My Sisters Keeper by Stephanie Parke (classic children's novels TXT) 📕

a smile she was far from feeling at her niece who was still playing in the yard, as she thought that sometimes it was up to those closest to them to protect them, even if they don’t want it.

The air inside the hospital room had been stuffy at best. The hiss and beep of the monitors made Leona’s already strained nerves jerk tighter. She crept toward the bed slipping through the shadows of the room not wanting to disturb the woman lying on the bed.

Some sound alerted the still figure lying there and vivid blue eyes swung to meet her own. Leona gulped back the fear that slithered down her spine as she took in the face staring back at her. She walked to the bed and dropped her Coach purse with a thump on the cracked linoleum floor pulling a sad looking plaid chair up beside it. The fabric, which had seen better days, groaned in protest as she sat down on it. Leona brushed the hair back off the sweaty forehead and sighed as she took her sister in.

“Hey sis,” she said quietly as she stoked her hair, “I’m sorry I wasn’t here sooner.”

Becky’s smile peeked out from her swollen face making Leona’s heart lurch. She gripped Becky’s hand fighting to keep her panic to herself. She had never been good at putting her feelings aside and now she knew she was failing miserably. She was terrified for her sister and she knew that Becky could see it clearly written on her face.

“No problem” she mumbled with effort, groaning as she arched her body turning in bed to face her, “sorry to interrupt the rehearsal.” “I should have been there.”

Leona gulped back the urge to laugh hysterically as she gripped her sister’s hand tighter. She felt like Becky was slipping away and there was nothing she could do about it. This was the first time she’d seen her since graduation four months before and she’d spent the past months worried sick about her despite the surprise and joy of Jerod’s proposal right after graduation. Her worst fears had been confirmed when she’d received the call on her cell phone asking her to come to the hospital, her sister was far from fine.

“Don’t be stupid”, she gasped as she rubbed Becky’s hand against her cheek, “I’m just glad to see you; I’m just sorry it had to be like this.”

Becky had nothing to say to that. She closed her eyes, sighing deeply. She knew that she was ruining her sister’s wedding rehearsal but she had needed someone and when she had awoken in the hospital she had been terrified. She had found herself giving the number to the nurse praying that Leona would be willing to come, that she might forgive her someday for ruining everything.

“Becky, how bad is it?” Leona asked quietly, “The doctor’s wouldn’t tell me much.” “What about the baby, is everything, okay?”

Becky’s hand stroked her stomach, caressing the slight bump resting there underneath the floral pattern of the hospital gown. She pried her eyes open and met Leona’s worried gaze, licking dry lips before answering. “A broken rib, and some bruises” she muttered quietly “but the baby’s fine; they say she’s a fighter.”

Leona sighed in relief before her sisters words sunk in. She felt her heart turn over as she gripped Becky’s hand, thankful in one second that it was not more serious and excited in the next at the news that her sister’s little girl was fine. She ran her hands over her sister’s brow and tried for a smile, knowing that it failed to reach her eyes.

Becky sighed at that look and knew that more questions would be quickly coming. She wondered if she could feign sleep and then decided it was too late for that when the questions began. Becky cringed at them but kept with her story that it had all been an accident; after all it was possible that she had simply slipped on the rain slick apartment steps. She tried to keep her answers short and vague, knowing that they would not keep Leona at bay for long.

“So you slipped on the steps?” Leona asked disbelievingly, “Are you sure Jay did not have anything to do with this?”

Becky felt irritation well up inside her as she pulled her hand away and struggled to set up. “I told you, I fell,” she muttered again gasping as her bruised face and body protested at the action.

Leona felt the same sick feeling creeping over her as she caught the way Becky wouldn’t meet her eyes directly. She knew that she was lying. “How can you protect him?” She demanded grabbing Becky’s hand again, “He could have killed you or the baby; you can’t let your loser boyfriend keep hitting you”

Becky felt the room spin and felt almost too tired for it all. “He’s not my boyfriend,” she murmured as she stared into Leona’s eyes, “He’s my husband; we got married right after we left town.”

Leona felt her chest tighten as Becky’s pronouncement drifted over her. Becky‘s words shattered the silence and Leona’s world as she realized what this meant for her beloved twin.

“No,” Leona gasped as the air in the room seemed to disappear, “tell me you’re not serious; how could you have married that animal.”

“Leona please,” Becky sighed out, “This is why I didn’t call mom, I don’t need to be judged, I just need you to be my sister right now.” “Can you do that?” she asked pinning Leona to the chair with her eyes.

