The Life We Made

Chapter 6

The cab pulled up in front of my childhood house and I paid the driver before climbing out with my bag and walking up to the front door.

I stood there a minute before I worked up the courage to knock. As much as I was looking forward to coming home, it seemed weird now. Maybe because I knew what I had to do while I was here or maybe because I had to see Jenna again. Whatever it was, it didn't sit well with me and I didn't want to go inside.

But I eventually knocked on the door and none other than Jenna herself answered the door. "Hey, Sis," she said, faking sweetness.

"Hi Jenna. How was Europe?" I asked.

"Oh, Kaylee. It was uh-may-zing. You really need to go sometime," she said. "It was the best part of my life."

I nodded as she spoke, just wanting her to move so I could go inside. She finally did and I heard Mom say, "Honey, who was at the..." as her voice got closer. "Oh, Kaylee!" she said happily as she came over to hug me. "How was the flight?" she asked.

What I wanted to say was that I felt so sick. The altitude messed with me in ways it usually didn't because I was pregnant, but I couldn't tell her that, not yet anyway. I needed Cara here for emotional support before I broke the news. So I just said, "It was good. It seemed to go by quickly." But both were a lie.

"Well come on in," she said as she pulled me further into the house and set my suitcase by the stairs. "Do you want some lemonade? I just got done making some."

"Sure, Mom. Thanks," I said with a smile as I walked into the kitchen with her. I sat down at the bar that looked over into the kitchen.

"There you go," she said, setting the glass down in front of me.

"Thanks. What time is Dad going to be home?"

"He said he'd be home by the time Cara got in. He wanted to be here when you got in, but he had a last minute meeting that he couldn't reschedule."

"That's okay. It's not really a big deal," I said honestly. While I did want to see him, him being a couple hours later than he had expected wasn't going to be the end of the world.

"But he really did want to be here to see you, Darling."

"I know."

We both stayed silent for a few minutes before Jenna walked into the room.

"I hope you don't mind that Michael and I are sleeping in your room while we're here. But you have a bigger bed. We both can't fit in my bed."

"Actually, I do mind, Jenna. That's my room," I said, annoyed. Though it didn't surprise me at all that she'd do something like that.

"Mom said you wouldn't care," Jenna said nonchalantly.

I looked to Mom, exasperated. "Mom!"

"Darling, it's only a week. You can sleep in her room."

"That's not even the point. She doesn't ever come home anymore and then when she finally decides to come, she can just take over my room. The room that has been mine since I was born. How is that fair?"

"If you had brought Finn home, then I wouldn't have done it," Jenna said, sickly sweet.

That was it. I was about to lose it. "I'm not with Finn anymore, Jenna. And if you cared enough to talk to anyone in this family, you'd know that."

"Oh, my bad," she said, feigning innocence. "I'm so sorry to hear that." She had placed her hand over her heart.

"No you're not," I said, standing up and walking out of the kitchen.