Chapter 18

Callie watched her mother sleep peacefully. She felt so awful for having hurt her like this. Why did she have to fall in love with her own brother? She kept pondering that question over and over again. Callie sat back and thought of all the times she'd been with a man and none of those times compared to the few times she'd shared with Nathan. She eventually would have to end this wonderful relationship that everyone would see as forbidden.

"Callie?" She heard a male voice speak.

Callie snapped out of her thoughts seeing her father. "D-dad. Hi." She stammered.

"Is your mother OK? Amy called me at work." Jim asked looking over at his wife.

"Y-yes she is now. She had a panic attack."

His eyes widened. "A panic attack? Why? What happened?"

Callie wasn't ready to worry her father. "I-I'm not sure. Amy was here and she said it's because of stress."

Jim looked puzzled. "Stress? Hmm that's strange, she hasn't said anything to me."

"Dad she just needs rest. Look let me fix you something for dinner and I need you to just stay calm. I'm gonna stay here tonight to take care of her."

Jim admired his daughter for being so brave and strong. She'd always been like that. "I'm going to go shower up then." Jim walked close to his wife and kissed her softly on her forehead.

Callie sighed. What a day it had been. A terrible day. The truth had come out about her incestuous relationship with her brother. Now she had to figure out a way to tell her father. He was eventually going to find out one way or another.

Callie quickly just cooked some steaks and made some mash potatoes with gravy. She felt her hands shaking while she waited for her father to get his dinner. Jim came downstairs quietly. He looked worried for his wife. He'd once told Callie that he wouldn't know what to do if she ever left him. He felt he was nothing without his long time partner.

"Mmmm Callie, that smells delicious," Jims said trying to smile.

"Thanks Dad. I think Mom was going to make you some meatloaf but that takes a while so I just cooked the steaks. I got some rolls in the oven if you wanna wait a bit?"

"Yeah I'll wait." Jim poured himself some iced tea.

Callie was speechless. She wanted to tell her father, but she knew the time was not right. She had to stay away from her brother at least for a few days. Once her mother was more at ease and calm. Callie didn't want to hurt her mother anymore that she felt she'd already done. It was going to be the hardest thing she'd ever do, but she had to get over Nathan. Their love was impossible. She knew one thing and that was she'd never find true love like she had found with Nathan.

"Honey? Are you OK?" Jim asked Callie.

"Huh? Y-yes I'm fine. I'm just worried about Mom. I hope she'll be OK."

Jim reached out and grabbed his daughter's tiny hand. "Yes, she's a strong woman just like yourself. She'll be fine."

Callie only hoped that was true.

"What? Amber quit?" Rebecca asked David as he drove her home.

"Yeah. She started saying some really bad shit about Callie and I just told her how I feel about her. She got pissed off and just quit on the spot."

Rebecca laughed hysterically. "Oh my god cuz! That is crazy! What was she saying about Callie?"

"Ugh she was saying that Callie and Nathan are lovers!"

Rebecca's eyes widened. "What? Lovers? That's so sick!"

David nodded. "Yeah I know. Only someone like Amber would make that shit up."

Rebecca reclined back on the passenger's seat. She felt bad for saying that incest was sick; after all she'd had a taste of incest herself. Long ago when she was about 12 or so, she and David had made out in her closet playing house. It had been her first kiss but she'd always looked at it as just an experimental thing. She wondered if it was just an innocent kiss why had she never forgotten it?

"Mom?" Callie called out softly stroking her mother's hair.

Gloria's eyes fluttered as she woke up. "Callie?"

"Yes Mom how are you feeling?"

Gloria opened her eyes. She still looked sad and worried. "I'm better I suppose. What time is it?"

Callie looked at her watch. "It's almost eleven at night. You've been asleep for a while."

Gloria looked away. "Yes I thought I'd wake up and realized what had happened was just a nightmare. I guess it wasn't."

Callie's eyes were starting to fill with tears. Don't cry, she'll only worry more.

"I'm sorry Mom. Look I'm going to stop seeing Nathan. I don't want to hurt you anymore."

Gloria's eyes lit up. "Really? Oh Callie that's the best decision you can make. Honey it's for the best."

Then Why do I feel so rotten? Callie asked herself silently.

"Let me take you up to your room. Dad's already asleep. I'm gonna stay the night here."

Gloria slowly got up. She felt weak and dizzy. Callie held on to her as they walked upstairs slowly. Callie's intentions were to mend her mother's broken heart and she had to do whatever it took to do that. Even if that meant not being with the man she loved.

Nathan woke up the next day feeling somber and lonely. He reached over to hopefully feel Callie's small warm body next to him but it was useless. She was gone. He'd cried quite a bit last night. He rolled over and could still smell Callie on his sheets. It'd only been one night without her and he was already yearning for her. He never knew he could miss someone so much. Damnit! Why did she have such a hold on him!

Nathan made himself get up. He had no intentions of going to work today. He wanted to just go and visit his parents and Callie. A few minutes later her found himself calling in to work. It was going to be tough, but he was going to go to his parent's house. If anything to make sure his mother was OK and to talk to her. He needed to explain everything to her. Make her understand that his and Callie's relationship was real. Something special.

Callie had been awakened by the sound of her parents talking in the hallway. They seemed to be acting as if everything was back to normal. She only wished things were back to the way they were a few days ago. But in a way she was glad her relationship with Nathan had been revealed.