Nadine and Adele

Butterfly

When spring arrives, Nadine's no longer bound to the confines of her house, and has switched roles with Adele; meaning that she's now a semi-fixture at the Wilson residence. She looks forward to taking solace in the tranquility prevalent at Adele's home.

Being how their place is fairly secluded from town, Nadine thrives on the still quietness which always seems to linger about the Wilson residence. And thanks to Adele, Nadine's come to appreciate not just the beauty, but the soothing effect that nature graciously provides for the human soul as well. She indulges herself in the serenity of the woods every time she's able to leisurely stroll through them with Adele.

But what she loves most is the fact that Adele and her grandmother are simple people living a simple life. They don't live the typically unfulfilling, hectic lifestyles that most households Nadine's familiar with subject themselves to; always trying to adhere to restrictive scheduling or obligations...never 'taking the time to smell the roses', metaphorically speaking; or literally, in Adele's case. The perpetual laid back mood at the Wilson home allows Nadine to truly relax and remain calm and at peace.

Being home is a constant reminder of her morose predicament. The numerous daily phone calls between her mother and Dr. Minoit concerning her declining health; the chemotherapy sessions and doctor appointments marked down in bright red permanent marker on the calendar hanging on the kitchen wall; a refrigerator filled with small vials of medication; and well-intentioned loved ones constantly checking in ona nd asking how she's feeling...all indicators of the fatalistic path she's on. 

Meanwhile, being at the Wilson's is a temporary getaway from the harsh reality of her ailment. The Wilsons hardly ever receive any phone calls...except for the occasional call from Cheryl to check up on Nadine during her stays over there; no calendar is prominently displayed; the refrigerator's stocked with freshly prepared, homemade, predominantly southern-cuisine fare; and the only quasi health-related question Estelle will bring up is when Nadine first arrives, and she asks, "How you doin' today, girl?"

Truth is, even though she doesn't bring it up, Estelle's greatly concerned over Nadine's faltering health. She's much thinner and frailer ina ppearance these days; while displaying a distinctively jaundiced coloring and seeming permanent dark rings embedded under her eyes brought about from lack of sleep due to her inability to get comfortable from the aching pain she frequently experiences. But, Estelle doesn't bring these concerns up with Nadine; keeping them to herself.

Adele's even starting to worry about her sickly-looking friend. She still believes Nadine when she tells her that the medicine's going to make her better; but she's wondering when that's going to happen. All Adele's been able to notice recently is that Nadine appears sicker than before she started the treatments. But, like her grandmother, she won't bring up her concerns with Nadine; she just continues being there for her like she promised Corrine she would be.

Corrine's dropping off Nadine for another weekend stay at the Wilson's. They're accompanied by a longtime friend of Corrine's.

"Adele, this is Missy; Corrine's friend."

It being their first acquaintance, Adele lowers her eyes slightly downward...though not as far down as she used to before Nadine started helping Adele build up her confidence and feel more comfortable around people...and gradually extends her hand out to shake hands with Missy. Adele softly says...

"It's very nice to meet you, Missy."

"Likewise...I heard a lot of nice things about you, Adele." Missy takes a closer look at Adele's glasses and admiringly smiles. "I love your glasses."