Chapter 46

"Oh nothing…I'm just so glad we're friends." "Me, too." When they release their hold, Adele suddenly recalls their conversation before it was briefly sidetracked, and asks, "So…she didn't win the contest? And that's why you've never been to Hawaii." A slight look of remorsefulness emerges upon Nadine's face as she explains… "Actually…my mom did win. It was the year that I got sick again, and…well…because I had to stay in the hospital and take my treatments, we couldn't go. My mom had to turn down the trip." Nadine becomes silent. Then she once again succumbs to a sudden chill brought on from a passing draft, and shivers. Adele repositions Nadine's comforter up over her shoulders and firmly tucks her in. "There; that should keep you warm now." Adele's noticed that Nadine always seems to be cold. She thinks that maybe it's because she's a little thinner than she used to be. Adele had noticed that about Nadine as well; but has attributed this merely to the assumption that she hasn't been eating a lot recently. She remembers how Grandpa Joe once told her that some animals would fatten up during the fall so they can stay warm through the upcoming winter season. She thinks maybe that's what Nadine needs to do, just fatten up a bit; then she wouldn't be so cold all the time. But then she remembers how she tried to do that one year. Adele was curious to see if putting on some extra weight would help keep her warmer during her daily, outside winter treks through the woods; so she started to eat voraciously in an attempt to put on the pounds. But all she had accomplished was to go to bed each night with a terrible stomach-ache; and gave up on that idea after the first few days. Adele resolves that, no, that's something Nadine should definitely not try to do. "Nadine;" Adele can't let it go, "how come your mom wouldn't let that lady grant you a wish? If she did, then maybe you'd finally be able to go to Hawaii; just like you've always wanted to." Nadine realizes her mom probably turned away the Make-A-Wish Foundation representative without allowing her a chance to grant her a wish because that would mean that Cheryl would be admitting that she was dying; and she knows that her mom isn't ready to do that just yet. Nadine also realizes that Adele's not going to drop the subject until receiving some sort of an answer; but knows that she can't tell Adele the real reason behind her mother's action. "I'm not sure, Adele. Maybe it's because my mom knows that would be my wish… and that since I'm real sick again, I wouldn't be able to go this time either. Maybe she just doesn't want me to be disappointed again; like the last time I wanted to go but couldn't." Adele takes a brief moment to take Nadine's rationalization under consideration; finally concluding it to be sufficient enough of an explanation. She knows Nadine still feels bad over it, and tries to console her. "Maybe if you tell them how much you want to go…I'm sure your mom and dad will take you to Hawaii when you get better, and not sick anymore. Don't worry, Nadine; I'm sure you'll get to go there someday." Nadine slowly rolls onto her side, facing away from Adele, and glumly replies as tears start to trickle from the corners of her eyes, "Yeah…maybe someday." There was something in Nadine's tone that Adele found to be a bit unsettling; causing a mysteriously worrisome sensation to be deeply rooted into the back of her mind. Meanwhile, Cheryl, who's been quietly standing outside the door listening in on their conversation, wipes away the tears flowing down her cheeks. When spring arrives, Nadine's no longer bound to the confines of her house, and has switched roles with Adele; meaning that she's now a semi-fixture at the Wilson residence. She looks forward to taking solace in the tranquility prevalent at Adele's home. Being how their place is fairly secluded from town, Nadine thrives on the still quietness which always seems to linger about the Wilson residence. And thanks to Adele, Nadine's come to appreciate not just the beauty, but the soothing effect that nature graciously provides for the human soul as well. She indulges herself in the serenity of the woods every time she's able to leisurely stroll through them with Adele. But what she loves most is the fact that Adele and her grandmother are simple people living a simple life. They don't live the typically unfulfilling, hectic lifestyles that most households Nadine's familiar with subject themselves to; always trying to adhere to restrictive scheduling or obligations…never ‘taking the time to smell the roses', metaphorically speaking; or literally, in Adele's case. The perpetual laid back mood at the Wilson home allows Nadine to truly relax and remain calm and at peace. Being home is a constant reminder of her morose predicament. The numerous daily phone calls between her mother and Dr. Minoit concerning her declining health; the chemotherapy sessions and doctor appointments marked down in bright red permanent marker on the calendar hanging on the kitchen wall; a refrigerator filled with small vials of medication; and well-intentioned loved ones constantly checking in on and asking how she's feeling…all indicators of the fatalistic path she's on. Meanwhile, being at the Wilson's is a temporary getaway from the harsh reality of her ailment. The Wilsons hardly ever receive any phone calls…except for the occasional call from Cheryl to check up on Nadine during her stays over there; no calendar is prominently displayed; the refrigerator's stocked with freshly prepared, homemade, predominantly southern-cuisine fare; and the only quasi health-related question Estelle will bring up is when Nadine first arrives, and she asks, "How you doin' today, girl?"