Home with My Sisters (29 page)

CHAPTER 31

Hope, Austin, and Josh were in the waiting room of Cascade Medical Center. Hope's eyes were swollen from crying. She couldn't stop replaying the event in her mind. Although he hadn't meant for them to get seriously hurt, she couldn't help but think that Josh had purposefully clipped their sled. By the time Hope's body had stopped rolling down the hill and she'd crawled over to Brittany, she'd been relieved to see that Brittany was conscious and crying, then horrified to see the position of Brittany's leg, twisted behind her at an unnatural angle, and realize it was broken. Faith still wasn't calling her back, so Joy and Harrison were out looking for her. The doctor had just popped in to say that they were almost finished setting Brittany's leg and they could visit in a moment. Faith was going to kill Hope. Austin kept reaching over to squeeze Hope's hand, but she was finding it a challenge to accept the comfort. Josh was wide-eyed and worried sick about Brittany. Hope had to admit to herself that that alone brought her some relief. He had snuck off to the bathroom and when he came back his eyes were red and his lashes wet with tears.

“Come here,” Hope said. Josh took the seat next to her and she put her arm around him. “It was an accident.”

“I was trying to pass you, not hit your sled,” Josh said.

“I know,” Hope said. She suspected he might have hit their sled on purpose, but she knew in his teenage brain that he thought it would be funny and didn't intend on driving them straight for a tree, flipping them over, or breaking his sister's leg.

“The guy who worked there said I was being reckless,” Josh said. “Are they going to arrest me?”

“No,” Austin said. “You just can't sled there anymore.”

“Good,” Josh said. “I don't want to. Mom was right. It's too dangerous. You should have listened to her, Aunt Hope.”

And now the blame was squarely on her. Austin squeezed her hand again. “Brittany is going to be okay,” he said.

“She has a broken leg,” Hope said. “She's going to spend the rest of the holidays in a cast.”

“I want to be the first to sign it,” Josh said. Hope swallowed. “Aunt Hope?” Josh said.

She looked at him and waited. “What are you going to tell Mom? I mean, are you going to say it was my fault?”

Austin and Hope exchanged a look. She didn't know much about boys, or boy energy, or what all their teenage hormones made them do. “Here's the thing,” Austin said. “We know you were trying to have fun, but you were also a bit reckless.”

“It was an accident, I lost control,” Josh said.

“I know you didn't mean for us to get hurt,” Hope said.

“That's right, I didn't,” Josh said.

“But I think you knew you were going to bump into our sled,” Hope said.

Josh jumped up. “Don't tell Mom that. You're going to, aren't you? You're going to tell her it was all my fault.”

“Josh, please sit down,” Hope said.

“Everybody always thinks everything is my fault. Now it's going to be poor little Brittany. I wish I had broken my leg instead. Nobody would care then, would they?”

“Of course we would care. How can you even think we wouldn't?”

“Nobody wanted to come here for Christmas. Just you. You made everyone come.” Josh had never spoken to her like that or glared at her like that.

A nurse came into the waiting room. “She's in her room. You can go in.”

Josh barged ahead, almost running. Hope followed, her eyes once again filling with tears. Austin grabbed her hand. “This is not your fault,” he said.

“I think he hit us on purpose,” Hope said. “But I don't think he meant for this to happen.”

“I know,” Austin said.

“So what do I say?”

“You tell the truth. He's going to have to deal with the truth.”

“What about his state of mind?”

“You mean the suicidal inclinations?”

Hope nodded. “This adds stress,” Austin said. “We're definitely going to have to tell Faith everything. I'm sorry. I should have done this from the start.”

“It's not your fault,” Hope said. “It's mine.”

“Don't say that,” Austin said.

But Hope pulled back from his touch. “Josh is right. I pushed for this. A happy holiday. A happy family. I pushed for this.”

“There's nothing wrong with wanting a happy Christmas. Or a happy family.”

“Makes me a bit naïve, don't you think?”

