Page 49 of There Are No Words

Brady:Want to talk about it?

Boy, do I ever.

I sank down onto the leather stool in the corner of the dressing room and stared at my phone. Was it smart to unload everything that had happened last night and this morning on Brady when I didn’t even have all the facts myself?

Would he judge me?

To hell with it, I decided, and typed back my reply, bringing him up to speed on Mom’s secret pregnancy and the journal.

Not two seconds later, he responded.

Brady:Wow. That’s some night. How do you feel about it?

Oddly, that was one question no one had asked me. Not any of my sisters. Geez, I hadn’t even asked myself that question.

Allegra:I’m not sure, but I want to know more.

Then it dawned on me. This might’ve been the thing my psychic was talking about when she’d said my maternity journey would give me insight into someone I knew. Maybe it didn’t have anything to do with Brady, but everything to do with my mother.

Allegra:I’m going to ask my dad about it. My sisters don’t want to, but I should if I want to, right?

Brady:You should do what you think is best. I’ll stand by you no matter what. Not that you’d ever ask me to.

Ugh, not this again. I slipped my phone back in my bag. I was hearing Brady loud and clear, all right. I just didn’t like it. It left too much room for getting my heart broken, and I had Baby to think about now, so I couldn’t have that.

Mustering up the courage, I stood up and got dressed in my clothes again. Outside the dressing room, I was met with my sisters waiting for me.

“Well?” Maria asked.

She was likely talking about the clothes, but I answered how I wanted—“I think it’s my destiny to find out about Mom’s secret baby. I think it’s part of my journey, so I’d like to talk to Dad about it and go from there. I know—”

“You should do it. If you think it’s important and that you need to, then you should do it,” Maria surprised me by saying. “I just don’t know how I feel about it and want to go into this at my own pace if that’s okay.”

I nodded and looked to Bianca and Perla. “And do you two agree?”

Studying them closely, I could tell they had mixed feelings. I understood, don’t get me wrong, but I couldn’t pretend I didn’t know. I couldn’t unring the bell, if you knew what I meant.

Slowly, Bianca nodded her agreement. ”Personally, I don’t need another sibling, but I won’t stop you if you think you do.”

I shook my head and ran my hands down her arms. “It’s not that. I love you guys”—I looked at each one of them—“but, come on, this is Mom we’re talking about. Mom. Before she met Dad. Unless we have the story wrong. Doesn’t that make you the least bit curious?”

And we could blame my poor math skills all day long, but I knew what I knew, and it just didn’t add up that Dad had been involved. That was why I wanted to talk to him. He’d know. I was sure of it. Our parents didn’t keep secrets from one another. From their children, apparently, yes, but not each other.

Perla shrugged her shoulders. “I won’t stop you, either, but if it’s another sister, that just means more measuring up, that’s all I’m saying.”

And all our eyes darted to her. I wasn’t sure what that meant. My brows lifted, and I tilted my head. “You’re amazing, so I don’t know what you’re talking about. Besides, this isn’t about us. For me, it’s about Mom and better understanding her and something that she kept hidden from us all our lives.”

“Then let’s get out of here so we can get back to Dad’s,” Maria said, looping her arm through mine. It was a small gesture, but it was a big win, and I couldn’t have been happier.

* * *

“Just call us,” Maria told me, speaking for Perla and Bianca, too.

I looked at them, standing outside Dad’s house and could tell this was what they all wanted—for me to confront Dad by myself. Which was why when they’d told me in the car that they preferred I do it alone, I didn’t fight them on it. Because I was the one who’d wanted to talk about it, to find out the truth.

Reaching over, I hugged them each in turn. “I’ll tell you everything he says,” I promised, but really, I knew they didn’t care to know everything. And I respected that. But if they ever did, I’d be able to tell them. “Drive safe,” I called as they walked to their cars.

This sleepover wasn’t exactly what I’d had in mind. I certainly hadn’t expected to unearth some secret, but I loved my sisters and cherished the time we did spend together regardless. Yes, even if they bugged me or we didn’t see eye-to-eye.

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