Ecie & Esme III: Forever and a Day

Six

'Hey mom,' Esme smiled putting some flowers by Sofie's bedside. 'How are you?'

'Fine,' Sofie replied looking up from a large script. 'What brings you here on such a sunny day?'

'I wanted to see how you were,' Esme smiled sitting in the empty padded seat. 'Where is your usual Mr. Concerned?'

'That's a good one,' Sofie grinned. 'I forced him to go back to work.'

Esme nodded. 'That's good.'

'Ever since Eric came into my life, it's been one big thing after another,' Sofie said. 'It's like I've forgotten what it means to be independent and what it means to be by myself.'

'That's because Eric loves you mom,' Esme smiled. 'He's crazy about you.'

'Ha,' Sofie laughed. 'I wish he wasn't so crazy about me.'

Esme smiled. 'So what are you working on?'

'It's something Jonathon sent me,' Sofie replied. 'I have to admit, it's actually quite good.'

'That's great,' Esme nodded. 'Is dad still having time to write with the show he's doing with Cassie?'

'I guess so,' Sofie replied. 'Have you been writing anything?'

'Yeah,' Esme sighed. 'It's just about life out here in LA. It's coming along great.'

'That's wonderful honey...' Sofie winced a little as she felt a kick. She rubbed her stomach and her side. She felt two more kicks a second later and took some deep breaths.

'Do you want me to get you some water?'

'I'm okay,' Sofie smiled rubbing her sides. 'You have no idea how happy I'll be the day this thing comes out. I'll be able to work again and I won't be kicked every two seconds.'

'Can I have a feel?'

'Sure,' Sofie smiled moving the sheets and allowing Esme to place her hands on her stomach. 'Did you feel that?'

'Yeah,' Esme chuckled excitedly. 'That's awesome. How cool is that?'

Esme moved her hand across Sofie's expanded stomach and felt her younger sibling turn over for comfort.

'That is so weird,' she smiled sitting back down again. 'What is that like?'

'You'll find out one day,' Sofie replied.

Esme nodded. 'Taylor and I were talking about kids...'

Sofie looked at Esme.

'I'm not pregnant or anything,' Esme said. 'We were just talking about it. It's weird thinking that it's going to happen one day. It's weird thinking that I want to be with Taylor for the rest of my life and that we could actually have a life together, a family.'

'And how does that make you feel?'

'Scared,' Esme laughed. 'I don't know, I just feel a little scared.'

'Why?'

'Well because it's a scary thought thinking about the future. We don't know what's going to happen to us and it's just scary thinking that one day Taylor and I are going to have a baby,' Esme replied. 'It feels like love.'

Sofie laughed. 'Remind me to use that.'

Esme laughed. 'Don't be mean.'

'You'll remember to take things slowly,' Sofie held Esme's hand. 'I'll still love you no matter what, but I'll love you even more if you take things super slow.'

'Okay mom,' Esme smiled. 'I'll take things slow.'

'Good,' Sofie smiled. 'I love you.'

'Thanks mom.'

Sofie laughed. 'You may be grown, but you haven't outgrown my love.'

'I love you too mom,' Esme laughed.

'Anyway,' Sofie sighed smiling. 'What else is new? What's been going on in LA?'

'Nothing really,' Esme replied sitting back and yawning. 'School and work, mainly.'

Sofie nodded. 'How are Ecie and Landon getting along?'

'They are getting along nicely,' Esme nodded. 'We don't really see much of each other anymore. There's either somebody else always there, or we're busy doing our own thing.'

'Well you girls are sisters,' Sofie replied. 'You should always make time to be together alone.'

'We were together for like twenty one years and nine months straight,' Esme replied. 'I think we've had plenty of time, it just being me and her. I'm bored of her already.'

Sofie laughed. 'And what about Lauren? How is she?'

'I honestly don't know,' Esme sighed. 'I think there's something wrong but I can't put my finger on it and I don't want to annoy her by asking.'

'What is it?'

'She's been having some guy troubles recently,' Esme replied. 'Her parents were in town a couple months back, and I think she thought it was a disaster.'

'What happened?' Sofie asked concerned.

'Well I don't know,' Esme replied. 'I really liked her parents, I thought they were sweet. But E and Verd hated them.'

'Oh right,' Sofie nodded. 'Maybe you should talk to her.'

'Maybe.'

'Just those lines there,' Sofie pointed. 'Do you have it?'

'Yep, I've got it,' Esme said looking at the line and reading. 'This is good.'

'I know, right,' Sofie smiled, nodding. She looked at Esme and smiled. 'You know, Ecie was always a perfectionist. She was always fast, meticulous, precise, clever...'

'Yeah I know mom,' Esme said staring at the script. 'She was the perfect daughter.'

Sofie smiled. 'But she never caught on with books like you did,' she said fondly. 'You both loved to read, but you really loved getting into the books and into the different characters. You loved words; you'd practically eat them up. Your brain was just so attuned to reading and being creative.'

Esme looked up at her mom and smiled. 'Really?'

Sofie nodded. 'I'm so happy that I can share this with you and that we can sit here talking about a script and about the details. It's great that you write and you act and you read. It's so, great.'

'Thanks mom,' Esme smiled. 'You don't have to get overly emotional.'

Sofie laughed. 'I'm too hormonal for my own good.'