||6x Featured|| Mirna Conlins has a confession: She likes being a runaway. And now, given the chance, Mirna wants to disappear. She just needs some cash before she goes. Watch how her plan unravels as the new boys in town get tangled in her web of l...
Deb leads the way inside the Epilepsy Center, through a hallway, and into the meeting room. We stop at the table right inside the door, covered with name tags, pamphlets, lanyards, epilepsy cards, and pens.
Kaden and Logan study the room. All of the six tables are full with our typical crowd. Jill and Ferris brought Sam and Tommy; the two kids sit in the corner playing with toys.
"You need to make nametags," I tell them as I clip my nametag to my shirt.
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"What's PWE?" Kaden asks.
"Oh." I touch my nametag. "Person with epilepsy. Logan, you can put SP on yours. Support person."
"You label yourselves?" Kaden asks, sounding rather outraged.
I cannot help but stand there gawking at him.
"It's more like a reminder for our members and a courtesy for our new people," Deb says. She sounds very matter of fact about it. I'm glad she explained it for me. "Everyone here has been affected by epilepsy in some way. We all know that, and it's a big reason why we come.
"We're here to share experiences, make friends, give and get support, be comforted and feel comfortable," Deb goes on. "The letters on our nametags help us avoid those awkward questions so we can focus on what really matters instead of holding back because you're not sure who you're talking to."
She puts her nametag on: Deb SP. "You don't have to label yourself, but people will ask if you don't, and after the tenth time it might get a bit irritating."
I touch Kaden's arm softly. "Don't be ashamed. Half of us have the same letters after our name."
Kaden nods after thinking it through for a moment. He writes the letters PWE after his name, slides the card into the plastic sleeve, and pins the nametag to his shirt.
Deb holds out a pile of stuff from the table. "I'm sure you feel like you've read enough already, but there's some really good information in here," Deb says. She smiles, so Kaden takes the stuff and nods. He's just being polite, though, I bet. Though who knows. Maybe he's the type to learn more about his situation, rather than wallow in his cluelessness and helplessness.
I head for the last table where we will all fit, near the front. Sharon and Eric are already sitting at the table, and I sit in the middle open chair. "Scoot over." Kaden puts his hand on the back of my chair.
I turn and frown up at me. "Why?"
He leans down closer to me and crosses his arms on the back on my chair. I keep my mouth shut, waiting for him to explain why I need to move. We lock eyes; I smile and he smiled back.
Logan comes over. He has two plates of cookies stacked one on top of the other and a drink in his other hand. He sits down on my right side and slides one plate of cookies toward us. It's sweet of him to bring us cookies to share.