Austin slipped his arm around Hope's shoulder and this time she didn't shrug it off. “You're being too hard on yourself. Let's go see Brittany.” Hope nodded and hugged the teddy bear she'd bought in the gift shop. Austin held the flowers and cards. Hope's cell phone rang and she headed for the room. It was Faith. Hope answered, but the minute she said hello the connection was cut. Cell phones weren't allowed in all areas of the hospital and the reception was shoddy. Hope texted Faith.

Cascade Medical Center
Sledding accident
Brittany okay but has broken leg

 

A few seconds later her phone dinged.

 

Ha-ha. On my way back to the house

 

Turn around
Not joking

 

Enough. You're joking.

 

Hope entered Brittany's room. The poor girl was grinning despite her leg in a giant cast and propped up on pillows. Her grin grew when she saw the teddy bear and flowers. Josh stuck to the side of her bed, nervously playing with the sheets. Hope engulfed her in a huge hug. “Your mom thinks I'm joking. Mind if I take a picture?”

Brittany smiled for the camera. Josh jumped out of the picture at the last minute. Hope sent it to Faith. When her phone dinged back, the sound went straight through Hope's heart.

 

OMG!!!!!! I'm seriously going to kill you

 

Hope showed Austin the text. He smiled and squeezed her arm. “I'll do my best to stop her,” he said.

* * *

Brittany was propped up in the living room of the loft near the Christmas tree and the roaring fire. Austin and Hope were still waiting to talk to Faith privately, but she wasn't giving them the time of day. Josh, on the other hand, was watching every move they made, still seemingly terrified that they were going to tell Faith he had rammed them on purpose. Which, of course, they were. Hope was getting so weary of secrets. Especially Yvette's. She was resting, having just come back from the doctor, and Joy was the bubbliest Hope had ever seen her. Hope hated the thought that Joy was secretly thrilled that Faith was livid with Hope. Roger was standing particularly close to the window, every so often holding up something for Brittany's delight: a pinecone, an ornament, an ice skate.

“Roger is so funny!” she said. Hope couldn't help but notice the look Joy and Harrison exchanged. Joy didn't have any idea that Roger was their father, and why would she? Hope was dying to tell her, but of course she had already promised Faith they would do it together and Faith was once again in the driver's seat, now playing the martyr, the loving mom who had tried to protect her children from breaking a leg sledding, but defeated by dumb Aunt Hope who had never raised anything but dogs. Austin was the only bright spot in all of this.

“Do you want to go to my place later?” he whispered.

“I want to go now,” she said. He laughed. “Yes,” she said. “Later.” Later couldn't come soon enough. Christmas was a week away, the only saving grace—would they all just part ways after Christmas? Wait for Yvette to die? The doorbell rang. Faith hurried over to it and soon Charlie came into view, smiling. Hope smiled back but felt sick. How could she bring her here? What was this going to do to Josh? They hadn't had time to tell Faith about Josh's call to Austin. This was a nightmare. Faith was introducing Charlie around the room as her friend Charlotte who just happened to be in the area. Hope gathered from the look on Charlie's face that Charlotte wasn't her real name at all. Regardless, she smiled and started to hand out presents.

She was like Mrs. Claus, distributing sudden cheer. She had presents for Brittany and Josh, and even little tins of cookies for Hope, and Joy, and Granny. Faith allowed the kids to open them, which was a relief to Hope given that she had already opened hers and was on her second cookie—a delicious chocolate and almond concoction. These were much fancier than the sugar cookies Hope made. Would you look at that? Faith was in love with a woman who baked cookies. She wondered if she made kale chips. It somewhat endeared her to Charlie. Still, the timing couldn't be worse. Wasn't Stephen on his way? As soon as he'd found out about Brittany breaking her leg, he announced he was coming to spend Christmas with them. Josh seemed thrilled, so at least there was that.

None of them had heard from Carla, her Facebook page had gone quiet, and she wasn't answering her phone. This was so typical of their mother. To dramatically announce she was coming here and then disappear.

