Chelsea was acting strange, and I was now certain she knew something.
I lifted my brow skeptically. “Any particular reason you just asked me that?”
“No.”
My sister-in-law was a horrible liar. It was one thing for Jade to keep things from her when they lived across the country from each other. But they were living together now. I was certain they had spoken about me.
“What exactly did Jade tell you, Chelsea?”
She blew out a breath in defeat. “Everything.”
“Nothing happened.”
“Really?” she asked incredulously.
After a long moment of silence, I said, “Well, there’s nothing going on anymore. We haven’t been in touch in weeks. That was what she wanted. But you probably already know that.”
“It’s not really what she wanted, but it’s the way she feels it has to be.”
The phone rang, interrupting our conversation. I could hear that Chelsea was talking to Jade.
“Jade…speak slower. I can’t understand you.” She blocked her ear with her finger to hear better. “I can’t come get you now. I just put Little D down for his nap, and Damien is fixing a broken pipe in the building.”
Suddenly, my heart started pumping.
I interrupted, “Does she need a ride?”
Chelsea covered the phone with her hand. “Yes. She’s at my parents’. She’s having a bit of a panic attack and was wondering if I could come get her. I think being there for two days straight has been a bit much for her. She doesn’t have a car yet. Damien had dropped her off.”
“Tell her I’m on my way. I’ll just need you to text me where to go.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
She resumed talking to her sister. “Tyler is going to come get you.” It was clear that Jade wasn’t too happy about that when Chelsea again had to insist, “Jade…I’m sending him to get you. He’s here anyway. He’s on his way.” She paused. “Okay, I’ll tell him.”
Chelsea ended the call, “She said to just beep the horn when you’re out front and she’ll come out. She doesn’t want my dad to ask questions. I’ll message you the address.”
“Okay.”
As strange as it was going to be to pick her up under these circumstances, I couldn’t help the feeling of excitement in my stomach.
As I walked to my car, I remembered that I had something in my trunk that I’d bought to show Jade months back. My original intention was to take a picture of it and send it to her on Facebook. I never had the chance since she’d stopped communicating with me. But since I’d be seeing her today, I’d get to use it.
I wasn’t sure if anything could cheer her up under the circumstances, but I was damn well going to try.JADEThe door to my mother’s room was closed. She was sleeping more and more lately as result of the morphine they’d been giving her to dull the pain.
The past two days had been a reality check. I felt even more guilty for all of the months I’d been away. But I needed a breather. It was too much to see her suffering like that.
My father came up from behind me as I stood wiping my tears by the window.
“I’m sorry, honey. I can only imagine how hard it is to see your mother like this. She’s always been our rock, hasn’t she?”
“I’m sorry I can’t be stronger for you, Dad.”
“Your leaving New York was a big sacrifice and showed tremendous strength. Just take care of yourself, pumpkin. That’s all you need to worry about. This is equally hard on all of us.”
“I’ll be back tomorrow, first thing in the morning.” I felt the tears forming again. Not wanting Dad to see me cry, I said, “A friend is picking me up. I’m gonna wait outside and get some air, okay?”
“Of course,” he said as we embraced. “I love you.”
“Love you, too.”
Outside, the sun was beginning to set. I let the tears roll down my cheeks as I sat down on my parents’ steps. Listening to the sound of my neighbor’s wind chimes, I rested my head on my knees and cried harder as my tears wet the material of my leggings.
The sound of gravel under the wheels of a car caused me to look up. I quickly wiped my eyes as I spotted Tyler’s black Ford Explorer pulling in.
As I stood up and approached him, I had to squint to be sure I was seeing things clearly.
Oh my God.
What the?
When he waved, I couldn’t help but burst into laughter. I could no longer distinguish my happy tears from the sad ones.
He came around to open the passenger side door for me. In that moment, I happened to look up to find my father staring down at us from the window. I could only imagine what he must have been thinking: What on Earth is Damien’s brother doing picking up my daughter dressed in a zebra-print Snuggie?