This Is Me Trying

Chapter Thirty-Two

Betty
Three months later

"Happy birthday Betty!" Jaina exclaimed as she pulled me into a crushing hug.
"Thanks Tìa! You're hurting me." I squeaked out.
"Sorry. I'm just excited! You're eighteen! That's a big deal!"
"I guess. It's just another birthday." I shrugged.
"You aren't excited for your party?"
"Ah... kind of. I know Mamma is super excited. I'm not even supposed to work today. But she sent me here to get me out of the house."
"You'll have fun. Trust me." She winked.
"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Kid! You ready?" Danielle came skipping over.
"Ready for what?" Jaina asked.
"Mom finally talked me into taking my drivers license. We're gonna go look at cars tomorrow for me to buy."
"Ooo can I come? I'll be quiet and good." Jaina begged.
"Fine, fine. Come on, I gotta take the driving portion today."

"I did it! I got it!" I exclaimed as I ran out of the building.
"I knew you'd get it!" Danielle picked me up and twirled me in a hug.
"Congrats Mija! Let's see that picture. Everyone's drivers license picture is terrible." Jaina took the license from my hand.
"What? How do you look so good? You look like a freaking model!" She pouted.
"Oh hush Tìa." I laughed and pulled my license away from her.
"Mom? Can I drive home? Please?" I begged.
"Sure kid. Just go slow." Danielle laughed and handed me her keys.
"Yes! Come on!" I skipped to the car excitedly.

"Mamma! We're home!"
"Bambina! How did it go?" Stefania asked as she walked over and gave me a hug.
"Great. I passed. Mom let me drive home." I smiled.
"I'm so proud of you," She kissed the top of my head. "Go in the living room. Your Auntie Barrett is already here."
"Aunt Barrett! Guess what- oh you're not Barrett."

A cute girl stood up and smiled at me, "Sorry, Barrett's in the bathroom. I'm Kaya. Barrett's cousin." She stuck her hand out for me to shake.
"I'm Betty. Stefania and Danielle's kid." I smiled at her as I shook her hand. I remembered the picture Barrett had showed me, but damn she was even more gorgeous than I remember.
"I heard today's your birthday? Happy birthday. You're, what, eighteen?"
"Yep. Officially an adult." I laughed awkwardly.
"Eh it's not too much fun. I turned eighteen about a month ago." She sat down on the couch and I joined her.

"Barrett said you were an actress, right?"
"Kinda. I've done small stuff. Nothing like your role. You're amazing on Station 19. Don't tell Barrett, but you're my favorite character." She winked at me.
"Hey, brat. I heard that. So I guess you two met." Barrett sat next to Kaya, making her scoot closer to me.

"Uh yeah. Oh Auntie, guess what? I passed my driver's test." I smiled at her and handed her my license.
"Damn! Why is your picture so good? I look like a wreck in mine." Barrett asked.
"You look like a model, B." Kaya smiled at me.

"There's the birthday girl!" Grey exclaimed as he walked in.
"Hey Uncle Grey." I got up and gave him a hug.

The party when on for a few more hours. The adults had migrated to the back deck, and Kaya and I stayed in the living room to watch a movie.

"So, Betty. Tell me about you." Kaya asked.
"What do you wanna know?"
"Favorite color? Favorite movie? Deepest darkest secrets?" She laughed.
I chuckled awkwardly and rubbed the back of my neck.

"That last one was a joke. I just want to know you."
"Let's see... my favorite color is teal, my favorite movie is Practical Magic, and my deepest darkest secret is that I'm a recovering addict. I just did a month stay in a rehab facility about three months ago."
"Wow..." She trailed off.
"Yeah I know. It's a lot to handle. And I'm a lot to handle. But I'm proud of how far I've come in life. I've been through a bunch of tough shit, but I've survived." I shrugged.
"I wasn't saying wow like, 'Wow that's a lot'. I was saying wow like, 'Wow she's so strong.'"

I smiled and looked back to the TV.
"You're really something special Betty." Kaya pushed my hair out of my face so she could look at me.
"Grazie bella."
"Bella?" She raised her eyebrows.
"No no no! Bella means beautiful in Italian." I quickly corrected.
"Oh. Well gray-zee then."
"Grazie." I giggled.
"What's what I said. Gray-zee."
"Watch my lips. Grazie." I said it slowly.
"Gray-zee."
"You're moving your mouth too much. Here," I cupped her jaw with my hand.
"Grazie."
"Grazie." She said slowly.
"Fantastico! Great job bellina."

*Three weeks later*

"Betty!"
I turned and saw Barrett walking towards me.
"Hey Auntie, what's up?"
"Guess who got a job as an actress?" She asked in a sing-song voice.
"Who?"
"Your new girlfriend."
"Okay for one, that's seriously amazing! I'm so happy for her. And two, Kaya isn't my girlfriend. We're friends."
"Uh huh. Sure. So you don't have a crush on my cousin?" Barrett teased.
"I mean, yeah. But I'm really just focusing on work and my recovery right now. Don't tell Moms, but I've been looking at apartments. They've had me under their roof for almost three years. They deserve to have an empty nest."

"Betty! We gotta go!" Danielle ran up to me and grabbed my hand, dragging me quickly out of the building.
"Mom, what's wrong? Who got hurt? Is it Mamma? Is she okay?" I asked as we got in her car.
"Your Mamma's okay. Just... we gotta go to the hospital."

We drove in silence to the hospital as my mind raced about what could be wrong.

Danielle

We got out of the car, and walked to the hospital entrance. Stefania was waiting for us by the door.
"How are they? Is she okay?" I asked.
"Sì. She's okay." Stefania wiped a tear from her eye.
"Can someone please tell me what's going on?" Betty asked.

"Bambina. Come sit with Mamma." Stefania took her hand, and led her to the bench next to the entrance.
"Your Mom, your biological Mom, she uh... Danielle?" She looked at me for help.
I knelt down in front of my daughter. "Betty, sweetie, your biological Mom passed away an hour ago."
"What? How? What?" Betty asked with a shaky voice.
"She died giving birth to your little sister." I pushed a strand of hair out of her face.
"I have a sister?"
"Sì, bambina. She's an hour old."
"Is she okay?" Betty looked up at me with tears in her eyes, and I immediately saw that fifteen year old girl that stole my heart three years ago.
"She's okay. She's up in the nursery. Would you like to see her?" I asked softly.
Betty nodded and wiped her tears away.

She took both mind and Stefania's hands, and we walked inside the hospital to meet the new baby.

AN: I'm offering this again, because it's extremely important. If anyone needs any help with recovery, or mental health, please message me. We can have our own AA or NA meetings, or we can talk about mental health. I am not a mental health professional, but I've been through some though things myself. If anybody needs me, I'm 100% here for you.