leaving this city, Tina. I can’t do this shit any longer.”
She looks down, her hand twirling the spoon in her coffee, and she’s not answering me.
“Tina?”
“Is it because of him or Lucy?”
“Both,” I reply honestly.
“Okay, have you thought of not moving, but going on a long-ass break instead?” She shrugs. “You’ve never traveled, and if you sell your house, you can leave all your stuff at mine, so you have something to come back to.”
“I’ve never thought of traveling.”
Tina stops stirring her coffee and smiles as she looks up at me. “Now is the time.”
“Maybe,” I say.
She shakes her head. “No maybes about it.”
I hear a knock on my door, and Tina gets up before I have a chance to answer it.
“Nope, nope… not allowed,” I hear her say.
Standing, I walk up behind her to see that Lucy’s at my door and my mouth goes wide at the sight of her. She has on a dress showcasing her legs, one of which is bandaged due to her wound.
“You going to deny a pregnant woman access?” Lucy asks, touching her belly.
Tina laughs, then stops as realization sets in. “Oh, God, you aren’t joking. Fuck me! You will be the worst mother to ever grace this earth. Lucy, give that poor child to someone who will care for it.” Tina crosses her arms over her chest, pushing up her ample breasts.
Lucy hasn’t spotted me yet as she turns her nose up at Tina and replies, “I have Atlas now… he’s going to help me.” She smiles as she says it and I cringe when I hear it.
“Atlas, the man who loves your sister and not you?” Tina bites back with laughter. “You did always want to be like Theadora. I guess having a man who loves her should do it for you.”
Lucy’s eyes narrow and she looks behind Tina, finally noticing me. “You going to let your friend talk to me this way?” Her eyes pin me to the spot.
Tina looks back to me when I say nothing, then she glances back at Lucy. “Now, what do you want? Before I kick you out, pregnant and all.” Tina smiles as Lucy looks down at the floor then back to me, ignoring Tina.
“He asked me to move in with him. To live with him,” she says, smiling. “Thea, I need my baby things, I know you kept them.”
“Nope, nope, nope, not a chance. Goodbye.” Tina attempts to shut the door, but Lucy stops her, putting her hand between the door and the frame. “I will cut your hand off and not care one iota, just try me,” Tina threatens.
“Thea, I want my things… the ones you kept.”
I didn’t keep much. Our mother had a box for each of us containing our favorite clothes, and photographs from when we were babies. I kept Lucy’s here at my house. I also kept mine, so when I have my own child one day, I can pass something down even if it is small.
Spinning around, I walk away, going to my closet and pulling out the box. When I step back out, Tina’s still looking at Lucy, as if she is ready to tackle her. When I go to hand her the box, she shakes her head. “Oh no, I can’t carry that. I’m pregnant.”
Tina swears under her breath as Lucy starts walking off to a car. I realize immediately whose car it is. She opens the passenger door and waves for me to put it inside, and I stand there shocked. Atlas is sitting in the driver’s seat and doesn’t even look my way. I drop the box on the ground and lean down so I can see him.
“You carry her box, you piece of shit.” I flip him off, turn, and walk away.
Tina laughs, and when she sees me watching, she quickly covers it up and follows me back inside the house, shutting the door behind us.
“You know she only did that to rub it in your face, right? She doesn’t want the baby stuff, she just wanted to show you she had him,” Tina says.
“I hate her,” I say through gritted teeth while pacing back and forth.
“About time.” She laughs. Reaching for her purse, she kisses my cheek and says, “I’ll be back, stay here.”
I spend the rest of the day in bed doing nothing. Tina announces herself when she arrives back and comes straight into my room. In her hand, she’s holding a suitcase and paperwork.
“Do you plan to tell me why Lucy