Page 6 of Twisted Fate

Her eyes were on her niece, not her sister. Alice, now two years old, had a mass of blonde curls on her head and a face that matched her mother’s and Keily’s. Was that what her babies would look like, Keily wondered, like miniature Alices? Her heart melted at the thought and for a moment she thought tears would overcome her, but she took a deep breath and fought them down.

“Fine, Keily. How are you?” Violet looked Keily up and down while Alice, her daughter, fidgeted in her lap. Her eyes went wide when she noticed the smock and her eyes quickly went back up to Keily’s, a question there that Keily didn’t want to answer. Even if it was obvious what the answer was.

“I’m good,” Keily replied, fake smile brittle as could be. How was she going to get through this?

Alice continued to fidget until Keily handed the seat over to Violet. Violet put the seat down beside her and put Alice in it before she looked back up at her older sister.

“When is the baby due?” There was no judgment there, just curiosity.

“In March,” Keily answered automatically. She’d already become accustomed to people asking her that. Even the sister she hadn’t seen in over a year and a half.

“I see,” Violet answered, and Keily could tell she was doing the math, confused.

It was unusual that Keily had such a noticeable bump at this point in her pregnancy, but that was what happened when you were carrying around three growing humans inside of you.

“I’m going to have triplets.” Keily supplied and saw understanding mixed with shocked surprise.

“You’re kidding!” Violet whispered dramatically, her eyebrows high on her forehead. “Triplets?”

“Yes, triplets.” Keily thawed a little as she talked about her babies and decided what to do next. “Look, I know I’m supposed to be asking you what you want to eat but it’s been a long time and, well, you’re here so either you want to gloat, or you want to talk. Can I sit down?”

“Sure, yeah, that’s fine,” Violet answered and pointed at the booth across from her.

“Alright,” Keily replied and slid into the booth. “I guess since you agreed and you’re here you don’t want to gloat.”

“No, not really. I heard around town that you were working here and about where you were living and I just wanted to check on you. I said some pretty awful things to you and then I ignored you and, wow, I still can’t get over triplets. A lot has happened.” Violet looked contrite and Keily felt her own guilt flare-up.

“You didn’t say anything that I didn’t deserve, Violet. I was awful to you, to Alice, to myself. I’m really sorry I’ve been such a bitch your whole life, too.”

“I guess that was more Mom’s doing than yours. I saw what she did to you, how she treated you, and while she thought you were some kind of precious angel, I could see she was using you. I should have understood that better.” Violet smiled sadly across to her sister.

“Why should you? You were a kid and I was a monster. And yeah, Mom’s to blame for a lot of that, but I made my own choices and I regret a lot of them.” Keily looked away this time, her eyes full of tears she tried desperately to hold back. “A lot has changed, a lot will change again shortly, when I have these babies, but I won’t ever stop feeling bad about how I treated you for far too long.”

“Oh, let’s just... damn it, Keily.” Violet reached for a napkin and wiped at her own eyes, her eyeliner smudging as she dabbed. “I needed time to come to grips with things, but I understand now. And I’m willing to give being your sister another chance if you are?”

“I am. I really am.” Keily reached to grab at Violet’s hand and almost sobbed with relief when Violet grasped back.

“Oh my God, you two are going to make me cry too.” Rosa sobbed from her booth and they all laughed then.

“Rosa, come meet my little sister,” Keily called out before she looked back at Violet. “You’ll love Rosa, she’s my best friend.”

“You have a best friend, Keily? You hate other women.” Violet exclaimed, surprised all over again.

“I told you things have changed,” Keily said with a huge smile just as Rosa came and slipped into the booth with her.

“Hi, I’m Rosa. Nice to meet you.” Rosa held out her hand to Violet with a huge grin.

“I’m Violet, nice to meet you too,” Violet answered and shook Rosa’s hand. “And this is my daughter Alice.”

“Oh, she’s adorable.” Rosa smiled at Alice before she looked back at Keily. “Think your munchkins will look like her? She looks just like you and Violet.”

“Probably. Although, I’m not sure the world is ready for three more of me.”

“Maybe you’ll have boys.” Violet was quick to add. “But you aren’t Mom, so maybe your kids will be, uh, different.”

“Nice save, sis.” Keily laughed but nodded too. “I don’t think my kids will be anything like me, or well, how I was. I am most definitely not Mom.”

“I know I don’t know her, but from what you’ve told me Keily, and what Violet just implied, I don’t think you’ll be anything like her. Nothing at all. Besides, you’ll have us to temper that snobby attitude if it comes back.”