Part 3 (2/2)
”Yes, remain calm, and let me explain.” She sat up with the grim realization that she'd have to tell Megan about William, right now.
”Why? Why is she here? I have to get in my room, Courtney's mom is picking me up in twenty minutes, but Abby's sound asleep, in my bed! In my nightgown. How weird is that? So weird!”
”Relax, please.” Jill inhaled, bracing herself as Sam began to stir and Beef stood up in bed, wagging his tail. Megan looked over at Sam, bewildered.
”Sam, hi, did you meet Abby, my stepsister? She's sleeping in my bed. In my nightgown.”
”I met her.” Sam smiled sadly, knowing that the news about William's death was coming.
”Megan, sit down, would you?” Jill patted the bed, next to Beef, who wagged his tail so hard his b.u.t.t wiggled. ”I need to talk to you.”
”What's going on? Why is she here?” Megan sat down, petted the dog, and set her omnipresent phone beside her. ”You're scaring me, Mom. Why do I have to sit down? Is she sick or something?”
”No, but I have bad news, about William.” Jill prepared herself to break her daughter's heart. Motherhood was not for the weak. She put her arm around Megan's shoulders. ”Honey, I'm sorry, but Abby came here to tell us that William died, a few days ago.”
Megan gasped. Her hand flew to her mouth, and her eyes filmed. ”Oh my G.o.d,” she said, hushed.
”I'm so sorry, sweetie.” Jill hugged her closer, and Megan wilted in her embrace, holding back her tears, her lips going tight over her braces. Jill's heart broke for her. ”I'm so very sorry, honey.”
”This is horrible,” Megan whispered, stricken.
”I know, I'm sorry.”
”Really, is it true? Are you sure?”
”Yes.”
”I don't believe it.”
”I know, I'm sorry.” Jill hugged her close and nuzzled her hair, breathing in her young-girl smells of vanilla oil and strawberry-scented conditioner. ”He had a heart attack, because of some medication he took.”
Megan looked over, her eyes wet with tears, her brow furrowed with pain. ”Like, he was allergic?”
”No, he had a bad reaction to prescription medication, which he mixed with alcohol.”
”Like he had a drink and that was it?” Megan's lower lip trembled.
”Yes.”
”Can that even happen?”
”Yes, it can.” Jill didn't mention Abby's suspicions. It was pointless and would hit Megan like a double whammy. Beef settled down and put his head on Megan's leg, evidently getting the message, for a change.
”That's so random.” Megan's cell phone chirped on the bed, signaling a text, but she didn't even hear it, which told Jill how upset she must be.
”Honey, I think I should call Coach Stash and tell him what happened. I'm sure he'd let you stay home from practice.”
”No, don't, I can't, Mom.” Megan shook her head, wiping her eye, though it quickly filled again. ”I'm captain, I can't let the team down. Coach Stash is counting on me, they all are. We have qualifiers for states this weekend, remember?”
”But he'd understand, there's a death in the family.”
”No, no, I can't,” Megan shot back, her voice quavering. ”I have to go. We were lucky to get the pool at the high school, that's why he called the practice. We have doubles today. This is our year, Mom.”
Jill could see the pressure on Megan's face, and it killed her to think that her daughter's life was so scheduled that she didn't have time to cry. ”Honey, I know, but this is a big deal, and you can stay home and we can talk about it.”
”You have work, anyway, and I can't miss, I never miss. The team's counting on me.”
”This is an exception, something he'll understand.” Jill felt the conversation going in the wrong direction. They were talking about practice instead of Megan's feelings, and Sam must've had the same thought, because he s.h.i.+fted over and touched Megan's arm.
”I'm so sorry, kitten. This is terrible news, and I know it comes as a terrible shock.”
”It is, it's so weird and horrible and random.” Megan pressed her lips together, making a hump over her braces. ”I know I shouldn't be upset, I mean, I hadn't seen him in so long, like, years.”
”Of course, you're upset,” Sam said, gently, stroking her arm, and Jill gave her a squeeze.
”Right, of course you feel upset and sad, sweetie.”
Megan hung her head, and a tear fell on the comforter. ”I shouldn't be, not really. He didn't want to see me. He didn't answer my emails, and he's only my stepfather, anyway.” She caught herself, shooting Sam a teary look. ”I'm sorry, I didn't mean it that way.”
”I know you didn't.” Sam rubbed her arm. ”This is random, as you say. n.o.body knows how to react.”
Megan turned to Jill, blinking wetly. ”How's Abby? She must be so upset. Is that why she came here? She doesn't have any parents anymore. Now she's an orphan, right?”
”She is,” Jill answered, touched that Megan would even think of Abby at a time like this. Jill gave her another hug. ”She invited us to a memorial service this afternoon, if you feel up to going. We can go after practice. It's at three o'clock.”
”I can go, I'll go.” Megan looked uncertainly from Jill to Sam, wiping her eyes. ”Right? Okay? Do you guys think that's okay, or weird?”
Jill stroked Megan's cheek. ”I think it's okay, and it makes sense.”
Sam nodded. ”Agree. I don't think it's weird, at all. I can't go with you, I have a meeting with a colleague. Your Mom said you guys can go alone, but I'll cancel if you want me to come with you.”
”No, thanks, okay.” Megan turned to Jill, keeping tears at bay. ”Mom? Right? Do you want to go? I mean, I know you didn't love William anymore, and you got mad at him, from the divorce.”
Jill gave her a squeeze. ”That doesn't matter now. Of course I want to go, and I'll take you.”
”I don't really know why I want to, exactly.” Megan rubbed her cheeks, covering her braces with her lips again. ”I just think that it's the right thing to do. Like Grandma would say, I should pay my respects.”
Jill felt pleased, thinking of her mother, who had pa.s.sed away five years ago. Jill still missed her, every day. ”I think Grandma would be so proud of you, right now.”
Megan turned to Sam, with a sniffle. ”I feel so bad about what I said, it was dumb. I love you, Sam, even though you're my stepfather-oh, Jeez, you know what I mean, right?”
”Yes, and I love you, too.” Sam opened his arms, and Megan threw her arms around him. He gave her a big bear hug. ”I love you very, very much. We love each other, and nothing else matters.”
Jill felt tears spring to her eyes. She couldn't wish for a better stepfather to Megan. Sam's calm manner was the perfect antidote to their mother-daughter drama, and he helped Megan with her homework, drove her to practice when Jill couldn't, and was even teaching her photography. Suddenly Megan's phone rang, a new Lady Gaga ring tone, and its screen lit up with a photo of Megan's best friend, Courtney.
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