“I mean that the guy asked me to have a drink with him. It seemed harmless enough, so I didn't think it was a good idea to tell him no. I don't want to be thought of as difficult. It was just a drink, Mom, nothing else.”
Carolyn smiled and told her daughter that she was not worried about it.
“You are the most honest person that I know, Sarah. I'm not worried about what happened. I was just wondering. You seem to be in a really good mood. Does that mean that the meeting went well?”
Sarah agreed that it had, and Carolyn was happy to hear it. She was nervous about all of the changes coming their way, but she had to keep reminding herself that it was her duty to do so. Her daughter was going to be better off for it. Carolyn wanted her daughter to meet her mate, break the binds that held her from freedom.
“Yeah, it went pretty well. I wish I didn't have to wait another three months to start there. It's exactly what I'm looking for, somebody who will listen to my ideas and actually implement some of them. My job is pretty worthless if they won't take any of my advice.”
“Do you think that you'll be happy there?” Carolyn wanted to ask ‘with him’, but she held her tongue.
Sarah was silent for a moment and then agreed that she would be happy. She didn’t get into it much, but Carolyn didn't really need her to. She had herself felt the same way a long time ago. When a person met their true love, everything changed. It wasn’t something that could be duplicated, ever again.
“So, what else is going on here? Have you started dating anyone?”
Sarah looked at her mom strangely and nodded her head that she wasn’t answering it.
“Why would you ask me that?”
“Because I am curious. We have been here several months now, and I don't think that you have mentioned anyone.”
Sarah agreed that she wasn't dating anyone.
“And I hate to say it, Mom, but I don't have anyone on the horizon, either. I am not really worried about all of that right now.”
That made Carolyn smile and Sarah asked her what she was so happy about.
“Usually, when I tell you that I'm not dating anyone, you give me this dirty look like I’m wasting my precious youth.”
“Well, it would appear that you are on your way to having everything that you want.”
“You getting better, Mom, that’s the only thing that I want.”
Carolyn didn't like the sudden change in conversation. It reminded her of the lie that she had told her daughter, the one that had her torn up inside, because she had listened to her daughter cry almost every night since she’d told her. Carolyn died each night with her, and it was made worse, knowing that it was all because of a lie she’d started.
“Everything is going to work out just fine.”
“How do you know that?”
Carolyn shrugged and said that she just knew.
“You didn't used to be so optimistic. Why are you so optimistic all of a sudden?”
“I can't afford to not be.”
“Well, I hope you're right. I think about you being sick all the time. I just want it to go away, for them to find a cure, and for everything to go back to normal.”
Carolyn felt her heart breaking. “You’ll see, honey. It'll work itself out.”
“But what if it doesn't?”
Carolyn could see the fear on her daughter's face. How hard would it be for her to just say a few words and to take away that look and all the emotions behind it?
Carolyn would have done anything to be able to do just that.
She knew better, though. They weren’t supposed to know of their fate, even if others did. They had to come together on their own, even though they were together in the circumstance they were presently in because of her. Carolyn had to believe that she was doing the right thing. She didn’t want to believe it was the latter, that it would somehow hurt her daughter. Carolyn knew well of Harold’s reputation, what he had done. She knew that it would be an easier road for Sarah if she picked someone that was better suited to her. Carolyn knew better, though. She knew that she couldn’t go against fate. It was what was meant to happen. The best thing she could do was try her best to set it up to work that way.
“It will, honey. I am sure of it. It’s good to be nervous. It is good to be in over your head sometimes. It all makes you grow, and I think this is just what you needed. After everything that has happened in the last year, what you have sacrificed for me, I know that there is nothing less that I can do. You deserve to be happy. You know that, right?”
