Page 58 of Dreaming Without Heartache

“Yes, please.” She vigorously nods her head as she licks her lips.

“All three?” I confirm. She nods again wide-eyed and excited. “Want ketchup for your eggs and strawberry jam for your biscuit?”

“Yes!” she says again, before turning her attention back to the tablet. I take her plate and slide it in front of her with a glass of juice. “Thank you.” She picks up her fork, never taking her eyes from the tablet.

I start filling my plate when Kara slowly drifts into the kitchen, her movements reluctant. I slide an empty plate in her direction.

“I’m not hungry.” She pushes the plate back toward me.

“We aren’t doing this. You’re eating something.” I look at her sternly before going to sit next to Maisie.

“Fine!” She pours herself some juice and grabs a couple of pieces of bacon. “Better?”

I shake my head in disappointment. I was hoping for a better morning than the shitshow we had last night. “Please, sit.” I gesture to a chair across from me.

She grabs another piece of bacon before easing her way over to the table. I know she’s hungry. Breakfast used to be her favorite meal. Maisie’s so wrapped in her show that she doesn’t notice us as she eats her eggs. She dips them in ketchup the same way my sister did.

There’s no time like the present. I reach into my back pocket, pulling out Kara’s cell phone, and push it across the table to her. “Here.”

She stares at me, her eyes squinting in suspicion. “What’s the catch?” she asks, taking her phone and putting it next to her juice glass. “Am I not grounded anymore?”

I sigh, bracing myself for what I have to say. She shoves the last piece of bacon in her mouth. I let her chew and swallow before diving into the unknown. “That’s not up to me anymore.” I take my first bite of eggs.

Her brow furrows in confusion. “Why not?”

“Your Gigi will be making those decisions.”

Kara leans forward, crossing her arms on the table, and holding her phone in one hand. “What are you talking about now? Why is she deciding?”

I lay my fork down, preparing for the worst. “You’re going to live with her for a while.”

“I’m what!” she says more calmly than I expected.

“Your Gigi will be here in less than an hour to pick you up.” I push my plate back a smidgen, having lost my appetite. The knots in my stomach fill the void.

“Oh, great!” Kara waves her arms toward Maisie, who finally notices our conversation. “You’re just going to ship us off to live with Gigi while you live in our house. This is such crap! This is our home, not yours.”

Maisie stands up in her chair, placing her hands on her hips in defiance. “I don’t want to live with Gigi!”

“Sit down.” I point at Maisie, who decides it’s best to plop back down onto her knees. “Kara.” I return my attention to her, swallowing back my anxiety. “I live here because you two live here. Not because this was my choice. And yes, this is your home, not mine. It will always be your home. Your outbursts have gotten out of hand. You smoking is unacceptable. The sneaking out to meet boys won’t be tolerated any longer. You don’t respect or listen to me, so you’re going to live with someone you will respect.” My voice is scratchy from holding back my emotions. “Maisie’s staying here with me.”

Maisie shifts uncomfortably beside me, looking from her sister to me, wide-eyed and frightened, as though waiting for an explosion she knows is about to happen.

Kara stands, pushing her chair back so forcibly it falls backward. Her eyes are glossy with unshed tears. She crosses her arms, jutting out her chin in a mask of defiance as she tries to hide the tremor in her jaw. She finally breaks the silence. “Fine,” she spits, her voice cracking. “Send me away. You never wanted me anyway. It’s obvious.”

My heart sinks with her words. You’d think I’d be used to it by now. “That’s not true and you know it.” I stand too, trying to emphasize my feelings, though my words feel useless.

“Keep telling yourself that,” her voice stammers. A tear runs down her cheek, breaking my heart in the process. “What time do I need to be ready?”

I let my tears fall, unable to hold them back. “Judy will be here soon. Pack a suitcase with everything you need for this week. We will move you in completely next weekend.”

Maisie jumps from her seat, rushing toward Kara and wrapping her arms around her waist. “I don’t want you to leave.”

Kara bends down so that she’s eye level with Maisie. “I’m not that far away, and I’ll always be here for you no matter where I live. I love you.” They hug. I hate separating them. Life wouldn’t have been the same without my big sister taking care of me as a kid. But this is a different situation. I’m not doing this to hurt Kara. Even if she doesn’t realize the reasoning right now.

“I love you, too,” Maisie’s small voice says through the tears.

Kara hugs her again. “Want to help me pack?”