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CHAPTER 35 |
PREVIOUSLY:[Del feels relief as he watches his sister laugh. He wasn't sure if he would see her with a smile on her face again for a long time. Del adds his laughter to hers as they continue to reminisce, both preferring to spend at least a few minutes traveling back to a less difficult time, rather than focusing on the painful present.]
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chapter 35:
[More than an hour later, Tea is in her wheelchair, staring out her window, waiting for Todd to return. She had sent him to bring back breakfast for himself and Del, but he's been gone much longer than expected.
Del watches her, knowing that she's worried about her ex-husband. He's also wondering what could be taking Todd so long, but he absolutely refuses to allow himself to join his sister in worrying about Todd Manning.
When Todd finally returns to Tea's room, he tosses a bag, with Del's breakfast in it, in Del's direction.
Tea turns her wheelchair toward him, relieved that he's finally returned. Todd notices the look of relief on her face.]
Todd: You told me to stay gone a while.
Tea: I know.
Todd: Besides, I had to pack and check out of my hotel.
Tea: Are you planning to stay somewhere closer?
Todd: Definitely.
Tea: You're not staying here.
[Todd steps out of the room again and picks up the suitcase he left in the hallway, just outside her door. He quickly walks back into her room and opens a small closet.]
Tea: Did you hear me?
Todd: I heard you.
[Del begins dining on the food Todd brought while he enjoys the entertainment of watching the two stubborn people before him battle over who will get their way this time.
After placing his suitcase in Tea's closet, Todd closes the door and finds her looking at him with a determined look on her face.]
Tea: You're not staying here.
Todd: Did you already eat breakfast?
Tea: Yes. Take your suitcase out of my closet.
Todd: There's enough room in there. We didn't buy you that much stuff yesterday that you need the entire closet to yourself.
Tea: You are not staying here.
Todd: You're getting repetitious.
Tea: No, I'm getting angry.
Todd: Are you getting shrunk in here?
Tea: I'll be having my session in the psychiatrist's office.
Todd: When?
Tea: Soon.
Todd: Good. I'll take a nap. Go away, Del.
Del: Tea insists that I have to waste my day with you. Have you ever been surfing?
Todd: Sure...on the web.
Tea: Del...
Del: Maybe he'd like to learn something new.
Tea: Find something that won't cause him bodily harm.
Todd: You're worried about me? That's it...I'm never leaving you again.
Tea: You're not staying here.
Todd: I have nowhere else to go. I'm homeless.
Tea: You have a home back in Llanview.
Todd: Are you ready to leave here?
Tea: I don't think your family would appreciate it if I returned with you.
Todd: The ones who matter will come around...eventually.
[They both choose to change the subject, especially since neither wants to share all the details of Todd's current family situation with Del.]
Tea: You can go right now and find a new hotel to stay at, because you will not be staying here tonight, or any night.
Todd: After my nap, if you're not done being shrunk yet, I'll go out looking for our new house.
Tea: I'm not living with you.
Todd: You already agreed, remember?
Tea: That was a mistake. I no longer agree. And, the more you annoy me about this, the more I question even allowing you to visit me anymore.
Del: Manning, maybe you should back off.
Todd: Stay out of this.
Del: You're pushing her too hard. Give her some room to breathe. If she really wants to be with you, you won't have to force it.
Todd: I'm not forcing Tea into anything. She wants me here.
Del: That's not what she's telling you.
Todd: She doesn't know what she's saying.
Tea: I know exactly what I'm saying. Go back to Llanview where you can pay people to do what you tell them to do. It won't work that way here.
Todd: Get out, Del.
Tea: This is my room. I decide who comes and goes. Del is staying. You're leaving.
Todd (to Del): Get out!
Tea (to Del): Stay!
Del: Maybe I should go and let the two of you talk.
Tea: You're not leaving...Todd is.
Todd: You should really talk to your shrink about this pushing me away because you feel guilty thing.
Tea: I'm pushing you away because you won't show even a minuscule amount of respect for my wishes.
Todd: I respect your wishes. You want to be with me. I respect that. That's why I'm here.
Tea: I don't want you to move in here.
Todd: Sure, you do.
