LOGINALICENothing was said in the drive to the airport.I sat in the front while Rory was in the backseat, all alone. My father’s eyes were on the road the entire time, but that was as far as I’d noticed. I hadn’t looked at him once. To say I was upset by how things turned out was an understatement. I imagined that something like this would happen and I even prepared for it, but that didn’t make the situation more bearable. At the end of the day, it still felt like our family had been split into two parts, and even though I would now have Rory with me, I felt more alone than ever. Right now, I wished more than ever that my parents were more supportive. I couldn’t understand for the life of me why they expected support when they messed up, but couldn’t overlook anything I ever did. It took ages for us to arrive, but that was only because I was so anxious to get out of this town. Dad parked the car, pulled the brakes, then sat with his hands on his lap. I didn’t open the door and get o
ALICE"Rory, what..." Mom shook her head, confused. "What's the meaning of this? Why aren't you in bed!?""Don't yell at him," I reminded her as I reached for the backpack. He put a few things inside, including his pajamas, the recipe book they gave him in his baking class, and his iPad. I walked up to his closet, opened it, and started pulling more clothes out. "Get away from there!" she yelled just as Dad appeared in the doorway. He hadn't said much since I mentioned taking Rory with me, and I wasn't sure how he was taking all this. I didn't have much time to even think about it, though, because Mom was standing in front of me in a flash and her nails were digging into my forearm. "I said get away! Don't touch his things!""You're hurting me!""I want to do worse to you, you selfish brat!" she spat. "How dare you try to ruin our family? You think because you snagged yourself a rich man that you can walk in here and shit all over us? Who the hell do you think you are? That's my son
ALICE"I'll call the doctor's office and reschedule your appointment. Is two days okay?"I nodded. I was pretty sure I'd be back by then."Take care, okay?" Thelma wrapped her arms around me and held me tight for a good minute before letting go. "We'll be right there when you get back, okay? Just call me as soon as you land. I need to know you're okay.""I will. Please, tell Francesca that I'll explain everything when I get back.""Of course."I didn't know what to expect when I got there. My parents hadn't tried calling since and neither had Rory. It made me wonder if they knew something was up or if Rory was the one who'd been desperately trying to call me this whole time. The realization broke my heart. He'd had a phone before, but he just never ended up using it. He was always on his iPad, listening to music and playing his favorite cooking games. There was also a word search app he loved a lot. He was always on it. All these questions would be answered as soon as I arrived.Af
ALICE"Rory?" I asked as soon as he picked up. For a split second before he answered me, it crossed my mind that it could be my mother who texted that just to get me to call back, and honestly, I'd be bummed, but relieved. It was Rory, though. "Alice?""Is everything okay?" I asked hurriedly while trying to stay calm. I didn't want to make him nervous. He had a hard time figuring out what he'd say next and I didn't press him. I just waited. "Mom and Dad are fighting."My heart dropped. I couldn't help it. "Why're they fighting? What're they saying?""Dad..." He paused. "Gambling.""Gambling?" I echoed in disbelief. "Yes."Something inside of me twisted and hardened, but I had to see this through. I had to make sure I had all the information I needed. "And what's Mom saying?""She's angry."There was no way he was making a mistake. I was aware of Thelma watching me, but I couldn't return the look. There was only one reason why I left Rory with my parents without ever worrying, and
ALICEThelma and I just sat in the bathroom of her master bedroom without saying anything.What could I possibly say at a time like this?But the words came anyway, and I knew it was up to me to break the silence. "I'm worried because I...I took the pill every day, Thelma. I didn't miss a single day. What if...I don't know.""We'll need to make an appointment. I know an incredible obstetrician. He's always taken really good care of me. I'll give him a call now and see when he can see you."She left the bathroom and I was alone for a handful of minutes with my own thoughts. It occurred to me then that I was more worried about the baby's condition than anything else. Would the pills harm it? Would I have to terminate the pregnancy because of that?By the time Thelma returned, I was in tears. She kneeled in front of me and ran her fingers through the hair framing my face affectionately. "What is it, darling? Don't cry, Alice.""I can't help it," I whispered. "I always thought that I woul
ALICEFor days after that, Theo and I didn't say a word to each other, even though I continued cooking him meals and making sure he was taking his medication accordingly. I just felt so heartbroken by what I heard him say. I knew that was how he felt, but hearing him speak to her on the phone and promising her all those things? That crushed me. There were times when I felt like I couldn't breathe. In fact, I was so distracted by my own pain and suffering that I didn't even realize I'd missed my period. This had happened to me before. Whenever I was too stressed, my period got delayed. This was definitely the most stressed I'd been in a very long time, so that was a perfectly normal answer. But it had never been nearly three weeks late. I took my birth control pill every day, so I knew there was a very slim chance that I was pregnant, but I had to be sure. Naturally, I didn't have a pregnancy test just lying around, so I called Thelma and asked for her help regarding this. "What?







