Page 3 of Doubling Down

It wasn’t until my parents announced they were formally adopting Abby and Hazel that I finally caved and agreed to return home for the summer to help celebrate.

I adore my younger sisters, and half my guilt comes from believing I might’ve become a bad influence on them.

The sense of walking through a dream doesn’t dissipate when I wake to the familiar sounds of home, something I haven’t heard in a few years. I get a queer feeling in my belly when I lie there before opening my eyes, just listening to the rhythm of the morning.

It always begins the same way. The second the clock hits six a.m., the coffee maker’s timer kicks on, it grinds fresh beans, and starts to brew. A moment later, Dad shuffles down the stairs in his slippers, unlocks the front door, and steps out to pick up the paper. Then the girls start to stir, followed by Mom.

It’s comforting in its familiarity, yet I still feel like something important is missing.

I sit up and turn on my bedside lamp, then reach for my laptop where I left it at the foot of the bed. As I log into my social media account, my heart leaps at a new message from Casey.

* * *

Casey: !!!! Are you in town???!?

Sarah: Yep. Just for the summer. Back at home.

Casey: I missed you. Like SO much. WTF happened? You dropped off the face of the planet.

* * *

I roll my eyes at this. She’s one to talk.

* * *

Sarah: You disappeared first. Then I was grounded. Then just not in the right frame of mind for high school shit.

Casey: I hear you, neither was I. But that doesn’t excuse it… for either of us. I take at least 50% of the responsibility, but I’m willing to put it behind me if you are. So… what’s your schedule like? Want to meet up? I have so much to talk to you about.

Sarah: Just my sisters’ adoption party tomorrow. You should come.

Casey: It’s a date! But only if you promise to come out with me after. There’s this place I want to show you. You might hate it, but you might LOVE it (hoping you love it, because I do). Did I mention I missed you?

* * *

I laugh at her enthusiasm, and for the first time, things start to feel normal again. I tell her what time to show up for the party tomorrow and close the chat window, but not before checking the last one I sent last night.

My message to Jude sits unanswered, and evidently unseen. I’m disappointed, but not really surprised. I only found one twin’s profile, and it didn’t look like it’d been active in more than a year. If the twins are anywhere on social media, it isn’t on any of the big platforms, and I’m not sure where else to look.

But should I even be looking? What we did was wrong. I destroyed my parents’ trust, set a terrible example for my sisters, and worst of all, I didn’t fight hard enough to make my parents take care of the boys. It doesn’t matter how much I tell myself they were practically adults, old enough to fend for themselves—they still needed a family as much as Abby and Hazel did.

They could’ve been part of our family, if not for what we did.

Chapter Three

“I can’t believe you’re still driving this thing,” Casey says, patting the hood of my old Honda after we extract ourselves from the party. It’s mostly parents and a bunch of third-graders, so they won’t miss us.

“It’s served me well—two cross-country trips, and I’m hoping it’ll survive a third in a few weeks.”

“Holy shit, that’s right! You drove it across the fucking country.” She lets out a sigh and shakes her head. “I am so sorry I flaked on our trip. It would’ve been epic. I can only imagine the kind of adventure you had.”

I can’t help but laugh as I unlock the doors and we climb in. “It was an experience, but mostly pretty boring. It would’ve been more fun with a partner, for sure.” I glance at her when I put the car in gear.

She gives me a sly smile and nods. “Most things are more fun with a partner. Or two.”

“I take it that means Max and Rick are still in the picture? And that you’re happy?”

Her grin widens. “Let’s just say we’ve tested each other’s boundaries thoroughly over the past few years, and it’s only brought us closer.”

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