Tea: I don't. How many more times do I need to say it?
Todd: As many as it takes until it becomes true.
Tea: Well, we're there.
Todd: Nah. We're not even close to that yet.
Tea: Fine! You want to stay here? You go ahead. I'll leave. Del, I accept your invitation to move in with you. I'll try not to stay too long.
Del: You can stay as long as you need to.
Todd (to Tea): You're going to live with him?
Tea: Yes.
Todd: Does he live in Puerto Rico now?
Tea: No.
Todd: I thought you didn't want to fly anymore?
Tea: I don't. I'll take a boat.
Todd: I could rent one.
Tea: I'd get on your boat and I'd end up stranded on a deserted island with you, right?
Todd: Not completely deserted. We'd have people around to do all the stuff we don't want to do ourselves.
[A staff member enters and informs Tea that the psychiatrist is ready for her.]
Tea (to Todd): Because of you, I have to go and put myself through hell.
Todd: I thought you weren't going to blame me?
Tea: That was before you upset me. Now, I blame you.
Todd: Good! It's better that you're ticked off at me than at yourself.
Tea: So, you understand why the security guards will be coming for you?
Todd: You can keep playing this game and have them try to throw me out, but you want me here and you know it.
Tea: I can't do this right now. If you won't even try to understand that, you need to leave.
Todd: So, you want me to live nearby, spend time with you when you feel like it, stay away when you don't, not push for anything more than what you want at any particular moment, make out with you when you're in the mood, but not try anything when you're not, and never say out loud how I feel about you?
Tea: That sounds fair, doesn't it?
Todd: How do you figure that?
Tea: That sounds similar to my first marriage to you.
[Leaving Todd with that thought, Tea leaves for her session with the staff psychiatrist.]
Del: Come on, Manning, let's go.
Todd: I thought you wanted her to be happy?
Del: I do. If you back off a little and give her a chance to think, I'm sure I'll lose a roommate and you'll, unfortunately, gain one. For now, just try to do what she's asking.
Todd: She just wants to push me away because she feels lousy about feeling good after what happened.
Del: Then, let her deal with that. Let her have some time in therapy to deal with everything first before you jump back into this relationship. Unless, you're afraid that if you don't push her into it right now, she'll come to her senses and will never again be foolish enough to be with you.
Todd: She's been happy with me.
Del: I don't doubt that.
Todd: Sure, you do.
Del: I don't. I also don't doubt that she's been miserable with you. You've really blown it in the past. Whoever taught you how to handle yourself in a relationship did a horrible job.
Todd: He was a horrible guy.
Del: I heard you had a lousy childhood.
Todd: If you try to get touchy-feely with me...
Del: Don't worry, I have no desire to delve into your psyche. Right now, I'm too worried about my sister. She wants us to be gone when she gets back from her therapy session. I think we should give her what she wants.
Todd: We can't leave.
Del: She won't hurt herself. The staff will keep an eye on her. She'll be fine.
Todd: She needs me.
Del: She needs some space. You need to give it to her or you'll push her so far away she'll never choose to move in your direction again.
Todd: Is this like that -- if you love someone tell them to get the hell out and if they love you they'll tell you off and refuse to go -- kind of thing? Because, that doesn't seem to be working.
Del: That's because both people have to want to be together first. Tea isn't opening the door, offering you a choice between staying and going. She's pushing you out the door, because you refuse to go slow, even though you know that she needs to right now.
Todd: She needs me.
Del: Maybe she does. But, play a little harder to get and let her be the one who decides the pace of your relationship.
Todd: I've never been good at that.
Del: Frankly, neither have I, but that's exactly what Tea needs right now.
Todd: If I go with you, we won't talk about any of this junk anymore, right? Because, this heart-to-heart stuff really reeks.
Del: Your heart, if you have one, will stay off-limits.
Todd: My heart is a mirage that only Tea can see.
[Todd gets off Tea's bed and begins walking toward the door. Del follows him.]
Del: What do you want to do today?
Todd: Sleep.
Del: Good. I'll drive. You'll sleep. Maybe we'll make it through this day without killing each other, after all.
to be continued...
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2001 COPYRIGHT BY TIMA
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