♡ cheryl . 

No hoarse voice needed recognizing,  just like there was no opportunity for Cheryl to be faced with the challenge of presenting optimism  —  because in he walked.  

The hand that once found its way to Betty’s lap in the most intimate courage she had ever pursued recoiled along with her other,  arms folding across her chest.  

‘  I wasn’t aware that a Blossom family reunion was taking place,  ’  was the hostility Jason was greeted with when he entered the room.  Cheryl was not subtle,  but it didn’t matter;  her brother was not looking at her.  A single-rose clad hand lay at his side.  ‘  Put it in my vase,  brother.  ’  His eyes finally found her and they were mimicking her expression.  His eyes went from Cheryl’s floral arrangement to Cheryl.  Once his steps began moving toward the flowers,  Cheryl’s heart fell.  ‘  I  ^LOVE  my brother more than I have or will ever love someone in this life time.  I love you  ^MORE  than I love  ^MYSELF,  Jason.  ’  The words were spoken to no one in particular.  He reached for his sisters hand,  stoically,  in an act of comfort.  It made her emotional.  JJ knew how to make her emotional.  He didn’t have to try.

Her eyes turned upright to see where she wished she was,  where she was once standing,  beside Betty.  ‘  A single Blossom red rose was exactly what this room was missing,  ’  Cheryl offered her validation along with her biggest hoax smile before turning on her heel to exit the room and heading to a vending machine.  Soon she would preoccupied with other things,  like why that vending machine did  _NOT have  CHERRY cola,  and who was going to appease her before the hospital hallway became her stage.

            _{The Blossoms were…} strange_{. Family like she’d never seen it before, something out of a novella or a soap ––– the kind of family she’d expect to use words like} ‘HEIR’ _and ‘LINEGE’ _{regularly. Betty couldn’t relate. The Coopers had to be the entire} opposite _{of all that. So while the siblings reunited, Betty watched patiently, hints of confusion striking her features as she tried to work out what the big deal was all about, and why Cheryl, all of a sudden, seemed so} EMOTIONAL_. 

_{Yeah, the Blossoms were} really strange.  

_{The rose joined the others, but stood out, darker, with petals in full bloom. Betty watched helplessly as Cheryl left the room. She wished she could follow. She imagined swinging both legs off the bed and chasing after her and –– and then what? She wasn’t sure. Something…}

_{With Cheryl’s absence} palpable _{in the room, Jason took a seat at the edge of the bed. Her thigh was still uncovered and the} bare _{skin burned as she reached to cover herself back up. Betty didn’t offer an explanation, and he didn’t ask. Maybe he didn’t want to} KNOW_{. He, in a matter of seconds, had her hand in his.} 

_{Betty’d had a crush on him, once upon a time. But it was} too late _{for that now. And when his lips touched hers, she mourned the part of her that had liked Jason Blossom. She was} gone _{and wouldn’t be coming back any time–––} OH NO. 

_{“ Cheryl, ” Betty cringed, catching her eyes. She’d seen the kiss. She’d had to. Jason’s hand was still on her shoulder, the cheap hospital gown crinkling under his palm too loudly in the dead-silence of this too-small room. Three really was a crowd.}