What The Heart Wants

Chapter 5

Alison scrubbed both hands down her face. And then she stood stock-still, listening for cries from upstairs - Jake or Ellie, startling awake by Hanna's slamming and stomping. She didn't breathe again for several seconds.

Finally, when she heard nothing but sweet silence, she stuck her head out the door and listen some more.

Still nothing.

By some minor miracle, Hanna had failed to wake up the kids.

Alison retreated into the study and quietly shut the door. She really ought to go straight upstairs to see how Emily was managing.

But Hanna might still have angry words to hurl at her. She would check her emails for now, hide out for a few minutes. If Hanna came flying back out of her room again guns loaded, she didn't want to be anywhere in her path.

Emily was in her bedroom, putting her clothes in the dresser when she heard a door slam downstairs, followed by the loud tapping of boots across hardwood floors.

Hanna. Had to be. Emily tucked a stack of bras into the top drawer, quietly slid it shut - and winced as another downstairs door slammed.

Apparently Alison had come in before Hanna could escape.

Emily felt a stab of guilt. Alison had made it abundantly clear she intended for her sister to stay home tonight. If Emily had only asked Hanna to stick around, the confrontation that had so obviously just occurred downstairs could have been avoided.

But come on. Hanna had a right to have a little fun with her friends now and then. And Emily really didn't need her tonight.

The question now: Should she leave bad enough alone and stay out of it?

Yeah, probably.

But what had just happen was partly her fault. At the very least, she  could offer Hanna a shoulder to cry on.

Still not sure she ought to be sticking her nose in, she tiptoed out into the hall, down the stairs, past the shut door to Alison's study and onward to the back of he house, into the hall of the kitchen. She tapped on Hanna's door.

After a minute, a teary voice called, "Go away Alison!"

Emily tapped again. "Hanna it's me."

Silence

Emily steeled herself to be told to get lost.

But then she heard footsteps in there. Hanna opened the door with red-rimmed eyes and a nose to match.

Emily held out a tissue. "I come in peace." She slightly smiled.

Hanna took the tissue and wiped her nose. "Where is she?"

"Still in her study, I think."

"Jake and Ellie?"

"Not a peep."

Hanna sniffles again. "Come in." She stepped back. Emily entered and followed her to the bed where they sat down side by side.

Emily apologized. "You know it's my fault. She told me this morning that she expected you to stay in. I should have warned you that she seemed kinda stern about it."

"She seems kinda stern about everything." Hanna stuck out her chin. "You know it's true." Emily didn't argue. Why should she? She agreed with Hanna on that. "Alison treats me like am a borderline delinquent. I'm 19 years old, getting decent grades in school, doing a perfectly fine job at adulting, thank you very much. You know, I could just get up, get into my car and go. She can't stop me. After all, my inheritance is scheduled to pay out soon."