The Baby Project

Day 18 (Night Scene Continued)

Rory's POV

Not Edited

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My jaw drops, "What?"

Sister?

Kale shakes his head in subtle amusement, "I should have known that would be your response sweetheart."

I mean could you blame me? I'm sitting in my boyfriend's room where he tells me his sister died. If that isn't enough to provoke an unintelligible comment, I don't know what is.

"Sister? The one in the photo by the fireplace downstairs?"

He's avoiding eye contact, "Yeah."

"Ho-how did she..."

"She was killed."

Holy crap. My jaw is mating with the floor right about now.

I've have many big surprises dropped upon me (Mom being pregnant with Vienna, River doing business, etc), but this has got to be the greatest one out of them all.

He clenches his jaw, ignoring my slack face, "She died over there." He nods towards the corner of the room where the piano stood.

"I'm so sorry Kale." I state in remorse, my eyes glassing over. Losing a sibling would be hard on anyone; I couldn't imagine what he went through.

"Tell me about her?" My fingers entwine with his.

Kale kisses my cheek, "Kara was different from the day she was born. I felt it when I held her." He smiles in remembrance, "Being four at the time, I didn't know exactly what it was but now I do. It was the happiness she had. At any age, every time I saw her, she was always smiling, laughing, singing... Her voice was beautiful- a hundred times better than the pop shit on radios these days." He pauses.

"She-she wanted to be a singer- a professional one. I promised her one day that she would be. There was no doubt in my mind that she would..." Kale trails off and looks down.

Something wet hits against our intertwined hands and it is then that I realize he was crying. As if infectious, tears start to pour down my face as well as I hug him tight. More than willingly he returns the hug,

"You know what's the worst part Rory?"

He looks at our tear soaked hands with a bitter smile, "Robert..." he spits out with hate, "Robert killed her."

I gasp, "What? Robert as in your father?"

"HE'S NOT MY FATHER!" Kale yells, pushing away from me. Flinching, I tread carefully, "Kale?"

My boyfriend covers his face in shame, "I'm sorry. I just- he's not my father okay? After I was born, he packed up his bags and left. He didn't raise me. He didn't feed me or give me an education. He didn't even write me a single letter in his entire fucking life! All he did was leave my mom to die in exchange for drugs, money, and girls. He's not my dad. He's just not."

Still crying, I grab Kale in for a hug, "You're real mom?"

Sighing, he relaxes into my hold, "Yeah."

I listen to his heartbeat, "Wh-what did he do to her?"

"Rory," Kale says slowly. I nod against his chest. "I want you to promise something."

He tilts my chin so I'm a breath away from his face. His beautiful blue eyes stare at me, "I'll tell you about my mom and my sister, but promise me you won't ask about him."

It was enough he was telling me this much. I think it's only fair I wait until he's ready to tell me like he said earlier.

Kissing his lips, I say, "Promise."