#10 A Serious Discussion

My sister led us to her study room, where she seldom used it and there's almost nothing in it. She wanted to leave us when Eric told her she could stay. That was also a way to prevent me from chasing him away.

He took a seat opposite me while my sister sat beside me. I was glad she did not serve him anymore snacks like how we would normally treat guests.

"I heard your mother admitted into the hospital?" He crossed his legs while sitting on the couch like it was his own home. "My mother's condition is not good news too."

I was perplexed at first but then I remembered his mother was a Calnan too.

"Ours too. Amanda just visited her." My sister looked at me, indicating to me that I should give them an update on our mother's condition.

"Really? How's her condition?" Eric didn't look too interested but he asked anyway.

"Um… Fine, I guess? Just like when grandma first admitted." She may look weak on the outside but since she was able to even notice my eye-bags, she should be fine. Although it was just an assumption, I do believe she has yet to enter the dangerous stage.

Eric then told us that his mother wanted to meet us but was ill so he came in her stead.

"Seriously, she was always asking about how your mother was doing but I kept forgetting to ask you."

It seems like her condition worsened after our class went to their mansion for the school trip. He doesn't look worried at all but I guess he was hiding it.

"Remember that time when she called me persistent?" Oh, when I first met his mother. "I made a deal with her that time. I told her if she would let me remain in the same class then our mansion could stay as a tourist spot like always."

He continued to talk about my mother. It wasn't a topic he came up by himself but his mother. She had planned what to say when she meets us but since she wasn't able to present herself, she made her son do it in her stead.

"Your mother was a woman who always had a loving smile on her face that attracted many men and one of them was your father."

It was interesting at first, so I listened. It wasn't something stated in her diary so I was quite curious how a person like her could attract my father who rarely even looked at someone's face.

"Oh, and this was the most important part you need to know," Eric sat up straight and said in a steady manner.

"When you were born, your mother was so happy to see you. She even told my mother how grateful she was to be able to raise a child like you. You changed her life."

"Yeah, she always had a bright and beautiful smile when she knew she would be able to see Amanda when she wakes up every morning," my sister patted my head and said, "you changed my life too."

How did I change your lives? Did you mean it in a good or bad way?

"If she loved you so much, then why did she blame your existence for making our grandmother in that state?"

I was shocked when he brought back that past. It was something I didn't want to remember but why is he so curious about it?

"Maybe she was just too stressed out about it and blamed whoever came in her mind first." My sister said.

"Hmm, that makes sense since Amanda was her favorite."

"Enough." I didn't want to talk about that topic any further because my eyes started to sting again. I didn't cry a single drop of tear when father passed away but tears won't stop flowing out even though mother was still alive.

He can stay calm and composed because he never had a close relationship with his mother before. On the other hand, mother was all that's left for my sister and I to rely on. She was the leader of the house and our one and only mother, losing her won't do.

My sister still had a slight cough so I kept walking in and out of the room to give her water even though she said it wasn't necessary. I didn't want her to leave so early because she's going to be the next leader after mother.

Eric was curious if my sister were having symptoms of the disease and she said she had it since 16. I was shocked when I heard that.

"Those coughs back then weren't normal coughs?"

If that is so, it should be my turn anytime soon but I didn't have the slightest bit of sign of the symptoms. Ha, that sounded like I wanted to have the disease too.

Eric looked at the both of us and compared our faces. I knew what he was going to say when he opened his mouth so I said it first.

"We don't look alike, right?" He was shocked when I knew what he was going to say. "People often say that."

He stared at us for a long time before getting back to the topic.

"As you may be aware, the rate will slow down when they're left alone." He continued, "I came here to invite you to our vacation but seems like it won't be possible for your sister."

He came closer to check on her, "I wasn't wrong about it, she's definitely next."

Well, true. Her condition will worsen if she is surrounded by people so it's best for her to not go. He said that intentionally to brag about him not going to school, didn't he? I could tell by the look on his face.

After he was finally done with his business, I sent him off when his driver arrived.

"Don't spend too much time with your sister if you don't want her dead," he said before going in the car. Was that even necessary to tell me when I already know?

Sigh. Anyway, I need to sleep early tonight or mother would nag me about my eye-bags again.