Milkshake Hearts

Chapter 140: Trying

Their car ride is entirely silent, and when they arrive at the small unit Kari rents, Roger walks behind Joanne as she shoves her hands in her pockets and ambles up the pathway to knock on the front door.

Kari answers the door with a smile, but her face drops into a displeased grimace the second she realises who it is.

"You're not staying with me, screw off. And Dad, don't get pulled into her shit, if they've kicked her out it's because she won't stop being an asshole to them," she snaps, immediately, but Roger quickly shakes his head.

"I know, I'd never ask to stay at your place, I know you don't like me," Joanne answers, her own voice low as she looks down at the ground, "they did kick me out, but I-"

"Let me guess, because instead of apologising, you went back and doubled down on the shit?" she cuts her off. She pauses, for a moment, but she knows she can't exactly deny.

"I... guess. Yeah. So I went to Roger's place and... talked to him," she adds, looking back at Roger. He simply stands in silence, looking expectantly at her.

"Cool, but why are you in my driveway? I have shit to do, I don't want you to pick arguments with me too," Kari continues, arms crossed over her chest as she leans on the doorjam, blocking the entrance.

"Can we come in?" she asks.

"No," Kari denies, immediately.

"Oh, I- okay," she mumbles, taking a deep breath as she slowly glances up to meet Kari's eyes. They remain annoyed and challenging, and it doesn't help her, but she pushes on. "I... guess I've spent a long time trying to make you someone you aren't, and not accepting who you are. And I- maybe I... shouldn't have, and I should be happy as long as you're happy doing whatever you want with your life. So I... I'm sorry. And I'll try and do better."

Kari blinks in surprise, for a few moments, although her arms stay crossed at her chest.

"Well, that is unexpected... but I'll believe it when I see it," she replies, eventually, watching Joanne slowly nod.

"She had to do that herself – but don't worry, Kari, I'm with Shayne and Courtney on all this. I'm here because she doesn't have a car and I didn't want to actually give her your address to Uber here, given it's not my address to give out," Roger speaks up, after she does, Kari smiling and giving him an acknowledging nod.

"Thanks, Dad. But it's gonna take more than that to make up for all the shit you've said to Shayne and Courtney in their own damn house, Mum. And endangering their cats. She tried to be the bigger person by letting you stay there in the first place, you shouldn't have even asked, you know she didn't want you there," Kari emphasises.

"You and Courtney are close, aren't you?" her mother pushes, as Kari shrugs.

"Yeah, reasonably. She did pick me as her maid of honour," she answers, pausing for a moment before continuing, "I call her my baby sister, and I made the mistake when she first got with Shayne of being... protective of her, questioning her judgment about him. But I realised I fucked up, and I apologised to both of them, and I've made it right because she's capable and independent and she doesn't need me to oversee her life. Or you. I've learnt to be protective of and care about her as my little sister without questioning her choices. It's not hard. But you have to actually do it, not just say you're sorry."

"I know," she answers, eventually, before bidding Kari an awkward goodbye and trailing to move back to Roger's car behind him.

————————————————

As much as Courtney had resigned herself to being upset all day, she quickly grows frustrated and tired as her tears continue and she tries to press even closer to Shayne.