Vera and I were set to work planting and watering some of the flower beds. It was amazing to think that this whole garden had been planted and cared for completely by hand. There were four other people working in the garden. All of them knew the area well and enjoyed gardening as a way to pass the time. Gardening is something that I hadn't ever done before. But I soon found that there was something very soothing about it.
Before I realized it, the sun was setting, and the day was coming to an end. Well, it turns out that time really does fly when you're having a good time. My heart sank at the thought of such a wonderful day coming to an end. But there was a chance that tomorrow would be just as amazing. Reluctantly, I got to my feet and brushed the dirt off of myself. Vera had fallen asleep next to a bed of violets. She looked so happy and peaceful lying there that I felt bad for waking her up.
"Vera?" I shook her shoulders gently. She sat up very suddenly and yawned. "Sorry to wake you. But I figured you'd be much happier sleeping indoors, Vera."
She shook her head. "You figured wrong. I could spend the rest of my life out here."
"It is lovely. But we did say that we would play a round of Uno with Sadie, remember?"
"Oh, right. I forgot about that." The sky melted into a bright red that faded into a deep purple. Stars began to appear up above. The whole world around us was a burning fire of colors. "Can you imagine how beautiful the gardens must look under moonlight?" breathed Vera. I smiled at her. Maybe Vera was secretly a wild fairy who belonged with rivers and flowers. I had been worried about her at first. But the gardens seemed to have replaced her beloved river.
We stopped by Dr. Green's office one last time to see if she was there. The office was just as empty as it had been the last time we had checked. Did she ever actually use her office? Maybe it had just been an unusually busy day for her. I was really being very selfish, wasn't I? Everyone was happy now. We could be cured. I should be thankful. Dr. Green had already done so much for us. How could I possibly ask her for more? Yet here I was, grinding my teeth and glaring into her unlit office. Dang, I was really great at being a selfish brat, wasn't I?
But I didn't stay mad for too long. It was hard to stay mad in a place as wonderful as this. All thoughts of frustration vanished from my mind as we returned to Sadie and Blake. Soon, my mind was filled with nothing but Uno cards and amusement at Sadie's passion for the game. We played five rounds together. All of which Sadie won. She must be blessed with some kind of magical good luck. Or maybe she just cheated. But that didn't really matter. What mattered was that we were all having fun together.
For once, I felt like I was simply having fun with my friends. I wasn't in charge of anyone. I wasn't managing anyone. I was just enjoying myself. There was no sense of fear or pressure here. It was like the air itself carried some kind of magical peace.
"Come on, just one more round!" said Sadie.
"Nooo," the rest of us groaned in unison.
"Been playing all day. Now need rest!" Blake moaned. She had pretty much spent the past several hours playing with Sadie.
"Fair enough." Sadie accepted with a sigh. "But maybe we could play again tomorrow morning."
"Maybe." I smiled. Vera got to her feet and stretched.
"See you tomorrow!" Blake called over her shoulder as she slipped out into the hall. I stayed behind with Sadie to help her collect the cards and put them away.
"So, we really did make the right decision after all. We are going to be really happy here," I whispered.
"Y-yeah," Sadie whispered. glanced over at her. To my surprise, her hands were shaking and there were tears in her eyes.
"Are you okay?" I rested my hand on her shoulder. Less than two minutes ago, she had been all sunshine and rainbows. What on Earth had happened?
"Yeah, I'm fine. This is really stupid, but there is a part of me that doesn't believe this is real. This all just seems too good to be true," she admitted. "It feels like a dream."
"It's not a dream. But if you want, I can get Blake to pinch you to test it," I said. Sadie burst out laughing.
"No, I'll pass. I know it's real... Well, I keep telling myself that it's real. I just don't want to wake up and find myself back in the shack."
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"That won't happen. This is all very real. I'm real, you're real everything is real," I said. That may not have been what she wanted to hear. But I had no idea what to tell her. It did seem to give her a bit of comfort because she started laughing again. That laugh was so contagious. Soon we were both laughing together.
"We're going to be okay. Things will get better. And when you wake up in the morning this will all still be here," I whispered to her. "Okay?"
She smiled and nodded. "Okay." Her laugh sounded so much like little Jill's laugh. There were many things about Sadie that reminded me of my own sister. The first thing I had noticed about Sadie was how similar she looked to Jill.
