The Dunhams (Sequel to Better or Bad - Lizzy Walker)

Bad Sister Blood Part 2

No one POV
Miss Lena and Mr. Dunham was quietly in the living room while Mary was still in the kitchen. She hadn't said anything to them which was understandable and part of their therapy session. She needed to think positively about herself and feelings. Iyanla could tell if she was triggered, she would burst after years of shutting down her emotions. She sipped her tea while mentally fighting a single emotion right now. Breakdown.

Meanwhile, Edith smiled once she saw Iyanla sitting on the backyard swing set. She returned the gesture. "Are you Miss Edith?" She asked. She nodded, holding out her hand. She kindly shook it. "Your sisters and you knew manners but you don't give them to each other!" She joked, chuckling. Edith giggled before sitting on the second swing. A moment of silence was present. "Ok. I've had a conversation with your older sister Mary..." She stopped, noticing Edith having a panic attack while shedding tears. Iyanla held her hand tightly. "What's wrong? Miss Edith? Tell me what's wrong. It's ok. It's alright. Talk to me." She said in a soothing voice. Edith sniffled as a cameraman handed her a tissue box. She thanked him, wiping her face. "I just can't...I can't be in one room with her...she is so incredibly coldhearted and rude." She cried. Iyanla almost spoke until Sybil came outside. She smiled sweetly. "Hi. I'm Sybil." She introduced. She returned the gesture and shook her hand. "Nice to meet you. Come here. Comfort your sister while I speak to her." She told her. Sybil frowned, seeing Edith's wept face and wrapping her arm around her shoulder. "Miss Edith, what type of relationship you have with your eldest sister?" She asked. Edith sniffled. "Horrible. All she does is tease me, pick on me, joke about me in a mean way. I remember when I was fourteen, she was sixteen. I made a really good friend because all the other girls didn't like me very much except her. A week later, she was laughing to whatever Mary said at school and never ever talked to me after. Mary would smirk meanly then go on about the day. That's just the person she is." She explained. Iyanla nodded and sighed. "Was there any physical fighting?" She asked. Sybil rubbed her shoulder comfortably. "I remember one when I was nine. You both were eleven and thirteen. I saw her scratching half your face with basically her fingernails." She told her. Iyanla gasped in disbelief. "Your sister really clawed at your face for what?" She asked. Edith let out a quiet sob. Iyanla held both her hands softly. "Miss Edith, Miss Edith you must breathe. Breathe. Breathe. Breathe." She said in a soothing voice. Sybil helped her practice taking deep breaths. She struggled but managed. Iyanla smiled. "You can't be afraid of someone all the time. Don't give somebody that much control over you. If she had that much control over you, a stranger could just take you out. What I'd like to know is with all this infection going on, what does your mother say or do?" She said. Edith sighed sadly. "Nothing. Both of them do nothing. Mary is practically the daughter she adores all the time. I'm always the lesser or lower one. My whole life I was always beneath her. That's why we fight all the time and resent each other." She told her. "Can I say something Miss Edith? All the fighting you've spent with your sister. You weren't really fighting her, you have been fighting for your mother's love and attention." She said. Tears fell from Edith's eyes. Sybil rubbed her back repeatedly. Iyanla wiped her face softly. "We can clean up these infections. We can do it. Firstly, I'm really speechless over your mother who has two daughters could poorly raise them in such deep conflict. It's also making a poor example for this baby girl here." She said, referring to Sybil. Edith sniffled. "Is it ok if I don't sit next to her? She can't go one second without being terrible to me." She said in a hoarse voice. Iyanla nodded her head no. "Miss Edith, you're going to have to sit in it. Nobody's gonna pick on each other like five year olds. No ma'am. We're gonna do it different. Ok? We'll do this different." She assured. She inhaled a deep breath before nodding. Iyanla got off the swing. "Come, your older brother's on his way with his wife. Let's go in for a nice family gathering." She joked but in a serious tone. Sybil chuckled as they followed behind to inside.

