Forced Marriage, Do I Really Love You?

The Letter (P2)

Arabella felt overwhelmed, hot and cold, blurry but clear, sleepy yet awake, emotions swirled in her head.  The tears had stopped but her mind buzzed on, it was too much to handle,.  She leaned on the doorway, still open, for support and tried to focus and come back to the surface.

"Arabella? Where did you go?" she heard Leo getting closer.

Snapping out of her mourning trance, she quickly without a sound shut the mailbox and the door and shoved the letter into her pants pocket.  She dried her eyes and headed back into the house and up the steps into the hallway.  Her brother was right behind her after she took a few steps up.

"Where were you?".

"Oh, I went to charge my phone and to go to the bathroom,".

"Oh okay. Do you want to keep watching the movie with us now?".

"Um, I have some work to do before school starts up again so you can finish without me,".

Arabella's voice cracked and she cleared her through to try and cover it up.  Her brother looked at her concerned but she just smiled even though inside her mind everything was falling apart. 

"Okay, of you need any help just ask me.  I already went through the torture of middle school so I know my way around things," Leo said with a smile.

"Thanks" she said voice cracking again.

As he turned away she walked back up the steps and into her room and half shut the door.  She took out the letter and sat at her desk.

"It's silly that just one letter can ruin your entire life and everything you've ever dreamed for."

Tears started running down her face before she could open the letter.  Arabella picked it up, she ran her finger along the crease of the envelope.  Suddenly, her fingers got hot it felt like the envelope was on fire she dropped the envelope and the pain fluttered away as if it was never there.  Arabella stared at the envelope for a while until she calmed down enough to think straight.  Cautiously she picked it up and once again ran her index finger along the crease.  Nothing happened.  She took her scissors and opened them wide so she could use one side to open the top of the letter without ripping anything inside.  She got the scissors in place and quickly ran the scissors across and under the creased flap with a "Rip!" sound.

Downstairs Leo heard this noise and went to check on Arabella.  When he walked up to her door he saw her sitting at her desk reading something. Then he heard her crying and called her name.

"Ara?"

She doesn't turn around or say anything  but Leo saw the envelope on her desk.

"You got the letter didn't you?  And you wanted to keep it from me didn't you?"

"I didn't want you to know, or anybody.  I didn't want to ruin the moments we were having.  I want to hold on to that forever and never let go.  I don't know what to do anymore," Arabella said sobbing.

Leo walked over to her, tears forming in his eyes, "Ara, I want you to know you can tell me anything  and I promise we will figure this out,".

Arabella just cried even harder, she sat on her bed next to Leo as they hugged and cried together.  Alex soon showed up in the door way with a worried look on his face.  The second Arabella saw Alex she let go of Leo and wiped the tears off her face and tried to smile to cover up her red face but her mouth wouldn't move from the frown that sat on her face.  It was crying on its own, not listening to anyone.

"Why are you crying?" Alex said very worried, ahistorical sister never crys, at least she hasn't since Papa left.

"Umm.  Because I have to get married," her voice cracked and her hands were shaking.

"But isn't marriage good?" Alex started to look confused and sad.

"Yes, when you want to get married," her voice cracked again.

"Do you want to get married?"

"No," Arabella could not meet his eyes so she looked down.  Tears rolling down her cheeks and dropping onto the floor blurrier her eyes.

"Then don't get married! If you don't want to you don't have to," Alex had this fiery look in his eyes as if he wanted to protect Ara forever but in his eyes there was also sadness and anger.

"I'm afraid it doesn't work that way in this situation," looking up with a sad smile.

"Why, is Mama making you?" Alex now just looked plain sad.

"No, it's much different than that.  You don't have to worry about it, okay?"

"But I don't want you to leave us!" Alex not crying and screaming,"this is terrible! I want you to stay with me! I don't want a stranger to marry you and take you away!".  He ran across the room grabbing Arabella tightly.

"There is nothing we can do now," Arabella said as no tears came out, she could cry no more so she looked to Leo who had been silently listening to the conversation.

"The best thing we can do is be here with Arabella, alright," Leo said looking at Alex but his eyes seemed far off.

Alex lets go of Arabella and holds her hands tight, his voice breaking,"I promise I will be here for you! I promise, whatever you need just tell me, if you need a hug or just need somebody to hold your hand I'll be there! I promise! Okay! And I will not take no for an answer!". Tears are streaming from his face and his hands are trembling.

Arabella gave him on last squeeze and dried the tears from his face.  She was surprised how much this little five year old knew and how much he cared but she realized he wasn't any little five year old, he was her brother.

With her sweet voice and sad smile Arabella said,"Lets go watch a movie and then we can order Chinese food for dinner, how about that?".

She stood up let go of Alex's hand and walked out into the hall waiting at the door way for the boys to follow and they walked down the steps and into the living room.