emotions bottled up. She was so offended now that it couldn’t
have been true.
“No, I wasn’t with you for the money. Honestly, sometimes
I don’t know why. I don’t think we can fix this. It doesn’t
matter that you might be different now. It’s too much.
Everything is too much.”
Panic spread and ran rampant, cutting off Giana’s oxygen
supply, but she charged forward anyway. “Are you saying this
because you’re scared of what’s coming? Because of what’s
happening with your dad? You’re being too brave. You’re
barely holding yourself together, I can tell. You don’t have to.
You don’t have to be perfect for me. You don’t have to shut
me out and do it all on your own. I could come to the hospital
with you. Even if I just waited in the waiting room or the
hallway or something. I could be there with you.”
Coralyn stood up, displaying more life and energy than
she’d shown all morning. Her eyes were wide, tear-filled and
furious. She looked like she was in over her head. She looked
like she was drowning in it. Giana stood up too. Certain. Slow.
Unthreatening. She reached out for Coralyn, letting her hand
stay there in midair.
“Coralyn.” She said her name, her tone not so gentle this
time. Soothing, but not gentle. There was an iron command in
it that had Coralyn responding so sweetly, a change coming
over her. “Come here.”
She shook her head defiantly. “No. This huge black hole,
this void is going to swallow me up. I’ll be like you. I won’t
be able to remember who I am. I’m going to lose him and I’m
going to lose me. Life isn’t supposed to look like this. It’s not
supposed to be this way.”