One-night stands are supposed to be nothing more than just. It shouldn't have involved seeing those two red lines looking back at you weeks later without a name or a contact number linking you back to your mystery man. Nothing more but his face. The...
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Things seem to be going on well enough at first, until your sickness returns and you have to give up trying.
"See, I told you that you should be resting until you feel better," your mother complains as she watches you bending over, keeping away from the stove and what is currently cooking on top of it which seems to be making you feel dizzy and sick.
After garlic, lemon-scented air freshener, and coconut milk, seems you are going to have to add raw chicken to the list of things that may trigger your nausea.
"But then I'll be bored like hell," you argue, "I'm fine, Mom. Just let me take a quick break for a minute."
Your mother looks as if she wants to say something, but the sound of a car coming into the driveway interrupts her. Both of you turn to look out towards the living room, just in time to see your stepfather, Cliff, turning in the corner of the hall and rushing towards the front door.
"Honey, they're here!" he calls out, and you urge your mother to join him.
"Go, Mom. I'll finish things up and make sure nothing gets burned before I join you guys."
Once your mother is out of the kitchen, you can no longer resist pressing your palm on your stomach.
"Seriously, baby," you whisper to the non-existent bump under your sweater, "Please take it easy, will you? I'm really struggling here, and you're not making things easy for me. Trust me, it would be too soon for everyone to find out about you. At least wait until we can find a clue about your Dad, okay?"
As if the baby inside you is listening, even if it is still barely full-grown at this point, your body grows calmer and the nausea slowly wanes.
"Thank you, baby," you whisper to your stomach once again before finally focusing on the stove and the oven, deliberately taking your time with what you do just so you can have a reason not to join the dramatic reunion happening right this minute.
From this side of the kitchen, the front door isn't completely visible. But you can hear everything as the door opens and your stepfather joyfully welcomes his daughter.
Hearing his voice makes you smile. You may have had a tumultuous relationship with your stepsister, but the same cannot be said with your stepfather. Cliff has always been a great role model, and your relationship with him has always been great from the start.
It makes you feel guilty when you think about the previous encounters where you and your stepsister simply gave each other cold shoulders or when you were met with altercations just because of how different the two of you are. But there is no helping it. Nothing has changed over the years no matter how hard you tried. Not even once you have become adults.
You can't even remember how it first started. And frankly, you no longer care. Last year's incident was already enough to let you know that the sisterhood that your parents have been forcing you into was beyond saving.
