Page 88 of Done with You

“How did Dad take it?” Triss asked.

Rayma shrugged. “I haven’t told him. They never call me. When I called and told them in October that I was engaged, their response was, ‘That’s nice’. That was it. Not, ‘How can we help?’ or ‘What do you need?’ or anything. Just, ‘That’s nice’. Dad never even asked if he could walk me down the aisle. And yet, when I told Pasha and Heath, Heath immediately asked what I needed and how he could help. He even offered to help pay for it—not that we took him up on it. The same with Joy and Grant. The same with everyone. And yet my own parents couldn’t even find it in their hearts to be excited for me.”

“Excitement will kill them, you know that,” Mieka said dryly. “The same with bright colors, alcohol, boy bands, black eyeliner, sleeveless shirts and let’s not forget, paying anybody a fucking compliment. That’ll make them drop dead on the freaking spot.”

They all snorted.

“When I told them that we wanted to get married on Christmas, which was when we met, and only two months after we got engaged, they gave me shit for taking the specialness away from the holiday and making it about myself.”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Mieka said, draining her wine glass and reaching for the bottle on the table to top herself up. “I think it’s magical. And you met on Christmas day, but are getting married on Christmas Eve in order to not take away from the specialness. Mom and Dad can fuck right off.” She grabbed a piece of garlic naan and sat back against the couch, ripping off pieces with a splash of angry vigor before popping them into her mouth.

“Also gave me shit for planning a wedding at a time when flights are so expensive,” Rayma added. “Said I was being inconsiderate since they’re the ones flying the farthest.”

Oona cleared her throat. “Excuse me? I’m flying the same fucking distance. So did Aiden.”

Oh wow, that was the first time she’d thought of Aiden all day.

“And I’m dealing with student loan debt, meanwhile Royce and Yanna are sitting pretty with their house paid off and their 401Ks intact,” Oona added. “Not that you and Jordan aren’t worth it. I have my loan payment plan in place. I’m not hurting for money. All I’m saying is that money woes are rich coming from two people who are retired, with their house paid off and who rationed our food out as kids like we lived in a refugee camp.”

Everyone’s heads bobbed in agreement.

Mieka licked her lips, and her eyes focused on Triss, then Pasha and finally Oona and Rayma. “You know, um, I never told you two, but um … I got pregnant the night of Triss’s wedding. It was Nate’s.”

“Was?” Oona asked, shock rippling through her.

Mieka nodded. “Yeah. I terminated it. Pasha set it up for me in Seattle, but couldn’t come because the kids were sick. Nate came, though. He was great.” She exhaled and broke eye contact, swirling her index finger around the rim of her wine glass. “I found out too late to take the morning after pill. You know how bad I am with taking the pill—my ADHD made me constantly forget. I have an IUD now. But, I just wasn’t ready to be a mom. And I didn’t think I’d ever end up living on the ranch or with Nate. I was still dancing on the ships, thought I would be for long time. And we’re honestly not even sure if we’ll have kids. Or maybe we’ll adopt. We don’t know. But we’re in a really good place now and he supported me when it happened.”

“Wow,” Rayma said. “You were so brave.”

“That couldn’t have been an easy decision. I’m sorry you were faced with it at all,” Oona said, her heart hurting for her sister and the pain she must have experienced having to make that choice.

Mieka’s smile was small and she still didn’t look up. “I don’t know why I didn’t tell you guys. I only told Triss earlier this year when I came back to Colorado to visit. I guess I just …”

“Shame runs deep in our family. It’s hard to get away from it, even if we’ve gotten away from them,” Oona said softly.

Mieka nodded. “Yeah.”

“Even after becoming a doctor, marrying a great man like Heath, and building this amazing life, Mom and Dad have never told me they‘re proud of me,” Pasha said. “Never.”

Mieka and Triss both nodded. Oona did, too.

Rayma made an amused noise in her throat and tossed her hand in the air. “Who here’s got a praise kink now?”

They all exchanged looks and coy smiles crept onto their faces. Slowly, they each raised a hand and nodded.

“It’s messed up how badly I like being called a good girl,” Oona confessed. “Like really messed up.”

“Oh, I fucking love it, too,” Rayma agreed. “Like, pull my hair and call me a good girl when I'm choking on your dick, and I’ll cream my goddamn panties so hard.”

Mieka snorted a laugh, but nodded, as did Triss and Pasha.

“Thanks for that, Mom and Dad,” Triss said, stifling a yawn.

“Praise and compliments are not the Young way,” Rayma said with a shrug and sip of her wine. “Never has been. Never will be.”

They were bonding, sharing, and pouring out their secrets. Preparing for their own kind of cold war with their parents.

And by sharing these secrets, it only strengthened their unity. Their bond. Their sisterhood. Knowing all the dirty grit about one another, abandoning the shame that had been ingrained in them since childhood, was their way of preparing for battle. Of armoring each other.

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