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She could understand why they’d hide it from her little brother Tim. He’s only eight years old, still a baby. But she’s old enough to know the truth. Now she relived every time she saw the other girl lurking outside their home or the few times they’d run into her or her mom on the street, and either dad or mom would hurry to get away.
When she thought of how the older girl had been teased and bullied at school by her peers, she balled her hands into fists, ready to pummel someone. Her heart hurt, and the huge gulping breaths she had to take in between sobs weren’t helping. Her little mind fluctuated between anger at being lied to and jealousy that she was no longer daddy’s only girl.
James found his child curled into a ball, wailing her heart out, which broke his. “Em, honey, do you want to talk about it?” He was still reeling at the fact that she’d known the girl had been there, standing outside their home. He hadn’t been aware until a few hours ago when he learned about it at the station and still didn’t know how to feel about it.
Emily rolled to her back and looked up at her dad through tear-filled eyes. “What’s going to happen to Connie now that she doesn’t have a mom?”
“I’m not sure, honey.”
“But she’s your daughter too dad, like me, she’s going to be all alone. You and mom shouldn’t be mean to her because of what her mom did.”
“What do you mean?”
“I heard you and mom talking; dad, I heard everything. I hate her mom, but I don’t hate her. Besides, we have the room.” The look on her dad’s face told her that he didn’t agree, and something inside the little girl snapped. “You’re a liar dad, all that stuff you say about being kind to others is fake. I’m not going to church on Sunday.”
Emily knew she was ranting, but her mind was racing too fast for her mouth to keep up. “Wait, what? What does church have to do with this?”
“Dad, you’re always saying what would Jesus do, but you’re willing to leave your daughter alone without a mom or dad; you’re a fake. Please, daddy, please let her move in here with us.”
Emily went from pleading to yelling in frustration. “If you don’t when I leave for college, I’ll never come back. See if I don’t.” James was a bit taken aback by the girl’s stance. He didn’t know that his gentle little angel had it in her to be like this. Before he could answer to explain why what she was asking for wasn’t possible, the door opened, and his wife walked into the room.
He’d never felt this beaten in all his years, except from when this whole thing started all those years ago. He couldn’t help but feel responsible for the pain his wife and child were feeling even though he, too, had been wronged. Cora’s knees felt weak as she dropped to the bed to sit beside her daughter.
She’d heard everything the girl had said to her dad and felt ashamed. When did her child become this smart? Everything seemed so chaotic and out of her control. She’d never planned on her children ever knowing about their older sister’s existence. As far as she was concerned, the girl was a nonissue. And even if she had, she wouldn’t have chosen this way to make the announcement.
It felt as though sixteen years of pent-up resentment had just been exposed, as if the wound that had scabbed over with time had just been ripped open, and she was left bleeding out on the floor. But how is it that a child can see things so much clearer than her husband and her? She looked at him now and saw in his eyes that his resolve was weakening.
Celia was out cold one minute and drunkenly aware the next in the back of Riley’s truck, as he seemed to find every rut and pothole in the town. “Ouch!” She grabbed the sides of her head to ease the pain and couldn’t make out his words over the roaring in her ears. “Serves you right!” Were the words Riley muttered as he looked over his shoulder at the drunk.
Celia’s mind was splintered between her time on the porch with the two older women and her last argument with Riley. She couldn’t for the life of her recall if they’d come up with an answer to her problem with Riley. She was still trying to figure out what the hell the big deal was about her taking off the ring while she worked.
Speaking of which, she fumbled around beneath her shirt to find it and drunkenly unclasped the necklace it was attached to. The ring fell into her palm, and she stared at its beauty before sliding it back onto her finger. She put the chain back on and was about to reach her hand out to Riley to show him that the ring was back in place and there was no need for him to be mad at her any longer, but she passed out again.
