wall carrying upstairs. It’s a familiar sound, only it’s usually my mother hurling shit around, not him
“You are my fucking nephew, I’m your elder, show me some respect, Rainieri, or you’ll regret this little witch hunt.”
His deep voice growls, making the air move. The fact that his nephew has more power than him burns my father. He feels as if he has been robbed of something.
“You can’t tell me who to screw, Rain, it’s my dick, I’ll put it where I want to.”
Oh, this is about his infidelity and bad taste again. I reverse back to my room. I’d rather wait this storm out where he cannot lash out at me.
Ten
Pale Golden Blonde
CHELSEY
I got what I can only presume was a drunk text from Rat last night, so I chose to ignore it. I feel lighter today, like telling him all my problems out loud made them less problematic. It’s Sunday and I know that means Sal is unavailable, but I have decided that tomorrow I am going to tell him about the baby and on Wednesday I’m going to my first baby doctor’s appointment.
We have moved upstairs into the new salon. Ailee and I ate pizza in the new kitchen at midnight while we finished setting the place up for business tomorrow morning. It’s exciting and I can’t wait to start working up there, the new beginning for both of us.
If Sal leaves me, then that’s okay too. I have survived this long, I can do it alone.
Shaine and I sort the laundry so that we all have clothes for the week. My mother is face planted on the sitting room floor and we have left her there – if she starts to smell we’ll call for help. My sisters have been doing more than I have around here lately and I feel a little guilty about it, knowing my mother isn’t easy to deal with.
I hear my phone chirping where I have it on charge next to the bed in the other room. It’s probably Rat to revoke his message from last night.
“You can go get it,” Shaine says to me, hearing it too.
I am trying to ignore it to just spend some time with them. “No, it’s fine.”
She seems a little edgy and not her usual self today. This year has been hard on her. She’s almost done with school and she works two after-school jobs. My little sister looks tired.
“Go get it, it might be important.”
The chirps keep coming. And it’s ringing now. No one calls anyone these days, so this time I leave the room to get it. The ringing stops before I get there, but the slew of messages on the screen makes me feel ill.
You are fucking pregnant
You didn’t think I should know before everyone else did
Answer the phone Bunny before I come over there
Why didn’t you fucking tell me
I’m coming to fetch you. Be ready.
Shit, fuck, shit! Who told him? How does he know? Is he following me? Is someone following me? Oh, Jesus, I should have told him.
I can’t hold in the tears. I crumple to the floor beside my bed, my hand shakes so bad that I can’t reply even if I wanted to.
What have I done? I’m so stupid.
Hearing me cry, Shaine comes in and sits down next to me on the floor. “Are you okay?”
I shake my head, unable to talk past the sobs.
“I know, so you don’t have to keep it from me. I saw the tests in the garbage, Chelsey.” She puts a hand on my back. “I was waiting for you to come to me, but obviously you are not okay. I’m your sister, and even if you think I’m a kid, I’m not. I grew up long ago. So, what’s the plan? Because you need one.”
“I don’t have one, and Sal is on his way here. He just found out, and not from me.” I swallow. “He’s pissed.”
“Clean your face, comb your hair and face him. It can only go two ways. Either he’s a runner or a dumper. And either way it doesn’t matter, because you don’t need him.”
She is right. This is where I have to be a big girl and face my mess, and then pick up the pieces and carry on.
“Don’t tell mom, please.”
I don’t know why I care, but I feel like this would disappoint her more than anything else I’ve ever done.
“I don’t think she’d hear me even if I did.”
We both laugh, because it’s true.
“I’m sorry I