Pure Belleza | ✔️

(59) Part Two Epilogue

Six Months Later.
May.

"It's just a small favour," mom said on the phone. I rested an elbow on top of the tower of packing boxes in the living room and sighed. "And trust me, I searched for other options first. You were a last resort."

"I don't know how to feel about that."

"Well hear me out and then decide how to feel."

"Okay."

"Abby is being released next week. Seven months later," she sounded exhausted. "Look. She can't go home to live alone. It's part of the rules. She won't come and live with me and Dad. She flat out refuses to get an apartment with Lucas and Mills. I even asked Spencer and Nathan but Liam is being a little shit or something like that. It's not a good time to throw a house guest into the mix. The one person she agreed to live with, was you."

"Oh."

"Yeah and I know it's bad timing. Amalia just moved in and you want to have that period of banging on every surface in the house—"

"Mom! Geez. You sound like Dad—"

"Yeah that was actually how he phrased it when I said I was going to call. But anyway. If you can't do it, I'll tell her she has to come back to Texas. But I thought I'd ask."

"She's really not moving back in with Flynn?"

"No, honey. She won't even return his phone calls."

I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose.

"Like I said, I can give her no other choice but to come home if it's too much. I don't wa—"

"No no, mom. Of course she can come here. I just wish she'd patch things up with Flynn. She can't do that in New York."

"You'll be home for the summer, won't you? It's just a month or so."

"Oh. Yeah."

The days had been rolling into one recently. Amalia had just moved the last of her things into the apartment. We were officially living together and had talked about upgrading at some point in the near future.

It made sense that she was living in New York now. This was where her work was. But she'd put it off for a while due to the fact that she didn't want to leave Bernie.

Bernie ended up being the one to push her out the door.

"Yeah she can come here, mom."

"You don't want to talk to Amalia about it first?"

"I think Amalia would be unhappy if I didn't let my recovering sister move in with us. I know her. Don't worry."

"She's lovely," I could hear mom's smile.

The whole family loved her. Unfortunately, the more comfortable everyone was around her, the more outrageous our family gatherings were.

She never complained though. Her appreciation went to the fact that I didn't embarrass her the way that dad and Lucas embarrassed mom and Milly.