The family ties of Lily Juniper Abernathy (book 3)

Chapter 18

Effie

I'd been shamed and disowned by my own family. This wasn't right. I couldn't be disowned. I just couldn't. I hadn't done anything wrong...Had I? This couldn't be right, it had to be a joke or a dream. Everyone would soon know. The gossip would spread, it would esclate, and the rumour would end up being a thousand miles away from what actually happened. Kair had gone, pretending to cry, to her fiance infront of my mother. She said Lily had said all these absolutely dreadful things whereas I knew it was the other way around. My mother went what I can only describe as berserk. So she started verbally abusing Lily- again. And I couldn't take that for a second longer. She turned on onto Haymitch. And when it came to Annie and Charlie at once I just started yelling everything I thought. She disowned me at the point where I let it slip that me and him where together and there was nothing she could do to stop me. And then, disowned. I looked into the mirror. No wig, no makeup, nothing at all. I just looked so...normal?

"Effie?"

I turned and Haymitch was looking at me "You okay?"

"Yeah? I'm fine?"

The truth was I was still unsure of how I felt. I felt free: I never had to go back there. At the same time, even my own family didn't want me.

"Be honest."

I took a deep breath and the word I needed lit up in my mind "I feel...relieved."

He nodded "But, when it comes to it, that's your family?"

I shrugged "My family who talk so disgustingly to my own daughter?"

"You can't pick your family I suppose?"

"You can say that again dad?"

He smiled. He always had this look when she spoke to him. I wished I taken more time to be close to Lily. Her first word was 'Daddy' and she hadn't seen him for about a month at that point.

"You want something?" he asked

She nodded at me "I came to see if you were okay?"

I shrugged "I'm okay I suppose?"

She hugged me tightly and mumbled "Thanks for coming with me? I know you've given up so much for me even before now and I really do respect that."

"No problem darling."

I felt Haymitch slip his arms around us both as he gently kissed the top of my head

Charlie hovered in the doorway "Mommy?"

"Yeah?"

"Come here please?"

"Umm, okay?"

She got up and he muttered something to her. Her eyes widened and she said quickly as she grabbed hold of his arm and pulled him away "Why do you always wait until the last minute to tell me you need the toilet?!" She sighed "It's in that room there, RUN."

We heard her groan and start running herself "CHARLIE! That's the wrong room!"

I giggled- the amount of times I'd done that with her.

We heard the door slam.

"Why didn't you let Daddy know you needed the toilet?"

"Because he was talking to grandma?"

"So I was doing stuff too but it's okay for you to come looking for me to take you to the bathroom?"

"Well...Oh yeah, sorry?"

She sighed "It's okay."

The door opened and closed and he suddenly burst into laughter "Momma, are you okay?"