Page 47 of Beautiful Beginning

Monroe turned her attention to the mantle. “Yeah, she’s been busy. Or busy trying to stay busy.”

“Okay, enough of the context clues.” When I was younger, she would do the same thing. Throw out clues until I could piece together what she wasn’t supposed to tell me. “Say it already.”

She moved to the couch and flopped back. Getting a little too comfortable if she planned to help me decorate. “If Mama comes in, I’m shutting my mouth. And you didn’t hear this from me.” A defiant gaze stared me down and made a shiver travel my spine.

“Okay, hurry before she gets here then.”

“Daddy cheated.”

“Wow.” I tested the temperature of my forehead. I felt like I was going to vomit. “I’m going to throw up.” I held my mouth closed as the bile traveled to my throat.

“On the floor? Mama will kill you.” She shuffled me to the trash can in the kitchen. “And no need to be all dramatic.” She held my hair. “Shit happens.”

“Monroe,” I yelled when I managed to calm my stomach. “That’s only applicable to a missed appointment, or a bad hair day. Not your husband cheating on you after decades of marriage. You can’t be serious right now.”

Then she rattled off statistics, she loved math and numbers as much as me. “Fifty percent of marriages end in divorce. Infidelity is one of the reasons for many divorces. The other is money, and they had two things working against them.”

“Money?” I shook my head. “But the gyms are expanding. That doesn’t make sense. Logically, if they were expanding they had the money to do so.” I tried to think back to any and every conversation with Mom or Dad. “How long have I been living in the dark?”

Monroe shrugged. “You’ve been away for four years. When you come home everyone can get by without disclosing everything.”

“This Christmas is starting to feel a lot less like Christmas.” I huffed as I leaned onto the kitchen counter.

Monroe moved back to the living room. “I figured you would have avoided it all and spent it with your boy toy.” She turned to face me. “I heard Mama walked in on you two getting it on.”

I raised a finger in the air. “Not getting it on.” I laughed. “We were kissing.”

“Heavily as she explained it. Why didn’t you go with him? Is it not that serious yet?”

“That serious?” That could be one explanation, at least from his standpoint. “All this with Mom and Dad has been getting to me. It isn’t helping us progress.” Then I admitted, “He also isn’t sure about what he wants after graduation.”

Monroe fanned her hand. “What guy is? Do you expect him to be like, let’s get married and run off into the sunset together before we’ve tried real adult life.” She scoffed. “This isn’t the age of our parents anymore.”

“Living as if it were makes me a little delusional. I’m finally realizing that.”

Her eyes bucked. “A little? Girl, you did not actually expect that.” She whispered, “Did you?”

I hunched my shoulders. “Anyway. I’m here. But I wish I could be with him.”

“So, be with him.” Her phone swung in the air. “I got a nice little bonus, consider it my treat. What city is he in? I’ll get you a flight.”

I twisted my lips. “Last minute. Must be some bonus.” I laughed. “Wait did you not have another gift for me?”

“I was going to do a mad dash tomorrow.” She smacked her lips. “This’ll make it easier on me.”

“But I’m here now. I’ll make the most of it.”

Monroe pulled all her big sister power and insisted. Finalizing a ticket for the day after Christmas before Mom walked through the door. Mom unpacked the easy bake cookies from the bag.

Monroe shouted, “Someone didn’t want to spend the week with us,” before we could get the cookies onto a sheet pan.

“What?” Mom cocked her head. “What do you mean?”

“I’m sending Journey to be with her little boyfriend on the 26th.”

“That’s great,” Mom raised her hand, “but you need to clean your room before you leave.”

Monroe assured her. “It’ll get done.” She placed a hand on my shoulder. “I’ll help.”

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