Page 110 of Totally Shipped
“Come on, it’s not just an excuse. This one really does need a freshie.”
Brooke's old room is now painted a butter-yellow, and hosts a crib, changing table, and all manner of toys.
“This looks great. You always said you didn’t want kids.”
“I didn’t,” she replies, expertly unsnapping Amelia’s outfit. “But you did.”
That halts me in my tracks.
“Wait, what?”
“You, Daisy, this is about you.”
I watch my sister wipe Amelia’s bottom (not with a Tushy Tickle—that would have to change) and apply some diaper cream.
“You died, Daze,” she says, continuing on with the baby and not looking at me at all. “You died because of me. What was I going to do? To the world, Brooke Jackson had died. I wasn’t worried about the mess or scandal of admitting I was still alive. It was nothing like that. I just…it just…”
Now she does look at me, her eyes red-rimmed.
“You were dead, but I was alive—as you. I couldn’t bring myself to kill you twice. I just couldn’t do it. So I decided to try and live a Daisy life; be kind to strangers, volunteer at shelters, all that bullshit. Then I found out I was pregnant—she’s Harvey’s, you may have guessed.”
“Brooke!”
Her eyes are brimming with tears.
“So there I am, pregnant, and pretending to be you, trying to live your life because I feel so fucking guilty. You would have kept the baby, so I kept the baby. I’ve been trying to keep you alive, Daze.”
“Oh, Wookie.” I sink to my knees and lay Thea on a play-mat. Amazingly, she starts gazing at the tiny toys dangling above her instead of screaming her head off. Amelia is also content for a minute, so I take my sister in my arms.
“But what about Brooke? If I was dead, and then you were trying to be me here, what about Brooke?”
“I let her go…I just couldn’t be her. I couldn’t do it. Brooke’s gone, and you’re back and I am so happy, so happy. But I just don’t know what will happen to me now. I’m not Brooke, I’m not Daisy. I’m no one.”
My strong, clever, cool-as-a-cucumber sister is lost.
“Did you know that Really Wild Films split the prize money forChampion. The three other finalists got a share, and so did I. As next-of-kin to Brooke.”
She had me as her next-of-kin?
“When I’m competing, doing an iron-man, or triathlon, I know exactly what I’m doing. I’d have been fine if I’d been shipwrecked, but this? Being you?” she trails off.
Everything is a mess, but I am going to find the right way out of it for all of us. Especially Brooke. My heart aches for her.
But first…
“Wahh!”
Our needs take a back seat—we are mama’s now.
“Alright, Thea, alright! Do you need a freshie as well? Brooke…”
“You watch Amelia, I’ll grab your diaper bag.”
Before she runs out the door I grab her hand.
“It’s all going to work out, Wookie.”
She gives me a wobbly smile. “At some point, I’m going to want to know how Harvey died, but not just yet. Is that OK?”
