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“Hi,” I say, wiping my mouth as she and Richard approach us quickly, leaving the others hovering awkwardly in the chapel doorway. “We were just?—”
“What the hell are you doing?”Richard snaps, the question pointed at Riley.
“Nothing,” I say, the word sounding more pathetic than intended.
“We were kissing,” Riley answers, far more confident than I am.
“Why were you kissing your sister in a church?!” Richard asks.
“She’s not my sister.”
“She’s gonna be!”
“Well, she’s not yet, and she wasn’t when we met, either.” Riley looks at me, his words and gaze so sure. “Even when she is, I won’t stop loving her.”
My heart skips a beat.
He won’t stop… what?
“Tish.” Mom touches my arm. “What’s going on?”
“I...” My throat clenches, the words lost amid a murmur of voices at the back of the chapel. “I’m sorry,” I whisper. “I didn’t know how to...”
“How to what, honey?” she asks, more curious than upset.
“You were so happy.” I swallow hard. “You finally found someone to share your life with and after everything you’ve done for me, I didn’t want to ruin it by...” I look at Riley. “Remember the other morning? When you busted me for not coming home the night before, even though you didn’t, either?”
“Yes,” she says with a shrug.
My eyes stray toward Riley.
Hers follow. Then she stands an inch taller as she gets it.“Oh.”
“I’m sorry,” I say. “I didn’t know you and his dad were...”
“No, no,” she says, patting my arm. “It’s okay. I mean, how could you know?”
“But it’s over,” I say, the words threatening to break me into pieces.
Mom snorts. “It doesn’t look over, honey.”
“Itis.”I look at Riley again, his visage blurry through the tears building on my lashes. “It has to be. This is your chance to have the normal family you’ve always wanted.”
“Oh, honey.” Mom moves to stand in front of me and grips my hands in hers. “I don’t care about that!”
“You don’t?”
“No! I gave up hope for that a long time ago. And if me having anormalfamily means you being unhappy, then I really don’t want it.”
I shake my head. “But?—”
“Meeting somebody, falling in love...” Mom sighs. “That’s agift,Tish. One that I would never take away from you.”
“I don’t want to take it from you, either.”
“Then, don’t.” She squeezes my hands as she smiles. “Do you like him?”
“Yes.”