******

Their doorbell ringed. Iyanla opened the door to show Bryce and Lizzy. They smiled sweetly. "Hi!" They said in unison. She returned the gesture. "Hello, you must be Mr. Bryce Dunham and Miss Lizzy." She said. She hugged them. They hugged back and parted. Iyanla laughed. "Come greet your family!" She joked. They walked in the living room where the family were. All of them greeted each other before sitting on two couches. Lizzy, Bryce and his parents on the first. Mary, Sybil and Edith sat on the second. Lastly, Iyanla sat in their armchair next to the first couch. She smiled widely. "The whole family together. Now I want to get three stories I've been told today to make sense. Your mother's, Miss Mary's and Miss Edith's about the wounded relationship dynamic between them. That's why I have these." She said, having a cameraman give her four blue cards. "When the cameras were off, I asked Mr. and Mrs. Dunham to take the lie detector test because after hearing your daughters' stories about their relationship issues, something was set to be a lie somewhere. It's why it's important to tell the truth. The truth will open a few wounds but wounds can also be stitched. Mr. and Mrs. Dunham, your second daughter feels that you adore your first daughter all the time but you said you adore both of them. The answer is...." She trailed, showing a card written 'Deception.' Lizzy's eyes widened. Sybil rubbed Edith's arm comfortably as she wiped more silent tears. Mary looked at her in disbelief. Miss Lena chuckled. "That can't be accurate. We both love all our children. It's a lie." She disagreed. Bryce slightly scoffed. Iyanla noticed and whipped her head toward him. "Wait a minute, wait a minute, what was that? Those smacking lips I just saw? Tell me." She said. Bryce crossed his arms and sighed. "As their older brother, I love all my sisters equally. But I've seen times when Edith would be sad over something, Mary belittles her, Mom barely say anything except say to Mary like oh you're so unhappy or she's just sad. And Dad he doesn't really act stern enough." He explained. This information surprised not only Iyanla but Lizzy too. She raised an eyebrow in shock. "Ooo, you know what your son just said? He basically said you don't put your foot down sternly enough which is low-level parenting. You need to show some muscle, Mr. Dunham. That's why your children are misbehaving because you don't show them the business. Children can easily slip if they're not given the business. Mr. Dunham, you gotta bring the business." She told him firmly. He nodded in understanding. She turned to Miss Lena who was huffing and puffing while scratching her head. "Miss Lena, you see this? This childlike behavior you're expressing right now is how your eldest daughter expresses. You not only ignore her actions, you impact them. What you do impacts her, then her and not long before it impacts this little one. Your eldest is demonstrating this behavior as a mask to avoid her emotions and weaknesses because her whole life she's been an entitled to be higher than anyone. It first started from the womb. She has to have the right to be vulnerable. If she can't, it's always gonna create a breakdown within herself and everyone around her. Miss Mary, what are you feeling right now?" She said. Mary nearly gulped but managed to breathe. She fiddled with her fingers while taking deep breaths. "Come Miss Mary. Tell me what are you feeling now. Say the word." She encouraged. Mary covered her face and sniffled. "I'm sorry, I can't." She muttered. Iyanla hummed in response. "How about this next question? Brace yourselves. Miss Lena, you disagreed that most of the time when their grandmother visited, she treated Miss Edith horribly by starving her, bullying her, whip her if she misbehave. The answer is..." She said, showing a card written 'not deceptive.' All their eyes widened including Lizzy's. "Did Miss Mary ever witnessed this type of violent behavior towards her sister?" She asked, pulling out the next card written 'deceptive.'

Instantly, Mary covered her face and let out a loud sob. Miss Lena looked at Iyanla in disbelief before breaking into tears. Iyanla sighed. "Miss Mary, Miss Mary. Tell me what you are feeling now. Tell me your emotions right now. Tell the truth!" She told her. She kept crying which made Sybil and Edith shed a few tears. She breathed shakily. "Angry...upset." She said hoarsely. She nodded. "I know, I know. Why are you upset?" She asked. Mary sniffled, coughing a little. "Because I was also hurting so I've hurt her. I'm angry at Mom for making me hide my feelings." She cried. Iyanla sighed. "Yes. I know. Let her be vulnerable. Let her be or she'll put on her mask. She's fine, she's fine." She assured everyone. Lizzy could only hope Bryce's family would heal from this awful pain. Iyanla motioned Edith to sit next to Mary. "Sit closer to your sister. Don't ever feel afraid of her. She didn't know she was demonstrating your grandmother and her mother's actions. Comfort her. You both need closure, baby girl hug both of them. Cmon." She told her. Edith wrapped her arm around her neck as Mary kept weeping. Sybil hugged both of them softly. Iyanla looked at Miss Lena. "This is what happens when the truth is out. Miss Sybil, take your sisters upstairs to your room. Let them cry together. They've suffered alone too long." She said. She nodded, helping them up and leaving the room together. Lizzy checked her phone time and cussed under her breath. "I'm sorry, Miss Iyanla. It's 2:00, I need to pick up our kids. I'm really sorry." She said. Iyanla nodded in understanding. "It's alright. Mr. Bryce, you don't mind staying or going?" She asked. He turned to Lizzy. "Staying. I'll catch an Uber after." He said. She nodded, kissing his cheek and bid goodbye to his parents. As she left the house, Lizzy is still mentally praying things will turn out better for her sister in-laws...