A few hours after I got home, Less called me, and my heart stopped. Was this what life would become? Me being afraid to answer the phone every time my sister called? I hated that period of my life. Anyway, I got over myself and answered the phone. Her voice was venomous, and every word she spoke felt like an assault on my eardrums. Apparently Jace had come over to talk, and man did she let him have it. She didn’t even let him in the house and served him up on the porch in front of the entire neighborhood. I was so proud of her because she stood on business. Strong women often fell victim to their emotions when it came to the men they loved, and all too often, they found themselves repeating the very mistakes they vowed to avoid. I didn’t think Less would go soft and let him back into their lives, but I was glad to hear I was right.
This fool called himself trying to explain and had the audacity to act like the victim! After hearing his sob story, one might think HE was the one who carried THREE babies for a week, delivered them, and took care of them by himself. That little shit!! If I thought Less was angry before, that just revved her up even more. She pulled no punches and sliced and diced, talked about the man’s family, and everything under the sun. But nothing she said, no matter how harsh, would change his mind or their situation. He didn’t come to get her back, and she didn’t want him back. She was tired of yelling into the void, and her emotional cup was already full before he arrived. She didn’t have anymore fight left in her and made it painstakingly clear she wanted nothing to do with him. But if he grew up and wanted to be a man who took care of his children, they could talk. In the meantime, she fully expected child support.
That, of all things, riled him up. Not her saying his mother was a llama, or he had weak woohoo game. Parting with his precious simoleons for children HE created upset him the most. He tried to argue her down, saying she knew how his employment was set up and how he didn’t make a consistent income. Paying child support for THREE babies would bankrupt him. This fool had the gall to try to guilt her into not going there, trying to appeal to her good nature or whatever. Unluckily for him, Less’ good nature was very small, and she told him he should have thought about that before he ran off to another country and married another woman.
That’s when the begging started. He apologized every which way. He even apologized for stuff she didn’t accuse him of, and I laughed so hard. When he saw she would not be moved, he hit her with the “I still love you” bull, hoping that would be the key. Admittedly, that one almost got her, especially when he began to cry. She would never say it to him, but she still loved him too. Of course she did. Dad always said love doesn’t just go away. She said she felt stupid for still being in love with him, but I told her not to expect so much from herself because it would take time. She wasn’t wrong for still having feelings for him. But my girl knew crocodile tears when she saw them and sent him packing.
She said she wished she would have punched him. It would have made her feel better, but it didn’t feel like the right moment. But if he ever stepped to her again with that woe is me bullshit, she would not hesitate to let him have it. Hopefully, he knew how serious she was and didn’t mess around and find out. I felt for her and had only realized just then that she was mourning both our dad and her relationship. I made the mistake of thinking she didn’t really care about him because she’d never been in love before and their relationship began so quickly. I figured what Less felt was just those initial strong feelings Mama said were easily confused with love. But she did love him, and now she lost him. She didn’t deserve any of that, and I just wanted to hug her.
I really hoped she would be open to moving to San Sequoia, whether she took Dad’s house or we moved into a duplex. Our lives were way too busy, and it would be easy for us to get wrapped up in our children’s affairs and drift apart. At least if we were neighbors would we see each other from time to time.
