pick you up in front of this whole crowd and carry you back. Okay?”
It wasn’t a request, so I quickly took Marcus’s arm and put some of my weight on him.
When we’d made it back to the lobby of my hotel, I said, “I suddenly feel the full load of what just happened with my sister and the news about my parents, and to be honest, I’m worn out.” Someone at the front desk looked over at me with concern. Since I didn’t want to draw attention to myself, I lowered my voice. “I think I’d like to clean up and rest.”
“Do you want to talk about it? Would that help?”
“I will sometime, but right now I just want to be in bed. I want to be unconscious from this day.” I didn’t even want to dream, fearing it wouldn’t be a happy one.
“All right then. I understand. It must have been quite a blow today. I know it wasn’t what you’d expected.”
“Maybe I was hoping for one of those family reunions like you see on TV.” I let out a chuckle. “Nothing ever really works out like we plan … does it?”
“No. But sometimes things turn out much better.”
“Yes, that’s true. Easy to forget that on a day like this.”
Before Marcus turned to go, I asked, “How about dinner? Would that be okay?” I couldn’t believe I suggested a date, but that was exactly what I’d done. And if Marcus said no I would go to my room and cry like a baby. I was that wound up emotionally from my encounter with Camille. And I was that fond of him.
“But tonight is special,” Marcus said. “You don’t want me to tag along. You should wait and eat after you hear Camille play. Your sister might be able to eat with you.”
“Now that’s thoughtful,” I said.
“Don’t get me wrong. I would love to take you out, but your sister seems skittish, and with me there you won’t be able to really talk, and it sounds like you both have a great deal of road to cover. This evening needs to be about twins bonding for the first time, not a date with me, even though I’d love to be selfish and say yes. But I’d just clog up the works. Am I
A hundred emotions erupted inside me, and I could do nothing but let them out. I gave Marcus the hug that Camille would not accept. “Thank you.” As if he were still connected to my sister, I didn’t want to let go of him.
He wrapped his arms around me, creating a little cocoon from the noise and the crowds and the fresh remembrance of watching Camille walk away from me in an attitude of hurt and anger. “I realize I’m making a blubbering fool of myself out here on the sidewalk, but I don’t care,” I said into his jacket.
“It’s all right.” He rubbed my back and made soft noises that consoled me as I continued to bury my face in the curve of his arm. Camille, why did you run? We need each other. How can you not see what I see? A car honked and then screeched to a halt in the street, jarring me from my little womb of daydreams. I eased away from Marcus and asked, “Where am I supposed to meet her?”
“Tonight. She’s going to play her flute. She’ll be in her usual spot.”
“That’s wonderful. Thank you again and again.” I shook my head. “But I don’t know what went wrong earlier.”
“I think she’s scared. Maybe your sister had planned to tell you off and then be rid of you, but now that she’s met you in person it wasn’t so easy. She’s scared to get involved … to care about you.”
“Do you think that’s really it?”
“It’s just a guess,” he said. “How’s your knee?”
“I sort of forgot about it.” I offered him a lukewarm smile.
“You might remember your knee again when we start walking. You still need to get it cleaned up and bandaged.”
“We’d better go back for now.” I knew we’d miss our fun outing, but for me the joy had ended when Camille walked away.
“Here, lean on me.” Marcus held out his arm to me. “And if you don’t, then I’m going to pick you up in front of this whole crowd and carry you back. Okay?”
It wasn’t a request, so I quickly took Marcus’s arm and put some of my weight on him.
When we’d made it back to the lobby of my hotel, I said, “I suddenly feel the full load of what just happened with my sister and the news about my parents, and to be honest, I’m worn out.” Someone at the front desk looked over at me with concern. Since I didn’t want to draw attention to myself, I lowered my voice. “I think I’d like to clean up and rest.”
“Do you want to talk about it? Would that help?”
“I will sometime, but right now I just want to be in bed. I want to be unconscious from this day.” I didn’t even want to dream, fearing it wouldn’t be a happy one.
“All right then. I understand. It must have been quite a blow today. I know it wasn’t what you’d expected.”
“Maybe I was hoping for one of those family reunions like you see on TV.” I let out a chuckle. “Nothing ever really works out like we plan … does it?”
“No. But sometimes things turn out much better.”
“Yes, that’s true. Easy to forget that on a day like this.”
Before Marcus turned to go, I asked, “How about dinner? Would that be okay?” I couldn’t believe I suggested a date, but that was exactly what I’d done. And if Marcus said no I would go to my room and cry like a baby. I was that wound up emotionally from my encounter with Camille. And I was that fond of him.
“But tonight is special,” Marcus said. “You don’t want me to tag along. You should wait and eat after you hear Camille play. Your sister might be able to eat with you.”
“Now that’s thoughtful,” I said.
“Don’t get me wrong. I would love to take you out, but your sister seems skittish, and with me there you won’t be able to really talk, and it sounds like you both have a great deal of road to cover. This evening needs to be about twins bonding for the first time, not a date with me, even though I’d love to be selfish and say yes. But I’d just clog up the works. Am I
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