If I were being honest with myself, I probably wouldn't have helped Sadie if it wasn't for that. Taking care of Jill had always been my job whether or not I had wanted it to be. I couldn't ignore or push Jill away, even when our parents had. Therefore, I couldn't ignore or push Sadie away. I saw it as my duty to protect and care for her. It was my duty to protect and care for Vera and Blake as well. I needed to care for them the way I had cared for all of my younger siblings.
"You're going to be okay," I said to Sadie one last time before leaving her alone. She didn't answer me. She just smiled at me as I left. As I lay down and closed my eyes in my room, a wave of weariness hit me. It was very funny. I had slept soundly last night, and I had taken a nap today. I had spent most of the day sleeping. But I was still tired. So, so tired.
My mind began to wander as my body began to relax. Memories came washing over me. Memories of home filled my mind. It had been a long time since I had thought of my family. So much had happened since the last time I had seen them. Hopefully, they were doing okay. I couldn't care less about what mother and father were up to. But now I couldn't help but feel worried about my siblings. Were they doing alright without me? I could only hope that they were. I pictured them in my mind. Their faces were so vivid in my memory.
But for all I knew, they didn't look anything like that now. My face had changed. Theirs probably had too. What did they look like now? One by one, I recalled their faces. Jill, Connor, Alex, Mina. I could remember the way they spoke and the way they walked. Did they still talk and walk like that? Did they miss me? Guilt filled my soul. I missed them. I really had. But my thoughts had been so overcrowded with my own fears for the past several months. I hadn't thought of them much. Now that I was thinking of them, I felt guilty and worried.
I had told them that I would be back. The day that I had left, I had promised them that I would come back as soon as I could. I told them not to worry. I had said I would always be there for them. That had all been back when I wasn't worried about the Z Plague. It sounded like a crazy made-up story that had been blown totally out of proportion.
Well, I had been wrong. But at least now there was a chance that I could return to them. They still needed me. Letting go of the idea of seeing them again had been one of the hardest things I had ever brought myself to do. But now I could hope. Now I could dream. Maybe, just maybe, I could see them again someday.
How long would the healing process take? I really needed to know. Fresh frustration filled me as I thought back to the tiny, cramped house that I hadn't seen in years. I needed Dr. Green to tell me more. I couldn't wait here forever. This place was lovely. But it wasn't my home. I needed to get home. There were people who needed me there. There were people waiting for me there. I could see home so clearly in my mind. I could hear Jill's voice now. It sounded like she was right next to me.
"What are you doing up?" she asked me. I sighed and turned to her.
"I'm reading."
"What are you reading, Alma?"
"The instructions for Alex's science project. I'm trying to make sense of them," I explained.
"Oh, how's it going?" Jill asked brightly.
"It could be better. I still have no clue what I'm meant to use the soda for. But I'm sure I'll figure it out in time. But you should be in bed, Jill."
"I can't sleep. My tummy hurts. It hurts a lot!"
"Did you eat all of your dinner like I told you to?"
"No." A guilty look crossed her face. "I'm sorry."
"I warned you, didn't I?"
"I said I was sorry!" she burst out.
"Okay, okay, come on. Let's get you something to eat," I gave in. "What do you want?"
"Do we have any chicken noodle soup left?" she asked. All the anger and guilt on her face. I groaned. I was a sucker for that little smile.
"Yeah, I'll make you some." It was the last can. Every single person in this house loved chicken noodle soup. It was the only thing that I could get all of my siblings to constantly eat. I would have to buy more tomorrow. But that was okay. I could get it after dropping Alex off at school. Honestly, I was just glad that Jill hadn't asked for ice cream or candy. Soon, she was sitting at the dining room table, eating her soup and looking as happy as a little girl could be.
"Is it good?" I asked. She happily nodded as she drank the last few drops of soup. Then she slipped out of her chair and rushed over to me. "Thank you, Alma! You're the best mom I-I mean sister in the world!" she said as she flung her arms around me.
"Hush, you'll wake everyone up," I hissed.
"I love you," she whispered more quietly.
"I love you too. Does your tummy feel better now?"
"Yes!" She beamed up at me. I couldn't help but smile back. I paused and savored this moment. I was doing my job well. My sister was happy. Tomorrow would be pure chaos. But for now, everything was okay. Everything was perfect. I was exactly where I was supposed to be.