Leona opened her mouth to protest but saw the determination and the pleading in the eyes peering out from Becky’s black and blue face. She snapped her mouth shut and sat on the edge with a whisper of cotton not caring about her rehearsal dress. She slipped her arms around Becky’s shoulders and leaned her head against Becky’s with a sigh, not ready to give up but able to let it rest for the moment. She tucked her hair behind her ear and wished that she could take away all her problems but knew that time was long over.

”For now” she whispered as she hugged her tighter afraid of what was going to happen next.
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She had reason to be afraid she mused now as she tucked her hair behind her ear and thought about how stubborn Becky had always been and how she had never seemed to know when enough was enough, she had never seemed to know when to ask for help and when to accept it.

Leona’s wedding day began as many do, with worry, stress and anticipation. The crush of the crowd seemed overwhelming and made Leona sweat as she was buttoned into her dress. The rows of buttons marched up her back connecting the satin, creating a military straight line down her spine which felt almost as stiff as she did. Her eyes constantly drifted to the corner where Becky sat, trying to stay out of the way, avoiding her eyes and everyone else’s notice as much as possible. The wedding had been delayed by Becky’s hospital stay for two weeks. Becky had protested, crying through black and blue eyes that she would not ruin Leona’s big day. Leona had raised an eyebrow and with a quick look at Jared had confirmed that there would be no argument. Becky had given in for once with a resolute sigh, staring out into the bright beauty of what should have been Leona’s wedding day.

Now the excited whisper of the crowd drifted in the partially open oak door of the back room of the church as Leona’s veil was slipped into place. The antique pearl tiara slipped into place against her bright hair, resting there as if it had been made for her. The Dresden lace veil that had been her mother’s shielded her face allowing her some privacy. Her eyes drifted over to Becky and caught her glance. She smiled and gave her a thumbs up sign trying to be brave, but somewhere inside she felt the tension and worry beginning to creep in as her sister repeatedly glanced out the window. Leona felt her body tense up as her sister’s eyes drifted over the cars pulling into the lot as if she was looking for someone and Leona had a sick feeling that she knew who.

The day after she had receive the call and found Becky beaten black and blue in the hospital Jay had began to make a nescience of himself. He’d begun trying to see Becky but had been sent away by family and then hospital security. His blood shot eyes and clenched fists terrified Leona more than anything and she had resolutely blocked his entrance into the room where Becky lay. The calls had started when he had been denied entrance, rambling and pitiful voicemails left on Becky’s phone begging for forgiveness. Becky had promised she would not go back to him but Leona had a suspicion that she was taking his calls anyway, despite the fact that he had almost killed her.

“Becky, she hissed tensely when her mother and aunt turned away to attend to a last minute floral problem, who are you looking for?”

Becky smiled sadly as she ran her hand over the slight bulge of her abdomen. “No one, she sighed, “Just looking at the stragglers coming in.”

Leona walked over to where she sat beside the window and plopped down in the chair next to her knowing her mother was probably cringing at the thought of her wrinkled dress but not really caring. The chair creaked and protested but held anyway as Leona leaned forward. “You’re looking for him aren’t you?” “How can you even care if you ever see him again, he almost killed you and the baby.” She darted her eyes to where her mother stood praying that she would not hear the conversation. Their mother turned toward them and the gauntness that had overtaken her in a few short months was made all the more apparent by the large circles under her eyes and the dramatic weight loss which made her a shadow of her former self. The cancer had come back with a vengeance after Becky had left and to now it seemed as if all the fight had gone out of her. Leona saw her light fading a little more each day and she feared that one day soon that light would snuff out altogether. She smiled at her and turned back to Becky catching her eyes.

Becky smiled sadly and remained silent. Leona took her hand and squeezed it forcing her to meet her eyes. Becky looked down at their linked hands and slowly pulled away as if she were resigning herself to her fate. “Things aren’t always as cut and dried as they seem.” She said with a sigh as she looked away from Leona’s searching eyes.

Leona jerked back as panic closed over her. She knew that look in Becky’s eyes and felt herself go numb as Becky’s eyes skidded away from hers. “What do you mean, things aren’t always as cut and dried as they seem” she whispered fiercely, “he nearly killed you, how much more clear do they need to be before you will stay away from him.”

“He didn’t mean it.” She muttered sullenly looking out the window again. “It was an accident.”

Leona stared at her incredulously not quite believing that her intelligent, beautiful sister had gotten sucked back in again. “Becky, how can you