At the Hospital [narrative]
“OK, Angela, up you get,” her mother said, helping her out of bed. “Don’t want your legs to get all weak and stuff.”
Angela nodded, putting on her robe and slippers to go for a walk. “Yeah. I sort of feel like a walking mound of pudding right now.”
Shelley laughed. “Well, you certainly don’t look like pudding.” They walked the halls for a little while. “I liked your friends. They seem really nice. More boys than I expected.”
Angela laughs a little. “Yeah. Weird thing about here, I guess. I don’t have many friends but the ones I do have are awesome.” She looks down a little. “What’d you think of Elias?”
“Oh, he’s a nice boy. I’ll bet your Dad likes him.”
“I think he does,” Angela said. “It seems that way, anyway.”
“He’s sorta shy, but I can tell he really likes you. How long have you two been an item?”
Angela shrugs. "July. After...um. That happened with Gran."
"Yes," Shelley says. That still didn't sit right with her at all. "That's quite a while. Do his parents like you?"
"I...guess so? His mom seems to. I don't see his Dad much." Angela was little intimidated by him the few times they've met, actually. He's so different from Angela's own dad.
Shelley nods. "You're a good girl, I don't see why they shouldn't like you." She strokes Angela's hair a little bit.
Angela doesn't want to say what the reason might be: that it's because of her messed up family life. She doesn't want to hurt her mother's feelings. "Well, I'm glad you think so," she says.
"Course I do. Certainly being raised better than I was. Or your Dad for that matter."
They walk along in silence for a little while. "I wish you lived closer," Angela says softly. It's been such a nice luxury, having two parents, sometimes even together in the same room.
"I know, baby. But I'm going to keep in contact as much as you want me to." She's going to have to leave soon, and Shelley hates that idea.
Angela nods. "I'm getting tired now, Mom. Could we go back?" She didn't like to think of Mom going away, and she didn't want to think about Elias's Dad maybe not liking her and now she just wanted to curl up and go to sleep.
"OK, sweetie. Come on then. Let's go."
Angela nodded, putting on her robe and slippers to go for a walk. “Yeah. I sort of feel like a walking mound of pudding right now.”
Shelley laughed. “Well, you certainly don’t look like pudding.” They walked the halls for a little while. “I liked your friends. They seem really nice. More boys than I expected.”
Angela laughs a little. “Yeah. Weird thing about here, I guess. I don’t have many friends but the ones I do have are awesome.” She looks down a little. “What’d you think of Elias?”
“Oh, he’s a nice boy. I’ll bet your Dad likes him.”
“I think he does,” Angela said. “It seems that way, anyway.”
“He’s sorta shy, but I can tell he really likes you. How long have you two been an item?”
Angela shrugs. "July. After...um. That happened with Gran."
"Yes," Shelley says. That still didn't sit right with her at all. "That's quite a while. Do his parents like you?"
"I...guess so? His mom seems to. I don't see his Dad much." Angela was little intimidated by him the few times they've met, actually. He's so different from Angela's own dad.
Shelley nods. "You're a good girl, I don't see why they shouldn't like you." She strokes Angela's hair a little bit.
Angela doesn't want to say what the reason might be: that it's because of her messed up family life. She doesn't want to hurt her mother's feelings. "Well, I'm glad you think so," she says.
"Course I do. Certainly being raised better than I was. Or your Dad for that matter."
They walk along in silence for a little while. "I wish you lived closer," Angela says softly. It's been such a nice luxury, having two parents, sometimes even together in the same room.
"I know, baby. But I'm going to keep in contact as much as you want me to." She's going to have to leave soon, and Shelley hates that idea.
Angela nods. "I'm getting tired now, Mom. Could we go back?" She didn't like to think of Mom going away, and she didn't want to think about Elias's Dad maybe not liking her and now she just wanted to curl up and go to sleep.
"OK, sweetie. Come on then. Let's go."