When twins Callie and Lexi were kids, they wrote a list of all the boys they wished to kiss when they started high school. Flash forward a year later, Lexi packed her bags and moved with her father to Melbourne in the wake of their parents' umpteent...
"You've got to be shitting me!" my sister retorted as the dreaded P-word left dad's mouth. "Have either of you ever heard of protection?"
"We... well... when you're drunk, sometimes it's hard to—" dad started to defend himself, but Callie's eyes were fixated on mum, slowly narrowing further with each passing second as the anger began to contort her face.
Though my sister wasn't finished in her rant. "The pill, woman. Or the implant. Or an IUD. Or even injections. Or a patch. Or a nuvaring. Anything. Why would you ever rely on a man to—"
"I didn't see the need for protection when I've had no time to date since your accident, Callie. It's been just me here to look after you. There was no point filling my body with hormones I didn't—" she began to say, like she had justified what happened herself.
But Callie wasn't having it. "Before you let dad stick anything near you, you should have been the grown up you're supposed to be and said 'wait until I'm on protection'. For crying out loud woman. You're thirty-six and still accidentally getting knocked up? Grow up!"
Mum's eyes widened, grey gaze starting to glisten as she flinched backwards from Callie's accusations. Dad's brows furrowed, his mouth opening to get up my sister, but I wouldn't have it. She was right here.
"This is ridiculous," I contributed. "Moreover, mum, you promised me you wouldn't go there with dad."
Mum heaved a sigh, turning her attention from Callie to me. "I know I did, honey, but—"
I cut her off, turning to dad and saying, "And what about Jess? Did she mean nothing to you? How could you so easily jump back into the bed of the one woman who made her so—"
"Don't you talk about my relationship with Jessica or the grief I might be feeling like you understand, Lexi," dad sternly interjected. "I loved her. More than you would know. And it broke my heart to bury the woman I spent my past five years with. Though one of the last things she said to me was to not hold back from moving on and living life. I devoted myself to her. Not once when your mother visited us in Melbourne did I sway from Jess. But when she became terminal and during the chemo... well... she was in no state for that type of relationship anymore. So yes, your mum and I, two people who haven't had sex in forever, slept together not long after I moved back. It was supposed to be a one-off thing as we were lonely and desperate. But once she found out she was pregnant, well... It just made sense to keep using each other as that outlet for the next nine months." Dad gently took mum's hand at that comment. "Your mum and I love each other. We're best friends. But we know we are terrible partners. We aren't going to get back together in the way we ever were before. And once the baby is born and your mum has figured out a new rhythm in caring for it, I will once more move out of home and start my own life again. And I will be me, Cory, a bachelor who is also a father of three. But don't you get up us for things you don't under—"
"No," Callie interrupted this time. "You got up me for just having a male friend over before we even were anything. You were constantly judging him, making him feel unwelcome. And that's probably why he can't stand the thought of continuing to date me or use me as support because why would he keep coming here where all you do is stare him down and judge him when he has enough to deal with?"
Rather than waiting for a response from dad, Callie stormed off down the hallway to her room, slamming the door behind her.
Leaving me alone with them.
My parents both stared at the direction Callie had left, confusion marring their expressions. But then dad turned back to me.
"Did you two really fight?" dad then warily asked.
"Can't you tell she's really worked up?" I said back.
"What did you fight over?" mum asked, head whipping around at the new information.
Heaving a sigh, I said, "It's a long story... I don't really want to talk about it right now either."
"Okay," mum said gently, though dad's eyes went over me, like he had an idea he might know.
"How far along are you?" I then asked mum.
"Almost through the first trimester," she said hestitantly. I could see in her gaze she was wondering where I was going with this question.
I shook my head. "And just how long were you going to hide it from us?" I felt a little bit like Callie demanding this, and immediately the guilt washed over me. Nonetheless, I stood my ground as I awaited her answer.
"We were going to tell you any week now... Once I was in the second trimester and we were sure it was going to—"
"Don't you think your children deserve to know earlier than that?"
"I'm sorry, Lex," mum whispered, head turning down. "We knew it meant admitting we had slept together and I just didn't know how to..."
She continued to talk, but as I watched mum apologise for keeping such a big secret in fear of upsetting me and Callie, I began to realise just how my sister would be feeling after catching me and Sara this afternoon.
That on top of Flynn breaking up with her.
And now our parents were back together but not.
And we were going to be big sisters...
She would be exhausted.
I knew then that I had to swallow my pride and apologise to her until she forgave me—whatever it takes.
Callie needed me right now. She needed someone. And it was my job as her sister to be there for her.
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So...
Cast your predictions here on how you think this story is about to go. Let's see if you're right :P
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