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"So you know who I am? At least that bastard did something right." she murmurs, turning away from me as the residual shock washes over me. She looks so much like him yet completely different at the same time. Her eyes are his, that is for certain. They look at me once more, curiosity blaring through.
"How old are you?" her head tilts slightly to the left, showing a tattoo of a swallow behind her ear. "Seventeen." the word comes out hoarse, and I know exactly where this is going.
"Fuck. Fuck." That phrase shatters any sense of hope I was holding onto. He was screwing her mom the same time he was married to mine.
"Delilah everything okay in here-" my mother's voice echos throughout the room before her face surfaces around the corner. She glances between her and I before pursing her lips, "Oh. I guess you two have met already."
I inhale, nodding, "It appears so. Shall we get to lunch?" I plaster on a fake smile, reaching out to grasp her elbow. My arm intertwines in hers as we exit the restroom to face the inevitable. I know Alora the second I catch a glimpse of her at the table in the corner of the restaurant.
Her brunette hair is the same shade as mine and her eyes, her eyes are identical to Charlotte and I's. If it wasn't for her face structure, I would have assumed that she wasn't just my half sister.
"You must be Delilah. It's a pleasure to meet you. Jennifer has said so much about you. I'm Alora and this is my fiancé Keaton." she leans over to the side of the table to shake my hand and I take it, gripping lightly.
"I see you have met my little sister Ophelia, sorry if she is a bit off kilter. It's been a bit of a hectic week for all of us, considering..." she trails off, her eyes glancing down to my lower abdomen and I suddenly feel sick to my stomach.
"Delilah dear, are you going to sit down?" my mother looks at me, gesturing to the seat next to her but I can't bring myself to even go near it. "I'm sorry, I can't do this." I stumble through my words, clutching my purse to my chest as I made a beeline straight for the door, dialing the one of the only numbers I know by heart.
"Li what's wrong?" his voice is strained on the other line as tears fall onto my cheeks. "I need you Jay." it comes out as a whisper and I hear shuffling on the other line.
"He was having an affair. He was having an affair the whole time he was married to my mother. I have two half sisters and one is the same age as me. He was fucking her on the side while his wife was knocked up!" I feel my hand hit the wall before I can even process what is going on and I double over in pain, dropping my phone in the process.
"Li? Are you okay?" JJ's muffled voice floats out of my phone as I gather my composure, taking a deep breath in, picking up my phone from the checkered tile. "Sorry I, uh, I punched a wall?" It comes out more as a question rather than an answer, and Jay chuckles on the other side of the phone.
"What's so funny?" I ask, shaking my head even though he can't see me through the phone. "Our child is going to be a hothead isn't she?"
"You are still going with a girl? Wait- was that your way of calming me down?"
"It worked didn't it?" his voice comes out smug and my eyes roll before I can resist. "Now here is what you are going to do. You are going to pull yourself together and go back to that table and have a civil conversation with your family. You deserve to take back all the years your dad took away from all of you. I love you and I need to go but I promise I will see you before you know it."
the line goes dead before I get a chance to say it back, and a sigh escapes my lips. He is right. We deserve to get to know each other.
"Are you okay?"I turn my head slightly, tracing the source of the voice. Alora stands alone, her knee length dress swaying slightly at the bottom as she rocks back and forth on her heels.
"I'm sorry it's just been a lot to take in. I mean I found out about you not in the best way and I've just lost so many people. I don't think I can bare to invite you guys into my life when I know there is a risk of losing you too."the last of the words are a whisper as visions of Char and Sarah flicker through my vision.
Us on our eight birthday. Her, Sarah and I on the duthers the first time we met her. Her first date with Rafe. Junior Prom. Then her lifeless body on the beach.
"Your mother mentioned that you had a sister who passed last year. If you don't mind, could I ask about her?" Alora's voice is soft, comfortable in a sense and I nod, sliding on the chair that I was crouched over.
"Her name was Charlotte, she was eighteen when she passed." I inhale a deep breath, my hands fumbling over each other.
"She was my best friend. My other half. And when she passed, I about lost myself in the process. She drowned when her and I went surfing late one night and I- I just don't think I can afford to lose someone like that again."
"Who says you have to?" She leans closer to me and I flinch. "I-I'm sorry I didn't mean to scare you." I shake my head. "It's okay he just-" I start to say and before I can finish she nods and a part of me breaks. Not them too.
"I am so sorry."
"It's not your responsibility to apologize for him and you shouldn't have to anyway. That man hasn't laid a finger on me in years and if all of this pans out he won't to anyone else for long time." She stands up from her kneeling position, extending her hand out to me.
"You ready?" a small laugh passes through my lips as my head shakes softly, "Not in the slightest but there isn't much I can do about that so yes." for the second time in the hour, I grasp onto her hand and pull myself to a standing position.
"For the record, your boyfriend seems like a great guy over the phone. If I may ask, how far along are you?" she glances to my abdomen once more and I feel my cheeks tinge pink.
"Oh of course, I am around fourteen weeks. Morning sickness is a bitch and my clothes barely fit anymore but it will be worth it in the end. This baby will be so loved." My hand curls around the slight bump on my abdomen and I glance up to see tears welling up in alora's eyes.
"Oh my, did I say something to upset you?" I reach my hand towards her as she shakes her head softly, wiping the tears off of her wet cheeks. "No, it's not you, I promise. I- I really shouldn't be telling you this but I'm infertile."
I feel my eyebrows furrow up as a frown etches across my face. "I'm so sorry Alora, can I ask what happened?"
"Keaton and I had a scare a few months back and when I went into the doctor they said the trauma to my ovaries made for too much scarred tissue. Few eggs survived but they will never be able to be fertilized. I'll never be carry my own child." She let's put a shaky breath before shaking her head and makes eye contact with me once more.
"Now let's get going before your mother thinks you've left. You and I both know how she would react to that."
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you guys. I want to apologize for being gone for so long. It's been a crazy semester and the last thing I was focused on was writing but I am back for a few chapters. So stay tuned for those! I hope you enjoyed the chapter and happy holidays!
