Time Makes You Bolder (Sequel to No One's A Fool)

Chapter 10

Wrenna was crying when Stevie finished telling her about that day. The room was quiet, except for her breathing. Eventually, Stevie got up and went to hug her daughter, who sobbed into her arms.

"It's okay, baby. It's all okay."

"I'm so sorry, Mom! I'm so sorry you had to go through that!" Wrenna cried.

"It was worth it, sweet girl. It was all worth it. I got you!" She said, stroking Wrenna's hair. Amy and Jessi were also tearing up, and Jessi leaned into her own mother, who put her arm around her.

"I had no idea all that had happened." Amy said, looking at her father. He grimaced.

"It wasn't a very fun few months for her." He sighed. "And it got worse."

"What the fuck?! How could it get worse?!" Wrenna exclaimed.

"Lindsey." Stevie and Mick said in unison.

"Oh God, I need a break. I can't handle any more sad stories right now." She said, heading for the stairs.

"I'll go." Amy said, following her little sister up the stairs and into her room. Wrenna laid on the bed, still crying, and Amy curled up to her. They didn't speak, and Amy let her cry for some time.

"I need you to call Gabe." She finally said.

"Okay. What do you want me to tell him?"

"Ask him if he'll come here. I need to talk to him." Amy nodded and left the room to make the phone call. She returned a few minutes later.

"He's coming. Karen is going to arrange for him to fly a jet so he can get here quicker. He had about a million questions, but I told him we could talk when he gets here." She explained.

"Did he seem angry?" Wrenna asked.

"No, Birdie, I don't think he's angry at all. He's worried about you. And I am too, a little bit."

"I'll be okay, Amy. That was just a lot of information to digest."

"There's my girls!" Mick called, coming into the room. "Oh, Birdie." He came over and sat on the bed, where Wrenna was still curled up. Stevie also entered the room, going over and laying next to Wrenna, putting her arms around the girl.

"He didn't want me." Wrenna sobbed.

"But we did. Your mum and I, we wanted you very much." Mick said, putting his hand on her head. "If Joe didn't that wasn't your fault, or your mum's. It was his fault – and his loss. It doesn't make YOU less worthy."

"Wrenna, I don't think he cared about anything, except the drugs." Stevie offered.

"Then why did he TELL you to get pregnant? It doesn't make any sense."

"But that's what its like when you're drinking and drugging to that extent. You have great ideas, and then you burn it all down. That's what he was doing. Maybe if I had been more clear-headed I would have recognized that. But I loved Joe, and I wanted to be a mom. And I've never regretted my decision, not for one single second." Stevie responded.

"Wrenna, I hope at the end of this you can recognize how much joy you brought to our family. I was nearly suicidal the year you were born." Amy admitted. "And then I went out to Phoenix, and I started feeling better. I would never have gone out there if your mom hadn't been pregnant."

"And I wouldn't have my wife if it hadn't been for you. You know that – I've always told you that." Mick added.

"And Lori wouldn't have had Jessi. And I wouldn't be a mom. So maybe you can take all these stories, and they can cancel out the one person who decided he wasn't up to the challenge."