The Love That Is Parker Bowmen

21| Fredrick

Emily Rose

Camara's heels clinked furiously onto title floor as we sped through the white hallways.

"Emily Rose, if you don't slow—." Camara huffed our before I pulled her into another hallway, passing by another nurse giving me the stink eye. Apparently running — or even speed walking — in this place is disrespectful, or whatever, to a bunch of old ladies in fading blue shrugs.

Once we reached the 230's hallway, my blood began to pump faster, my hands began to shake with excitement.

Room 235, I thought as we stopped.

Camara panted as she snatched her hand back, her cheeks stained red. "Why?" She choked out as she leaned over and tried to catch her breath.

I shrugged off her question as if it was as light as a feather and took a deep breath before calmly — and gently — knocking on the door.

A few second seemed to past, which felt like forever before an airy voice said, "come in."

I slowly opened the door with a welcoming smile on my face. "Hi, Ms. Dixon?"

Behind me, I could hear Camara cursing the universe and Earth, itself, for the likes of "selfish humans" and "exercise," or something like that.

I walked into the nicely decorated room. It's wasn't small, but it wasn't big either. Equipped with a nice twin sized bed, dresser and mirror. Small miscellaneous things laid on the dresser; a comb, chapstick, a shirt and a framed photo of a younger looking Fredrick hugging a woman with shinny, gorgeous blonde hair, a bright smile on her face as they stood behind the opening gates of Disney World.

I allowed myself to get swept up into the picture before breaking out of my trance when the airy voice spoke again. "You can come in, no need to hid in the doorway." The voice jokingly teased and I blushed before walking fully into the room.

Sitting in a small rocking chair tucked into the corner of the room was a petite woman, any trace of hair disappeared from her head as a vibrant yellow sundress fell down her skinny body.

She smiled brightly at me, and pointed to the corner of her room where flowers and cards laid. "The presents go over there, it's okay if I'm sad too." She words fell from her lips quickly as if she's been doing this for a while.

"Presents?"

She nodded, "yes," she paused, the happy smile slipping off my face for a second, "ever since my brother... died, everyone has been sending me gifts. It's not for me though—," she shakes her head sadly, "nor my brother, it's for the people. When they send it to me, it makes them feel better about themselves, because helping a woman with nothing seems better than having emotions." She smiles at me.

"I'm sorry," I bite my lip.

"Don't be," she waves me off, "I'm not mad about it."

As she finishes her sentence, Camara walks into the room.

"Oh, there's two of you," Ms. Dixon said surprised.

"Yeah," I nodded, "I'm Emmie and this is Camara." I gestured between Camara and I.

Ms. Dixon waved down toward her small bed, "well, take a seat and call me Amber."

Camara and I sat down onto the small bed. I began to fidget with my thumbs, a new anxiety smashing into me. "Thanks Ms.— I mean, Amber."

She gives me a nice smile before straightening up. "Okay, so what are you two girls visiting a sag like me?"

Camara and I share glance towards each other and share the same anxious look. Camara's the first to look away before clearing her throat and answering Amber. "We're here to ask a couple questions about your brother."