Trust And Hope

Chapter 19

*POV Richelle*

"Move, move!" I scream, pushing myself between and around everyone,a true challenge when you're on crutches

An old lady glared at me, and a teenage boy looked back and glared at me, his hands in a question mark. Long story, I didn't care. Short story, I didn't care.

Mom sat outside Sadie's hospital with Gabby, who had her leg stretched out straight.

Mom got up and squeezed my shoulders.

"Tyler, can you take Gabby down to the cafeteria while I go in with Richelle?" Mom asked.

Dad nodded, holding his hand out for Gabby. Gabby's left calf was wrapped in bandages with gauze underneath. She limped a little, but not much.

My arm was covered in gauze, with an Ace bandage wrapped around it from my elbow to my wrist. I had started using my old crutches instead of the forearm ones because I couldn't handle it rubbing against my arm.

"Sadie!" I rushed to my sister's side, sitting down beside her, letting my crutches clatter to the floor.

"Hey," Sadie said. It was stronger than I would've anticipated, but it wasn't at its normal strength.

"I'm sorry," I whispered. "I'm so, so sorry."

"It's not your fault," Sadie looked at her lap. Why did I feel like there was something more she wasn't saying?

"What is it?" I asked.

"It's just-" Sadie sighed and looked up at me. "We belong to each other. We always have. And I don't expect us to be as close as we were when we were little. And I'd like to cut back on the arguments. We don't have to be as close as when we were little. But I want us to be, even distant, friends."

Why did I feel like those words were a knife to my heart? I took a deep breath. "Sadie, I love you," I said. "And that sounds amazing." I took a deep breath. "But it's total bull."

"No it's not," Sadie said.

"Yes," I said firmly. "It is. We can't be distant friends. I love you too much to let that happen. I'm not undoing what we've done together, All the things we've seen. And I'm not trading it for anything."

"Not undo," Sadie said quietly. "Just recalculate a little."

"What- like a GPS?" I asked. "No. I love you so much. I'm the one who's been distant. I'm the one who hasn't been the sister she wants to be. And I'm so sorry it took this to figure that out."

I reached forward and started to braid her hair. "I love you."

Tears started to spill down Sadie's cheeks, and I leaned forward and wrapped my arms around her. "I still want you to teach me," I whispered in her ear.

Sadie smiled. "We have the same memory."

I nodded. "We do. So will you teach me?"

"Of course," Sadie said. "If you stick around- I promise I'll teach you."

We had only brought Sadie for about two hours when Mom yelled down the hallway.

"Richelle! Sadie! Gabby!" Mom yelled. "We're going to Dad's office to meet with Daniel!"

Sadie and I looked at each other and Sadie smiled. She looked excited. Probably at the prospect of possibly getting to see Charlotte. I, on the other hand, felt ready to throw up.

When we got there Mom caught Gabby eying the huge cupcakes in the little cafe in the lobby's window and told Sadie and I to get one for each of us.

"What do you think Gabby will want?" Sadie asked.