15-05-2021-052358It-Ends-with-Us

because he’s her brother. We’re supposed to be one big, happy family.
I know exactly what she’s thinking.
She’s quiet for a long time as she struggles through everything I’ve
told her. She finally lifts her eyes to mine and squeezes my hands. “My
brother loves you, Lily. He loves you so much. You have changed his
entire life and have made him someone that I never thought he could
be. As his sister, I wish more than anything that you could find a way
to forgive him. But as your best friend, I have to tell you that if you
take him back, I will never speak to you again.”
It takes a moment for her words to register, but when they do, I
start sobbing.
She starts sobbing.
She wraps her arms around me and we cry over the mutual love we
have for Ryle. We cry over how much we hate him right now.
After several minutes of us sobbing pathetically on her bed, she
releases me and walks over to her dresser to retrieve a box of tissues.
We’re both wiping our eyes and sniffling when I say, “You’re the
best friend I’ve ever had.”
She nods. “I know. And now I’m gonna be the best aunt.” She
wipes her nose and sniffles again, but she’s smiling. “Lily. You’re
having a baby.” She says it with excitement, and it’s the first moment
I’ve been able to share any sense of joy over my pregnancy. “I hate to
say it, but I noticed you put on weight. I thought you were just
depressed and eating a lot since Ryle left.”
She walks to the back of her closet and starts pulling things out for
me. “I have so many maternity clothes to give you.”
We start going through clothes and she pulls down a suitcase and
opens it. She begins to throw things toward the suitcase until it starts
to overflow.
“I could never wear these,” I tell her, holding up a shirt that still
has the tag on it. “They’re all designer. I’ll get them dirty.”
She laughs and shoves them into the suitcase anyway. “I won’t need
them back. If I get pregnant again, I’ll just have my people buy me
more.” She pulls a shirt off a hanger and hands it to me. “Here, try
this one on.”
I take my shirt off and then pull the maternity shirt over my head.
When I get it into place, I look in the mirror.