“That’s why I called. I’m flying home late tonight. Can you come meet me? And…can I spend the night there? I don’t want to go to Mom and Dad’s yet.”
“Yeah, but you have to sleep on the couch. Liam’s moved in with me. We got his stuff today.”
There was a moment of hesitation. “Oh. I didn’t realize it was going to happen that fast. How did Mom and Dad take it?”
“Mom, predictably. Dad’s pretty upset about all of this.”
Amy’s voice grew soft. “I’m sure he is. What did he say when you told him?”
“What? About the baby? Hell no. That’s your job, not mine. He’s already pissed off at me, and he’s blaming your disappearance and Liam’s moving out on me.”
“I’m sorry about that. Thank you for not telling them.”
“I hope this guy is worth it,” Gwen snarked before reining in her temper. “So, what are you going to do?”
“I don’t know yet. A friend of mine said I can stay with her for a while. But she needs a couple of days to empty out her spare room so I can stay there. Until I…get my own place. I can’t live with Mom and Dad anymore. If Liam’s with you, it means I don’t have to.”
Liam motioned for the phone, and Gwen gladly handed it over. She didn’t want to talk to Amy anymore. She didn’t want to think for the rest of the evening. All she wanted to do was curl up into a ball in Liam’s lap and forget about the world.
To try to forget about what she’d lost.
Liam insisted on going with her to the airport despite Gwen trying to talk him into staying home. He’d had more than enough excitement for a while, in her opinion, but she refused to smother him like their mother had.
All the way there, Liam rested his hand on Gwen’s thigh. They didn’t talk, but his comforting presence helped ground her. When they pulled up to the baggage claim area, Amy was already sitting on a bench by the curb, waiting on them. She looked exhausted. No makeup, her hair was pulled back into a ponytail.
That wasn’t like Amy. Amy never left the house without makeup. Once again, Gwen felt sorry for her sister despite her irritation at her sister’s irresponsible behavior.
At least I’m not pregnant, she thought and not for the first time. She knew her own period was due to start any day from the fact that she’d felt the first twinges of cramping. Of course, a raging case of PMS didn’t help with her hair-trigger temper any, either.
Gwen got out and hugged her without talking before they loaded her bags into the back of the SUV. Amy climbed into the backseat.
“Hiya,” Liam said. “What’s new?”
With that, all three of them started laughing. Gwen shook her head as she shifted into drive and they headed back to her home.
“Thanks for coming to get me,” Amy softly said. “I really appreciate it.”
Gwen glanced in the rearview mirror. “It’s okay.”
“No, it’s not,” Amy said. She took a deep breath. “I owe you both a huge apology. I’m really sorry. I just didn’t want to tell you what was going on. Then after I found out about…” Her voice broke up. She cleared her throat and stated again. “I’m sorry.”
Liam twisted in his seat to look at her. “Why didn’t you think you could talk to us? Haven’t the past couple of months shown you could trust us?”
Amy stared at her hands. “I was pretty ashamed of myself.”
Gwen didn’t say anything. Liam let it go, and they rode the rest of the way to Gwen’s house in silence.
The next morning, Amy was already sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee and talking with Liam when Gwen wandered downstairs. Gwen had sworn to herself that she wouldn’t get upset with her sister, no matter what. She’d be mature and calm and understanding, if not in agreement, of her sister’s motives for putting them through hell.
Liam got up when Gwen walked in and fixed her a cup of coffee. She didn’t try to stop him. Another of her promises to herself, that she wouldn’t baby Liam, would let him decide what he could and couldn’t do.
“Thanks, bro,” she gratefully said upon accepting the proffered cup of steaming morning goodness.
“You’re welcome. Sit with us. We’re talking.”
She took up the seat between them, Liam on her left. Amy looked even more haggard this morning, her limp hair pulled back into an untidy ponytail. Gwen wondered if she’d even brushed her hair upon awakening, or if she’d slept with it like that. As disheveled as her older sister looked, Gwen suspected the latter.
“So, what’s new?” Gwen tried in a light tone.
The ghost of a smile crossed Amy’s face. “It’s okay, Gee. I know I screwed up. I don’t expect a free pass.”
Gwen sighed and ignored Liam, who bumped her leg with his foot under the table in warning. Gwen tucked her legs under her chair, out of kicking reach. “Amy, we love you, but honestly? This was really whacked.”
Amy nodded. “I know.”
“Mom and Dad were crawling up my ass over this. I got blamed.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s bad enough that Dad chews me out every chance he gets for total bullshit, but I don’t need you throwing me under the bus, too.”
“Gee,” Liam warned.
Aaannnd, we’re off. “No, bro, I need to say this. I’ve held it in long enough.” No, it wasn’t Amy’s fault, but she was tired of being the whipping boy for her parents. “Look, they hold you up as the golden child, the perfect one. I’m sorry this has happened to you, and I’m not trying to lord this over you. But honestly? Couldn’t you have stood up for me once in a while to them?”
Liam sighed and sat back in his chair to wait her out.
Amy nodded. “You’re right,” she softly said. “I should have.” She looked at Liam, then Gwen. “I was always jealous of you.”
That shocked Gwen into momentary silence. “What?”
“Yeah. You had the tenacity to go out and get what you wanted. You got married. I know Dickweed wasn’t a happy ending for you, but you got out of there and away from our parents. You went after the career you dreamed of. You’re making a living at what you love to do. You escaped Mom and Dad.”
Did her sister really think that? Had Gwen been so wrong about her all those years? “But you’re their favorite. What do you have to be jealous over?”
Amy shrugged as she looked into her coffee cup. “You and Liam were always so close. I never fit in with you two.”
Gwen and Liam exchanged a glance. Liam raised a hand to still Gwen’s comments. “What are you talking about?” he asked.
Amy briefly glanced up at Gwen. “When she arrived, suddenly I didn’t matter anymore. You were always all over her. You and I used to play all the time and then little sister arrived and I didn’t matter anymore. I had to be the good child in their eyes because you two always banded together against them.”
“Are you shitting me?” Gwen said, unable to hold back. “You’re trying to blame all this on me?”
“No!” Amy vigorously shook her head. “No, that’s not what I’m saying.” She took a deep breath. “That’s not what I’m saying at all. It’s just that for so many years I was trying to keep my head down and be the good kid that I forgot who I was.” She played with her coffee mug. “I didn’t mean to get involved with…him.” Gwen suspected Amy almost slipped and mentioned his name. “I definitely didn’t mean to get pregnant. But I love him, and he loves me.” She looked up at them, defiance splashed across her face. “He makes me feel special. He says that I make him feel special.”
“You’re both special, all right,” Gwen snarked. “I’ll get you both hockey helmets and load you on the short bus to the special school. What were you two thinking? What about the guy’s wife? Do they have any kids?”