“We need to do something positive with this group,” Hope said to Austin. “Something to get us in a Christmas mood.”

“Skating is out,” he said. Hope gave him a look. He laughed.

“I need to make my Christmas presents,” Brittany said.

“Now there's something we could do,” Hope said. “We could all make each other's presents this year.”

“Great,” Josh said. “Just another way to ruin Christmas.” Tears came to Hope's eyes, but she quickly hid them.

“What is it you would rather have for Christmas?” Austin asked Josh.

“A faithful mother,” he replied.

“You told him?” Charlie said. Up until now she had been helping Brittany sort through the gift she brought her, a jewelry-making kit. It was actually quite an appropriate present for Brittany. It was still so weird to think of Faith being with another woman, but in another way it all seemed to fit. They heard the sound of a car horn. Faith leaned in and whispered in Charlie's ear. A strange buzzing sound soon rang out.

“Someone is at the gate,” Austin said.

“Dad!” Josh said.

“It could be Grandma Carla,” Joy said. At the mention of her mother, Hope's head snapped to the outside window. Roger wasn't anywhere in sight. They had to tell Joy about Roger, then confront Yvette before Blizzard Carla barreled through.

“Stephen's coming?” Charlie said. The panic was obvious in her voice.

“We have to get you out of here,” Faith said.

Josh suddenly lasered in on Charlie while Austin went to see who was at the gate. “What did you say your name was?”

“Ms. Gates,” Faith interrupted. “You can call her Ms. Gates.” Charlie tried to smile, but she looked slightly deranged. Josh's eyes narrowed, but then he tossed it off and made a beeline out the door.

“Coat, coat, coat,” Faith yelled after him.

“Faith,” Hope said. “We have to talk.”

“Kind of busy right now,” Faith said. “Thanks to you.”

“It's not my fault.”

“I told you I didn't want them to go sledding.”

“We need to talk in private.”

Faith shook her head. “You're always trying to control things,” she said.

“Me?” Hope said. “Me?”

“Who else?”

“Uh, hello pot, it's me, kettle.”

“Whatever.”

Austin stepped up. He kept his voice firm but low. “We're concerned about Josh,” he said.

“Excuse me?” Faith's eyes flashed. She was furious. “Just what the hell gives you the right to say that to me?”

“What's going on out here?” Yvette emerged from the bedroom. Poor woman. Their arrival had brought nothing but stress.

“Austin works at a suicide prevention center,” Hope said.

“So?” Faith said.

“That's what I meant by we're concerned about Josh,” Austin said.

Faith's mouth clamped shut at first. “He told you?” She closed her eyes. “I'm surprised. He said he didn't mean it. The cuts weren't deep enough to do any real damage.”

“He tried to kill himself,” Hope said. So that's what the “hide the knives” comment had been about after all.

“Isn't that what you're referring to?”

“He called Austin's hotline,” Hope said. “Just a few days ago.”

“What?” Anger was back in Faith's voice. “And you're just telling me now?”

“He actually called my cell or I wouldn't have been able to tell you at all. Even now I'm betraying a confidence. But I thought you should know.”

“Of course I should know. I'm his mother.”

“I don't think he's in the planning stage, or at least I didn't—but I had no idea he'd attempted it before.”

“There's something else,” Hope said.

“You'd better tell me everything.”

“He purposefully rammed into our sled.”

“What?” Faith headed for the door. “He's not getting away with this.”

“Wait,” Hope said. “I don't think he meant to hurt anyone. But he was being a bit reckless.”

“I'll handle it,” Faith said.

“Let's think everything through,” Austin said.

“Here you are again, telling me how to parent my own son.”

“I had a brother,” Austin said. “He committed suicide when he was just a year older than Josh.”

Faith stared at him. “I'm sorry,” she said.

“I'm not trying to tell you how to parent. But I do think this is a critical time. I think you and your husband need to figure out a plan, and have a united front.”