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"Dot will you tell me about her," I stared at my oldest sister as she sat at my edge of bed her face blank. I had overheard her crying to Beth claiming it was her fault for not putting a stop to Catherine's antics. She was the oldest she should have stepped in more she claimed. The way she was speaking made it seem like she didn't realize she had been protecting me my whole life. It broke my heart her feeling guilt over this. Finn had been right none of us could have known the kind of man Rodney was, but now we could all hope he listened to Finns threats and never came back.
"About mom?" She turned to me, letting me see her bloodshot eyes. "I don't even know where I would begin Jo. She was something else our mother. You remind me a lot of her actually. The wild child." Dot grinned.
"Do you think she would have agreed with Cathrine about me needing more structure?" The laugh that left my sisters lips could have woken the neighbours with how it boomed through the house.
"If mom were here, she would have been rooting for you and Finn harder than any of us, and Catherine wouldn't exist. She would have looked Edward straight in the eye and told him she could have sworn he wasn't this bloody dumb." I joined in her laughter moving closer to her so I could rest my head on her shoulder. "She loved you very much Joey."
"But she didn't know me." I mumbled.
"Yes she did." Dot argued. "Now get dressed Edward comes home tonight and we all need to look our best for his welcome."
"Thank you Dot. For taking care of me."
"Always Jo."
— An excitement filled the Jennings house today. The kind of excitement that small children feel on Christmas Eve as they impatiently wait for Santa to arrive. Only this wasn't children eagerly waiting for presents. This was a dismembered family waiting for the man that would make them feel whole again.
"You all better be on your best behaviour," Catherine warned licking her palm and running it over my hair to pat down the frizz. I scrunch my nose at the action trying not to gag. "Especially you. And you best believe I'll be telling him all about you and that Shelby boy. He'll be disgusted that his youngest is turning into a gang bangers whore."
"If anyone's a whore here it's you," it was Dot who spoke. It was if she stole the thought right of my head. "You're only with Edward for his money. Our Jo is with Finn for love. So I advise YOU to be on your best behaviour or I'll tell him what you've been up to since he's been away. You don't control the Jennings girls anymore you bitch." Dot pointed her finger in Catherine's face snarling at the older women who looked like she was about to cry.
We waited for Edward in silence after that. All of expected Catherine to have another outburst after that but instead she sat in the corner sipping her tea looking like a kicked dog. "It feels like it's been years since we've seen him," Fran jumped out of her seat that the noise of a car pulling up the drive.
"Oh shush it's been just under two months. You're always so dramatic," Dot rolled her eyes as she began to bounce her knee. I looked over at Beth whose smile was stretched ear from ear. He was home. Things were going back to normal. The four of us all ran at him as he walked through the door his bags falling at his feet and his laughter filling the room like music.
"I've missed you all so much," he exclaimed. "Come let's eat I'm sure there is lots you have to tell me."
"Where do we begin," Beth laughed sipping the wine that was in front of her. "Our little Jo here is getting married," she sent me a wink.
"To who?" He dropped his cutlery and turned to me his eyes growing dark. "No not him. Tell me you aren't involved with Finn."
"What if I am?" I questioned looking over to Catherine who was smiling victoriously.
"No. As long as you are under my roof you will not be seeing a Shelby." Edward snapped catching us all off guard.
"You love Finn." Beth protested.
"He's a good friend to Josephine, but he will not give her the life she deserves." He was speaking as if I was no longer in the room. He stood up from the table walking towards the coat rack.
"Where are you going?" I ran after him grabbing the sleeve of his coat to stop him, but he shook it out of my grip.
"To put a stop to this." Edward turned to me placing his hand on my cheek. "This is for your own good. Now go back to the table."
"No!" I screamed but I knew there wasn't anything I could do. We were wrong. How could we have been so wrong in thinking he would be okay with this. My heart broke despite it all being a lie. I needed to get to Finn first, but there was no way I could.
