Chapter 13

I got this picture in my head of me falling through the front doorway, pulling Jill after me, as I went to turn the handle and Mom pulled the front door open. Jill must have sensed something because she pulled back on my hand when the door opened.

"Jill."

"Hi, Mrs. Hill."

Mom held her arms out and Jill fell into them. She hesitated a split second, then wrapped her arms around Mom's waist and was scrunching her cheek into her bosom. Mom raised one her her hands and stroked Jill's hair, holding her tight with the other hand.

Jill eased up and Mom let her go.

"Mrs. Hill is too formal. You can call me June. Or Mom, if you'd like."

"Mom."

My mother smiled. She looked ready to cry, sniffed and kind of shook it off.

"Well, you two got here earlier than I thought. Dinner won't be ready for another 15 minutes."

"Where's Mary?"

"She's in her room. I don't think she's going to eat with us. She's not feeling very good."

"What's the matter?"

"She says her stomach hurts. Some kind of bug or something."

Jill shot me a look like it was my fault my sister was sick. What the hell?

"Do you mind if I talk to her? Jack's told me a lot about her. I'd really like to meet her."

"Sure. Her room's the first one on the left. I think she's awake."

Jill went down the hall. I heard her tap on the door. "It's Jill. I'd like to meet Jack's sister. Is it OK if I come in?" I heard Mary say something then the door opened and Jill went inside.

"Jackie, this is strange. Your sister doesn't get sick much. How was she this morning?"

"We were talking and teasing each other and she got quiet all of a sudden. I thought it might have been something I said. I guess that's when she first started feeling sick."

"What were you teasing her about?"

"It's kind of private, Mom."

"I'm sure I can take it."

"Well, she asked me if Jill's a screamer. I told her nobody screamed as much as she does when she uses her hairbrush. So she asked if she really screamed and I told her it was more like moaning. And she made some comment about me grunting. Then I said maybe we could grunt and moan together sometime. But I didn't mean anything by it, Mom. I apologized right away and everything. She said it was OK."

"I see. Did you tell Jill about this?"

"Yeah..."

"Alright, I need to get going on dinner."

She left me standing in the living room. When she said she saw, she said it as if she understood something. I had no idea what was going on. Both Mom and Jill were acting as if I should know why Mary was sick. In fact, as if I was responsible for making her sick. I definitely felt like I was missing something. I decided it would be safest to sit down on the couch, out of the way.

Mom called me into the kitchen about 20 minutes later. "Jackie, go tell Jill and your sister that dinner's ready. Nicely."

"I thought Mary was sick."

"Just do it."

I went down the hall and tapped on Mary's door. "Hey. Guys. Mom says dinner's ready."

"I got an "OK" from Jill and a "Be right there" from my sister.

We usually eat during the week at the kitchen table. The dining room is used for Sunday dinner and holidays. I was surprised to see the good china on the dining room table.

"Wow, this looks great, Mom."

Mary shot a look at Jill. Damn! If looks could kill. Mom noticed it, too.

"Mary, I'm glad to see you're feeling better."

"I don't know, Mom, I feel it coming on again."

"Did Jill tell you that her mother just walked out on her and her father when she was two? That she left the two of them all alone and she hasn't had a mother to talk to since she learned how to talk? That she needs someone to confide in and give her hugs and talk about girl things with?"

"No." Grudgingly. Like it was forced out of her. What the hell was going on?

"Well I think you owe her an apology. I'm the one who told her she can call me 'Mom.' Neither of you has been without love because there was more than one of you. If I'm there when Jill needs someone, it's not going to hurt you one bit. So knock it off with the dirty looks, quit being a little brat and apologize to Jill or you WILL spend dinner time in your room, sick or not."

Mary looked like she'd been slapped. Jill was definitely uncomfortable. I felt like I'd walked through that front door into the Twilight Zone.

"I'm sorry, Jill. First Jackie and now my Mom. Well you can have them BOTH." She burst into tears and ran crying into her room.

I stood up to go to her.

"Let her be, Jack."

"Jill, that's my sister. She's hurting. I don't know what's going on around here but I'm going to go comfort her."

"She's right, Jackie. Give her till after dinner. She needs some time to herself."