THE WEIGHT OF DREAMS, Cole Walter ✓

10| THE TALK

When Marilyn expressed a desire to spend the last meal together before her week-long departure for dance camp, Charis responded with a sarcastic remark, causing some tension. Their father intervened, prompting Charis to apologize, which she did.

"Can't we spend the last meal before I leave together," Marilyn said, annoyed, sitting down.

"You'll only be gone for a week, Marilyn" Charis stabbed her fork at the food.

"Gee, thanks," Marilyn said. She couldn't quite grasp what was troubling her sister, but it gnawed at her nonetheless. With the prospect of leaving for a week, she wished for everything to be okay between them before she departed.

"She didn't mean like that, Charis?" Their father said, prompting the younger daughter to apologize.

"Sorry," Charis apologized to her older sister. Marilyn nodded.

They finished dinner, and Marilyn went to pack her suitcase while Austin provided Charis with ice for her leg. As Austin cleaned the table and put the dishes in the washer, he couldn't help but notice Charis's pale complexion.

"You look a bit pale," he remarked as he sat next to her on the couch.

"Yeah, it's very cold out," Charis replied, implying the obvious. Even though she was covered with a blanket, she felt the chill inside the house.

"I know. Maybe you should eat more and rest if your leg hurts this much," Austin suggested, casting a concerned glance her way, acknowledging the not-so-subtle changes.

"I'm fine," she murmured, staring at the TV.

"Alright," he said calmly, sensing a familiar atmosphere returning to the house—a feeling reminiscent of when Marilyn or Bianca was sick. Though he couldn't pinpoint the exact reason, he knew he would soon find out.

The following morning, they had to get up a bit earlier than usual to drive Marilyn to the airport. The morning routine was the usual, with Marilyn dragging Charis out of bed, and then Charis dragging Marilyn to the car, threatening to make them late. Arriving at the airport, Austin and Charis bid farewell to Marilyn.

Charis felt conflicted because, despite almost being happy for the brief reprieve from her sister's watchful eye, she also harbored concerns about Marilyn traveling alone. She hoped for her sister's safe return, praying that Marilyn would come back just as she left. On the other hand, Austin was apprehensive about being left alone with Charis, fearing he might say or do the wrong things, and the atmosphere at home might revert to the challenging times when Charis was in a rehabilitation center for her leg.

As they sat in the diner, Charis reluctantly agreed to eat toast at her father's suggestion, despite not having eaten anything in the morning. She found solace in the simplicity of toast, enjoying it amidst her guilt and conflicting emotions.

However, her father's conversation was interrupted by her phone's notification sound—Cole was asking if she was going to school. Austin teased her about blushing as she responded to him. Another message followed, this time about a bonfire invitation from Cole. Though she didn't want to go, she felt obligated to consider his request, knowing it would raise concerns either way.

As they left the diner, George Harrison's "My Sweet Lord" played on the car radio, and they drove around a bit more to kill time before school.

Once again, Charis gazed out the window, observing the array of shops and establishments passing by. She found herself wondering if she might end up working in one of them someday - a coffee shop, a boutique, a library, or perhaps even a paper store. Suddenly, the landscape changed, transitioning from shops to auto mechanics and various yards, then to corporate buildings, and finally to expanses of grass. It was a reminder that everything had its end, and soon enough, Silver Falls High School came into view.