Nadine and Adele

The Envelope

After Nadine's body taken to the funeral home, Estelle takes Adele home; while, Corrine goes upstairs to check on her mother.

The bedroom door is slightly ajar, and Corrine peeks into the room before entering; but doesn't see her mom. She gradually opens the door and leans in.

"Mom?"

There's no answer. She takes a few steps into the room and sees Cheryl sitting hunched over on the side of her bed softly sobbing. She slowly approaches her mother; and when she's standing right beside her, Corrine notices that Cheryl's holding a small, manila envelope in her trembling hands.

"Mom...are you alright?"

Cheryl sharply looks up at Corrine; delivering a short, incredulous laugh. "Alright? Sure...I'm alright. Why wouldn't I be alright? Just because your sister just died...my baby girl...why wouldn't I be alright, Corrine?"

"Mom...I didn't mean it like..."

"No, really; I'm alright...I'm fine..." Cheryl agitatedly wipes away the tears starting to run down her cheeks while huffing out another incredulous laugh. "I'm just ducky!"

Cheryl's quiet for a moment, as a strange look overtakes her countenance; appearing to Corrine as if she's losing it. She continues...

"Just ducky...that's a weird saying; don't you think...just ducky? Ever hear of it, Corrine? Just ducky. My grandmother used to say it from time to time. Just ducky...just ducky...hmm. I wonder where they came up with that one...just ducky."

Cheryl becomes silent again, looking down at the envelope in her hands. Corrine sits down beside her and wraps her arm around Cheryl's shoulders while delivering a loving kiss to the side of her head.

"Mom?"

Cheryl starts to tremble, then bursts into tears. "Why?! Why, Cory? Why'd she have to die? She beat it before...twice...so why not this time? Why couldn't she beat it again? Why did it even have to come back? Why?"

Corrine wraps her other arm around Cheryl and tightly holds onto her mother; who's beginning to fall apart. "I don't know, Mom. I don't know."

"It's not fair, damn it! It's not fair!! She beat it before, God! Why?! Why, God; why? It's not fair...she was supposed to beat it again this time. She was supposed to beat it."

Corrine remains holding onto Cheryl as she continues to bawl.

When Cheryl starts settling down, Corrine can no longer keep her curiosity at bay. "Mom...that envelope in your hands...what's in it?"

Cheryl looks down at the envelope while starting to answer, "We...your father and I...we bought these when...well..." She takes in a deep breath. "I knew your sister really wanted to finish out the schoolyear with Adele...so we were going to wait until..."

Cheryl lowers her head and sullenly shakes it as tears begin to drip out of hereyes and fall onto the envelope. She continues...

"But then she started getting sicker and...well..." Cheryl sniffles as she wipes away the tears and looks to Corrine. "I don't know...maybe I just was hoping that she'd somehow get better. Just...I don't know...just be able to beat that damn disease again. And...I couldn't bring myself to returning them...not while she was still alive. Not while there was a chance...a chance for a miracle...or something. Anything. I just was hoping that she could beat it again. But, she couldn't. And, now...she's gone."

Cheryl wipes the tears running down her face away, then hands the envelope to Corrine. Corrine stares at her mother for a moment, then looks downward and slowly opens the envelope. She reaches into it...and, pulls out six plane tickets for Hawaii.

"I overheard your sister tell Adele that she always wanted to go there. So, we were planning on surprising her after she finished school...that we were all going...all of us; including Adele and her grandmother. She would have loved it so much; don't you think?"

Corrine nods ,as tears begin to stream down her cheeks.

"But it's too late now...because she's gone. Your sister's gone...and, she'd never been to Hawaii like she wanted to. I never gave her that; Cory. What kind of mother am I?"

Corrine wipes her face dry, then places her arm back around Cheryl's shoulders. "You're the best kind of mother, Mom. The best."

Cheryl looks to Corrine; displaying an expression of total disbelief. "Really? Do you really believe that; Cory?" 

Corrine emphatically assures her, "Yes...yes I do, Mom. And, so did Nadine."

Tears start flowing from Cheryl's eyes again as she appreciatively responds, "Thank you, Cory. Thank you for saying that."

"You're welcome, Mom. But, you really don't have to thank me for telling you the truth. And, as far as Hawaii is concerned...relax, Mom...Nadine did get to go there."

Cheryl instantly appears perplexed. "Huh?"

Corrine smiles while leaning close into her mom, as she reminds her, "The prom, Mom. The one Adele threw for Nadine. It was a Hawaiian theme...so, it was sort of like she was there...right?"

Cheryl lets out a small laugh. "Yeah...it was; wasn't it...kind of sort of."

Corrine reaffirms, "Yeah...it was."

"That was such an incredible thing Adele pulled off that night. It's hard to believe that..." Cheryl stops mid-sentence; and a panic-stricken look suddenly overtakes her face. "Oh no."

"What?"

"Adele...how do you think she's handling your sister's death?"