Nadine and Adele

Friendship and Fireworks

She was prepared for her granddaughter to let loose a deluge of tears, or possibly even wail like a baby in distress; but Estelle didn't foresee, nor was prepared for, the type of response demonstrated thus far.

Estelle enters the house first, with Adele languidly shuffling behind her; seemingly walking like a zombie. She appears disturbingly stoical, displaying no detectable emotion whatsoever on her frozen-like countenance.

As Estelle continues heading towards the kitchen, Adele stops in the middle of the living room and stands eerily still; looking like some sort of Gothic statue.

Just before entering the kitchen, Estelle turns around and looks back to Adele. "Suga'bear...you haven't eaten a thing all day. You want me to fix you something to eat?"

Adele begins looking about the room; not focusing on anything in particular. "No thank you, Grandma. I think I'll just go to bed now."

"Alright...if you're, Suga'bear."

Adele continues scanning the room in the same manner. "I'm sure, Grandma. I just wanna go to bed."

"Alright, then."

With great concern etched upon her face, Estelle continues watching her granddaughter; who still seems to be in some sort of trancelike state.

"I'm going to bed now, Grandma."

"Okay."

Adele's listlessly heading for the stairs when it suddenly hits her. She's plagued by a sensation which has been repressed deep down within her psyche; brought on once again by the death of her dearest friend...overcome by an incredible painful angst which she hasn't experienced since infancy.

During the beginning of her second trimester, a drunk driver ran a red light and crashed into Charmaine's car. It was touch and go for three days; but, Charmaine and Adele survived. However, the doctors urged her to abort the pregnancy; informing Charmaine that continuing to carry the fetus would be highly risky and detrimental to her own health. 

But, even after being told of all the possible effects she could face...including possibly dying from internal bleeding; which was almost guaranteed to occur should she attempt to deliver the baby should it survive term...she refused to have an abortion.

Charmaine had instantly fell in love with her baby the moment she discovered she was pregnant. She felt nothing short of a deep, true love for the child growing within her. And, Adele...already having a highly acute, intuitive ability to read people inherently instilled within her being...had somehow sensed this all along. This is why, like Estelle had once told Nadine, Adele loves her mama; despite the fact that she hadn't really known her.

Charmaine was able to carry Adele the full nine months, though not without complications; such as the umbilical cord being wrapped around Adele's neck in the womb. And, during the delivery itself, because of her displacement within her mother's uterus, Adele had torn Charmaine's insides apart while being forcibly removed with surgical forceps; leaving Charmaine bedridden as she slowly bled t odeath from continual internal hemorrhaging from the damage sustained.

For those last moments before her death, all Charmaine wanted to do was hold Adele in her arms; making her the last cherished memory she would have on  Earth. Charmaine lovingly held onto Adele, mustering up the strength to utilize every one of her senses to take her in. She endearingly gazed down upon Adele with both amazement and pride over her natural beauty. She delicately caressed Adele's soft, tender skin and silky, down-like to the touch hair. She intensely sniffed in Adele's fresh, clean, sweet aroma. And, she earnestly listened to Adele's soothing, melodic breathing; while feeling Adele's gentle, warm breath pleasantly expelled upon her neck.