“Promise you won’t leave me too,” she whispered.
I didn’t know how scared I was until I heard myself answer.
“I promise, Ness. Never.”
For years, I kept that promise without thinking about it. I packed lunches, signed school forms, scared off awful boyfriends, and sat through every parent conference Aunt Carol couldn’t attend. Carol gave us a roof, and for years, her address stayed on half our school and medical paperwork. Vanessa hated being treated like a kid, but whenever life went wrong, she still called me first.
I always answered.
So when she called at twenty-six and said, “I’m pregnant,” I nearly dropped my phone.
Then she laughed and added, “Actually, you’re going to hate this. There are three.”
I drove over with groceries, vitamins, and enough panic for both of us. She looked happier than ever before.
