The Perfect She |Completed|

86. Friends are the family we get to choose | scene 89

posted September 5th, 2020

We were exiting the park, all of us, when Cherry told me of the plan they had in mind for a few days now.

"what do you say, we go on vacation, me, Ken, and your brothers?" she said slowly, lifting her head up from the ground when she finished her sentence.

I stopped walking. A trip?

Behind us were Tess and Amber, and in front, the boys, and my father. For a good forty-five seconds, I didn't move, or say anything.

"you heard me right?" asked my mother.

"for what occasion?" I said, still staring into the distance.

"to loosen up. And celebrate our family, as a family." She said with a pointed look at Isic.

If it had been any other time of the year, I would have said yes without hesitation after all these events. But something,... was holding me back.

I whipped my head back, and looked into Tess and Amber's curious eyes. We ad been going on a trip every year since we were twelve. I knew they would understand if I said yes, but did I want them to, after everything they did for me?

'The mind may forget, but the heart is always right' I had said earlier.

Maybe it was time for me to start acknowledging how I felt about them since I woke up from y coma. I had this deep belief of where they stood in my life that I wanted to share.

"you know, over the years, my family played a big role in keeping me sane, and content, even though I refused to admit it, and tried to hide it even. It would be foolish now, to ignore them.

I was being tested on what I learned about friends, and family. I wasn't going to fail. Not this time.

I looked at Isic, Daniel, Ken, and Cherry. "this is a test, I think. From God. To see if I learned something. Friends are the family you get to pick, you all. Tess and Amber are family. How about we all go, as one bigfamily."

For a beat, there was silence. I didn't know what to expect as they all looked at me with confused eyes.

But then, Cherry smiled knowingly, and the boys walked closer to stand beside me. "of course." Cherry said.

Amber's and Tess' eyes lit up. Amber jumped on me for a hug. "you're the best." She whispered.

"yes." Ken jumped in, smiling. "She is."

I looked at all the faces that I grew to love more these last few moths than my entire life.

Maybe in someone else's situation it wouldn't have been right to choose both. But in mine, it was.

It was right. And justified. Friends are the family we get to choose.