i love you Erica (14/?)
When a blonde woman dragging a drip behind her entered Callie’s room, I quickly realized who she was. Dad and I had only just got back from the cafeteria. I immediately noticed that Callie was being quiet and looked nervous and anxious. It became clear to me that something had happened between these two women, something that had ended with both of them in hospital. Mark suggested that we all left Callie and Erica alone to talk. I kissed my sister on the head before leaving. She kept her eyes locked on Erica.
Mum and Dad did the same thing before we all left her room.
Seeing Erica pulling that drip behind her caused me to burst into tears. This was my fault. Erica was fine before I came along, Erica was strong, independent and healthy.
She quickly rushed over to me and hugged me. I tried to push her away, tried to fight to get her away from me but she just hugged me tighter until I gave in and fell into her embrace. I hugged her tight and the sobs overtook me. “Please don’t leave me. Erica. I can do better. I can be better.” She tried to pull me out of her embrace so she could look at me but I wouldn’t let her. I held on tight, so afraid that if I let her go she’d go back to that other woman. That she wouldn’t want to see me again.
I knew that I’d left her house but that didn’t mean that I didn’t want to be with her. I’d given up… Oh My God! I’d given up. I didn’t want to give up. I had to fight for her, for me, for us. I wanted, no, I needed us to be together.
“Please don’t leave me. I, I need you.” She stroked my hair. “I don’t want you to see that other girl and I know that I have no right to ask you this but please, please give us another chance. I’ll do anything. Please.”
Hearing Callie beg for me to be with her saddened me. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to be with her, it was just that she was so sure that I was with someone else. “Cal, honey. You need to calm down. We need to talk.” “Okay.” She suddenly looked panic stricken and vulnerable.
I knew what was coming. I shouldn’t have said anything; I shouldn’t have let her in. Then she couldn’t break my heart again. The ‘we need to talk’ speech always ended badly. I’m sure that she’ll tell me that she loves me and misses me but then she’ll tell me that I’ll only ever be a friend to her. That she’ll help me through this but as no more than a friend.
So you could say that I was surprised and relieved when she told me that she loved me. “Cal, you’re my world. That girl you saw me with was a friend. That was it. She likes me, I’ll admit that okay but the time I spend will never compare to the time I spend with you. I love you. You’re going through a rough period at the moment and I know that it is my fault as much as yours but I’m not doing this because I pity you. I’m doing this because I love you.” Callie visibly relaxed and I kissed her on the lips. She immediately tried to deepen the kiss but I stopped her. “Cal, we need to take things slowly. The last thing we need is your mum walking in on us while we are all over each other.” I laughed lightly even though it hurt my stomach to do so.
I started climbing off Callie’s bed. “Cal, I’m going to go back to my room. I’m sure you’re family will be back soon. Sleep well.” I kiss her on the lips once more. “Good night, my love.” I walk out of the room as Callie’s eyes start to close.
An hour later I wake up to the sound of my mum shushing my sister. “Hi, Mum.” I whisper. She comes to my bed and smiles at me. “Hi baby girl. How are you feeling?” I smiled, “better now.”
I cleared my throat and took Callie’s hand. “Mija, I’m taking you home.” She looked at me confused. “Mum, I am home.” I shook my head. “No Calliope, You’re not. I’m taking you back to Spain. We aren’t leaving you here. Look were you got last time we did. I’m going back to you’re apartment with Christina and I am packing you’re things and as soon as you are released we are getting on a plane and we are going home.” She sat up. Anger flared through her features. “No, mum. I’m not. I have everything I need here. I have a job, responsibilities and I have Erica.” I took her hand but she wouldn’t look at me and I could feel my own anger rising. “You can get a new job in a hospital in Spain. You have no responsibilities here. You can’t look after yourself at the moment how are you meant to be responsible for anything else. You and Erica may claim to love each other but if she really loved you. You wouldn’t be in here. She can’t look after you but I can and I will. You are coming home. End of discussion.”
Tears streamed down my face as she demanded that I return home. I didn’t want too. I couldn’t. “No mum. I’m not. I love Erica. She loves me. We can we better, together.” She looked at me her own eyes swimming with tears. “What about the next time you have a lover’s tiff. You’ve already been in hospital twice because of this woman. Next time you might wind up in the gutter. I won’t have that. You are returning home with me. You’ll be released from hospital tomorrow morning. The movers will be collecting and shipping your stuff a few days after you arrive back in Spain.” With that she walked out of my hospital room. Sobs shook my body and my father came and kissed me on my head. “It’s for the best.” With that he followed my mother out of the room. Annabelle came and hugged me while I cried into her arms. “Shh, It’ll be okay. I’ll go try talking to Mum.” The tears stopped and I nodded. “Thanks,” I whispered. As she walked out of the room I felt the tears return. I knew that there was nothing that Annabelle could do. My mother had her mind made up and I knew that no body could change it. Not even me.