When We Meet Again

When the soap opera they were watching ended, Mia sighed; she had been thinking of what she and Charlotte would do after the movie ended with her mother and brother having mother-and-son time together. The cookies they were eating had finished and the strawberry juice too. She also doesn't think that food is ready yet.

She stood up to clear the table with Charlotte offering to help but Mia stopped her.

"You don't have to," she said.

She picked up everything herself and headed to the kitchen.

Mrs Matt and her assistant, Kate seem very busy making lunch. Kate took the tray containing the jug, plates, and cups from Mia and headed to the sink to wash them.

"Will food be ready soon?" Mia asked Mrs. Matt.

"In a few hours," Mrs Matt answered.

Mia left the kitchen and headed back to the living room. She sat beside Charlotte.

"Do you have anything in mind you want us to do?" She asked Charlotte who shook her head.

"I do not have any. Do you have something in mind?"

Mia nodded with a smile. "Let's go construct a swing in the garden" she suggested. "It's going to be fun."

She had had the thought of making a swing for a while now and had bought everything she needed. Seeing Charlotte, she had pictured how elegant she would look when sitting on it and that triggered her desire to make one now. "Let's get a professional to get the job done," Charlotte said.

"Let's make it together, please," Mia insisted. "I want to do it with you."

"But we don't know who to make a swing. I do not know how to. Do you?"

Mia nodded. "I have browsed through the internet. It's very easy." She held Charlotte's hand, giving her puppy eyes. "Please. Will you join me?"

Charlotte sighed. "Fine, I will come with you." She agreed. "But promise me you won't bother me after that."

Mia nodded. "I promise I won't but not for long though."

"How do we go about it?" Charlotte asked.

"Everything we need is kept in the garden." She stood up. "You just have to come with me to the garden."

Charlotte stood up "Let's go."

"Mom, we will be back before lunch," Mia said and her mother nodded.

"Have fun."

Mia waved at her brother before leaving with Charlotte. They got to the garden and Charlotte sat on the bench

"Where do we start from?" She asked. "Are we using the tree over there?"

"Should we use that tree or do we make the A-frame Set Bracket ourselves?" Mia asked.

Charlotte thought for a moment and smiled. It would be fun to make everything themselves provided that Mia has everything they need.

"Do you have woods for the bracket?" Charlotte asked.

Mia nodded. "I've got everything we may need. But if there is anything we might need in the long run, I will order."

Charlotte stood up. "Then we make everything ourselves."

Mia was happy Charlotte was willing to help her out with everything; she shrieked happily.

"What do we start with? Should I get the woods?" She asked.

Charlotte smiled. "I will help you out."

They packed everything they needed to the site they would be using and began to construct. During construction, Mia stumbled dangerously and Charlotte ran quickly to help her, sustaining an injury in the process. Mia screamed for help when she saw Charlotte bleeding profusely from the arm. Hearing the commotion from outside, Melvin and his mother ran out.

"What is going on?" Melvin asked.

"She got hurt while trying to save me," Mia said sadly.

She was sad that Charlotte got hurt because of her. Charlotte whined a little in pain and their mom moved closer to her. "Are you okay?"

Charlotte not wanting to get anyone worried, smiled warily. "It's just a little injury. I will be fine."

"But you're bleeding," his mom said. "We have to take you to the hospital. Call 911, Melvin?"

Melvin who had been on a call to get an ambulance ready, moved closer to them.

"The ambulance should be here soon." He said. "In the meantime, let's try to stop the bleeding. Get me a clean cloth, Mia."

Mia rushed quickly to get a clean cloth which Melvin used to insert pressure on the bleeding arm to stop the bleeding.

"I am fine," Charlotte insisted but Melvin ignored her.

"The ambulance is here," Mia announced. "I will go with you."

Melvin lifted Charlotte and took her to the ambulance which headed to the hospital immediately. Charlotte wondered why Melvin called an ambulance over a little injury like hers.

Did he feel guilty because it involved his sister? Or he did that because he cares. Or maybe he did that because his mother said so.

The drive to the hospital was quiet and somewhat awkward with Melvin's presence. At the hospital, the doctor confirmed Charlotte had a broken arm and would need casting and also anti-inflammatory painkillers. Mia felt guilty once more for being the cause; if she had not insisted that they make the swing themselves when Charlotte suggested that they get the help of a professional, things would not have ended up this way.

"I am so sorry, Charlotte. It's all my fault."

Charlotte could tell how sorry Mia was; she assured her that it wasn't her fault but Mia insisted it was.

"It was all my fault."

Charlotte shook her head. "It's not, Mia. It's nothing but an accident."

"But I am still sorry you had to get hurt for my sake. I mean it Charlotte. I am sorry. And thank you for saving me." Mia said, hugging Charlotte.

Charlotte wrapped her left hand around Mia. "You don't have to be sorry okay? And you don't have to thank me."

Watching how Charlotte was not blaming Mia for the accident and not making a big issue out of the situation, Melvin's mother was happy she had accepted Charlotte as her daughter-in-law. She thought of how difficult it would be for Charlotte to get things done by herself; she felt sorry for her, so she insisted that she recuperate at their old house.

"You should come back with us." She said. "You need all the help you can get."

Charlotte wished she could say no to that; she had a lot of documents to work on. But seeing the worried look on Mia's face and also on her mother-in-law's face; she was also persistent about making her go with them; she had no option but to agree to it. Before she fully agreed with them, she had to get a confirmation from Melvin.

She stared at him and when he nodded, she smiled. "I will go with you, mother."

"You are coming too, right, Melvin? You won't leave her alone. Would you?"

"I've got a few things to do at home," Melvin said.

"I won't be taking that as an answer. You are coming with us."

"Mom, I..."

"Isn't she getting discharged now? You should go make sure of that. I will call Martha and ask her to clean up your room"

"I won't be sharing a room with her, will I?" Melvin asked.

"Do you want to share a room with me?" His mom asked.

"I can't share a room with her." Melvin insisted.

"I do not want to share a room with you either," Charlotte mumbled.

"Get going, Melvin. We need to get home soon. She needs to eat to take her drugs." His mom said.

Melvin left the ward and Charlotte would not stop mumbling so words. She had never spent the night in the same room with Melvin before. His mom knows about it and she never said anything. Why is she interested in making them share a room now?