The Peach Pits

Chapter 20

One upside to Aunt Lynn being gone was that Trina and Mae didn't have to share a room for the time being. After Mae had made her walk home in the heat after their fight, she figured there wouldn't be much coming back from that. Trina had dragged her dresser down the hall the moment she'd gotten home, dripping with sweat. Mae couldn't say she was sad to see her go. For the first time in years, she had her own space. If Trina wanted to be dramatic and blame everyone but her own dad for what had happened, she could do that from down the hall.

Surprisingly, Trina hadn't said anything to Mae's mom. That let Mae know that deep down, Trina wasn't as silly and denial as she was acting like. Either that, or she was just too embarrassed. Her mom probably just figured that Trina wanted to be closer to Aunt Lynn, and the way things were looking, there was no point in letting the bedroom sit vacant for so long.

The downside, Mae decided, was that sleeping in the bedroom alone made it easier for her to have nightmares. This was the second time she woke up in a cold sweat tonight. The nightmare was pretty much the usual, her and Jesse on the side of the road, the gun in her hand... but this time, it had been herself on the receiving end. And then she woke up.

Mae stared around the dark room. Moonlight shone in, silhouetting everything. The outline of Trina's bed made Mae's stomach drop. Every other night when she'd woken up, looking over near the window and seeing Trina's sleeping form provided her some comfort. Now, she was in the dark all alone.

It had taken almost an hour for Mae to finally drift back to sleep. When she woke up again, she had the buzz in her head and sting in her eyes that let her know it was going to be a long day. She glanced over at the clock and cursed in her head. It was nearly ten in the morning. No one had bothered to wake her up for school. Normally, Trina did, or at least her bustling around usually woke Mae up. So, Trina had decided to be petty.

Mae slid out of the bed. At least she'd have some time to relax and hopefully catch a nap before she had to work that afternoon. Jesse had been coming to the diner less and less, not that Mae minded.

Mae looked a fright. She'd always been skinny but now, even her tight clothes were getting big on her. Coffee had been her main sustenance. She wasn't sure how much sleep she had to miss in order for dark circles to show up on her skin, but they were there.

She wanted her Aunt. Aunt Lynn was the only one who had secretly been on her side these past four years. And now that Trina knew the truth, what if Aunt Lynn took her side over Mae's? After all, Trina was her daughter. If Trina didn't want anything to do with Mae anymore, why would Aunt Lynn? Maybe she'd only been so loyal to her so that Mae wouldn't go blabbing to Trina. Now that the cat was out of the bag, Aunt Lynn didn't owe her anything.

A shower would probably do Mae some good. She was so sweaty she could smell herself. But Mae didn't have the energy. Besides, there was no point in wasting water if she was just going to lie in her bed again. Mae got back in bed. Most mornings started like that now. She finally managed to get out of bed, and then she paced around in a daze until either she collapsed in her bed again or mustered up enough energy to start her day. She hadn't been under the covers before ten minutes before her mother knocked on the door. She came in without waiting for Mae's response.

"How'd you manage to miss school?" she asked. For once, her mother's tone was one of concern and not accusation.

"Overslept," Mae mumbled. "I'll write myself a note."

Her mother sat on the edge of the bed. It reminded her of when her grandmother would come in just before bedtime to read her a story. Her mom had usually been off pretending she didn't have a kid.

"I know you still don't have a cold," her mother said. "You haven't been yourself. I need you to talk to me."

"I'm just tired," Mae said.

"I'm not taking that excuse. You aren't eating, you and Trina aren't speaking, you missed school, and you don't want to open any letters from college." Mae was surprised she noticed. Her mother's hand rested on Mae's back. "Look, I remember when I was your age. If there's something you need to tell me..." her voice trailed off, waiting for whatever revelation Mae had ready for her.

"No."

"Trina said you've been seeing some boy. And I know mistakes happen-"

"I'm not pregnant," Mae said firmly. She'd rather die than have a kid with Jesse. But at least, that issue could have gotten sorted out much easier than everything else she was dealing with.

"Then what's the matter?"

Maybe it was the deliriousness. Maybe it was the need to have her own mom on her side in case Aunt Lynn abandoned her. "Promise you won't get mad?" Mae's lip trembled.

Her mother shook her head. "Just tell me."

Mae rolled over to look her mother in the eyes. She must have been really worried because Mae saw a softness in her eyes that was foreign to her. "Trina found out..." Mae started. She'd never thought about how she'd tell her mother the truth. "Trina found out that her dad..."

"Mae?" her mother asked expectantly.

Mae knew she wasn't making any sense. It felt like the four walls were closing in on her, crushing her in. "That Uncle Travis, when they'd visit, he'd sometimes come into my room-"

"Why didn't you tell me?" Mae's mother asked immediately. Her expression changed three times in that one second.

"I didn't tell anybody. But on Thanksgiving... the year they divorced... Aunt Lynn walked in..."

Mae's mother turned her head. She was silent, and that scared Mae. Her shoulders heaved with a deep sigh. Then, she turned back around, her eyes glistening.

"I'm... sorry," she said awkwardly. "I should've been better, I should've noticed, I should've protected you."

Mae wanted to agree with her mother. It wasn't her fault that it had happened, but had she been around more, maybe Mae wouldn't have been so vulnerable in the first place. Mae gave her mother a small nod.

"You could have told me," Mae's mother repeated. "I know it's not your fault, baby. I wouldn't have thought it was. He's lucky he's gone, or else I'd kill him." The protectiveness in her mom's voice warmed Mae's heart. Mae's mother pulled her into a tight hug. For the first time in a long time, Mae accepted it.