Chapter 15 Mature Susan

"I really can't imagine a wedding without you and I can't never imagine that you wouldn t come out of mom and dad."
Sophie's voice grew smaller and more choked up as she spoke.
My phone was in the loudspeaker mode and Jenny could hear the conversation between us.
I opened my mouth just to say something when Jenny gave me a hard stare.
I closed my mouth and finally compromised.
"Alright, I'll consider participating."
"Really?"
Sophie's voice started to shake and even changed a little when she heard my already relieved tone.
"Oh damn it, Selena! For God's sake, just say yes to her!"
Jenny saw that I was still hesitating and cursed, obviously very upset with my attitude.
"Selena, I hope to see you at the wedding in two weeks to give me your blessing, and I'll give you the hand bouquet."
Sophie heard Jenny's voice and didn't miss the opportunity in the slightest, speaking as fast as if she hesitated for a second and I'd take back what I'd just said.
"I promise you, just ..."
"I'll grant you anything you ask for, as long as you come over."
I could hear the excitement in Sophie's voice.
"I'll take Eric with me, and as long as I'm there, I'll show up with Eric."
I repeated twice that I need to bring Eric with me, and the last time I actually said it to my mother.
I knew she was still around Sophie listening to the conversation between us, and I could feel her muttering in a small voice.
Eric and Sophie also had a great relationship, and I thought Eric would like to witness Sophie's wedding.
The doctor had said that keeping a happy mood would be good for Eric's condition.
"No, I will never allow that guy in our house."
"It's okay, I'll convince mom and I'll be waiting for you guys to come over the whole time."
I heard my mother make a disapproving remark, and Sophie ignored her mother, finished her sentence quickly, and simply hung up the phone.
Looking at the already dark screen of my phone, I shrugged helplessly at Jenny, who spat her tongue at me and made a face.
"Well it's time for you to go to work, you're going to be late soon and you know Tom hates late people."
I tried to steer the conversation away from me.
"Tom really does love you the most! He gave you a five-day off when it's obvious we're having the same rest time usually."
Jenny grumbled towards me as she rummaged through her closet for clothes.
I know she's just complaining twice. I've been feeling a few sessions behind in school because I've been working too many hours later, and I need to use these days to catch up on my classes.
Also, I had promised Sophie I would attend the wedding and I had to purchase a suitable outfit for Eric and for me, after all, there would be a lot of guests at the wedding and I didn't want Sophie to be ridiculed by the others because of us.
However, there was one overriding reason that Jenny and I both knew in our hearts.
Before I could even think about whether or not to say yes to Damon's offer to become a sexual partner, I felt it would take a few more days of calm reflection before I could make a decision, one that I wouldn't regret.
"I'm going out and, you're going to eat well at home alone! Don't let me come back and find you eating something that doesn't have any nutrition again, or I'll punish you hard."
Jenny changed, gripped the door frame with one hand, poked halfway out, and admonished me in a tone very much like a grandmother admonishing her granddaughter.
"Got it, Jenny you're getting to be as much of a nag as my grandmother."
I buried my head under the covers again, trying to escape Jenny's nagging.
"I don't know what to do with you, sometimes I think Sophie is more like an older sister than you."
Although Jenny's voice was getting distant, I still heard the last of her chatter to me.
Hearing Jenny close the door, I poked my head out from under the covers, both eyes unfocused as I stared at the pattern on the ceiling.
Jenny's right. Sophie was a year younger than me, only 18. But in a lot of situations, Sophie made much more mature decisions than I did, as if, I was Sophie's small sister.
For example, when it came to confronting Eric, Sophie and I had a very different approach.
Having opposed Eric's arrival outright when my parents wanted to adopt him, she seemed to know her parents' personalities better than I did and was able to see past the problem.
It wasn't until after Eric's condition emerged that our parents simply gave up on treating Eric, and she strongly disapproved of their callous, no, almost inhumane approach.
But instead of getting into a big fight with my parents and leaving home as I did, Sophie made a point of helping Eric and me around the house.
She was very good at using her family's connections to help Eric, and the hospital where Eric was hospitalized was found under Sophie s help, and the doctors here were very good and charged reasonable fees.
Of course, before I met Tom, it was Sophie who picked up Eric and me with her own pocket money and the money she earned from part-time jobs.
Thinking about it so much made me feel like I wasn't good enough for Sophie and that I was going to have a special bridal gift for her wedding this time.
"Okay. Just do that, first buy Eric an outfit and then ask Eric what he wants to give Sophie as a gift."
I jumped up out of bed and started rummaging through my clothes, ready to head out and pick up Eric to go clothes shopping with me.
With a goal in mind, I didn't lose my temper outright when I encountered people who didn't follow the rules on the way to the hospital.
Because I was in a good mood that soon the three of us siblings would be able to meet.
"Hi, Dr. William, you're still looking good today!"
Much coincidentally, I ran into Eric's new attending physician, Dr. William at the elevator door again.
I didn't mince words with my own compliments on his handsome features.
"You look even more beautiful today, didn't your friend come with you?"
William peered around me for a moment and found no sign of Jenny.
"She has work today."
William confirmed from my answer that Jenny hadn't come along, and I saw the very obvious disappointment in his pupils.
"Next time I'll bring her along to see Eric, and of course I can give you her contact so you can ask her out alone."
It was a very good opportunity. William had the better looks, a more decent job, which made me think that he and Jenny might give it a try.
William's cheeks were turning red as fast as my eyes could see, and I certainly wasn't going to let that go.
"Give me your phone."
I held out my hand and waved it in front of William's face, gesturing for him to give me his phone.
William hesitated, but pulled his phone out of his pocket, then he unlocked the screen and finally placed it in my hand.
I quickly pressed Jenny's cell number and dialed out directly.
Of course during the process, my eyes were always on William's face.
I saw his Adam s apple rolling up and down as he dialed Jenny's number, while his pupils contracted at a very rapid rate.