Sienna's eyes snapped open. Her arms and legs were shaking. All around her, the blankets of the bed had been strewn everywhere recklessly. Her pillows were on the floor. She was staring out the open door of her bedroom, down the hallway towards the stairs.
From where she lay, she saw Paige's door was ajar.
Panic overtook her. Launching out of bed, she grabbed her car keys off the bedside table and nearly fell down the stairs. Using the column at the end for a U-turn, she swung down the hallway and into the kitchen.
"Paige?"
The girl looked up in surprise. She was bent over the sink with a knife, her wrist exposed up to her elbow. There were no cuts, but blood trickled down her lip. She was too shocked at being discovered to feel it. After a few seconds, she felt the ping and her exposed hand went to her lip. She drew it back, studying the line of blood.
"Ow, that hurts!" she complained.
"Are you kidding me?" Sienna slapped her hand to her forehead. "You were ready to cut your wrists, but when you bite your lip, it hurts?"
"I didn't do it," Paige snapped.
"The knife is still in your hand!" Sienna cried.
Paige looked down at it. "So?"
"You're a—" the word formed on her lips, but she couldn't say it. Paige hated being called a dumbass. Lori called her a dumbass all the time. Sighing, Sienna walked in and took the knife from her hand. "Come on," she said, taking Paige's arm and putting the knife down. "We're leaving."
Paige wasn't enthusiastic. "We are?"
"Yes," she says, looking Paige right in the eyes. "You're going to live with my grandma until you've got your head back on. Got it?"
Paige didn't argue. Something told Sienna she was getting the better end of the deal—she was getting out of this crazy house.
"Don't I get some clothes?" she asked.
Sienna released her wrist. "Pack a bag and come back down," she said. "I'll be waiting in the car."
Paige took her time. She watched Sienna as she went up the stairs, waiting for some sort of insult, teasing, or something. Sienna didn't say a word, just shooed her on with her eyes.
Once Paige was around the corner, she snuck into the laundry room and snatched up a pair of jeans, a clean t-shirt and underwear, and one of Lori's old jackets. She walked out the front and saw her car sitting with a note under the windshield wiper.
It was from Lori.
Sienna—
Sorry about being a bitch. Thanks for Paige.
You do well, Shithead.
Lori
Picking it off the hood, she tucked it into her pocket. It wasn't a sign of peace—it was a little sliver of hope for Paige. Even if Lori hadn't accepted her, she still agreed that any help they got for Paige was the best. It wasn't right for Paige to grow up in this.
"Hey!" Paige called from the front steps. She had one red converse on and the other in her hand. "What's on the note? Did some shithead cop give you a ticket or something?"
"It's nothing like that," Sienna said. "And stop saying shithead. You sound like trash."
Paige didn't respond. Instead, she got in on the copilot side, putting her foot against the dash as she tied her shoes.
"Classy," Sienna couldn't help but say.
"Don't you have a job to get to?" Paige said.
Groaning, Sienna slid in the driver's side and started the car. "You know, you're growing up a little too fast," she said.
"And what are you going to do about it?" Paige said unconcerned, making some elaborate design with her shoelaces. The bow went sideways, weaving in and out of the laces.
"I'm going to make you spend time with my gram," she said. "Isn't that doing something?"
Paige didn't say anything. The rest of the car ride was in silence.
Gram was tending the flowers in the front of her house. When the car rolled into the driveway, she looked surprised. Dropping the hose, she walked over to the car.
"Sienna? Is that you, baby?" she asked.
"Hey, Grandma," Sienna said softly. "Yeah, it's me." She motioned towards Paige. "Gram, do you remember Paige? She's my younger step-sister. I was wondering if she could stay here for a few days."
"Why, sure baby," Gram's eyes filled with worry. "Is something going on? Is that no-good Linda finding comfort in the drink again?"
Sienna flinched. "It's, uh, something like that."
"Something like that?" Paige whispered in disbelief.
Gram's face shadowed. "You know, baby, if Linda's ever giving you any sort of trouble, you're always welcome here…"
"Not now," Sienna tried to smile. "I've got to get to work. I'm really just dropping Paige off." She turned to Paige. "Why don't you go drop your stuff inside and then come out and help Grandma?"
"She's not my grandma," Paige mumbled, but got out of the car with her bag and went inside.
As soon as she was out of earshot, Sienna stopped smiling. "I'm so sorry, Gram. I didn't know what else to do. She's a handful, but there's no place else she can go. I thought about Dad's parents, but they get sad every time they see me. You were her last chance."
Gram leaned into the car, her blue eyes blazing like Mom's used to when she was worried. "Baby, you remind me so much of myself. No matter how much sadness there is in the world, we women, we just keep going. It's what keeps us from going insane."
She regretted the words as soon as they were out of her mouth. Sienna flinched, but she didn't feel the urge to cry. The dream had completely wiped her emotional strength out.
"We both know what makes a woman insane," she said. "And it's not what she does or doesn't do. We can act insane, but to be truly insane—that's when you give up."
Gram smiled. "You're not going to end up like her, baby."
"We can only hope," Sienna put the car in park. "I'll see you soon. I have work today, and then I was going to go home and check on Lori. She was a mess yesterday. They both were."
Gram's eyes misted over. "They've both gotten used to the drink?"
Sienna nodded.
"Now, if that isn't the saddest…" Gram sighed. "It's one thing when a widow who's lost her husband turns to drink, but when a widow drowns her own children in her sorrow that they turn to it, too, it's wrong. Completely wrong. Even your mother…"
She didn't dare say the rest. Sienna already knew what she'd say.
Even your mother knew there was a way not to hurt anyone else.
"There's always a third option." Sienna stated.
"Not always, baby," Gram said, stepping back. "Sometimes, you take the bullshit of the world and do the one thing that seems right—no matter how fucked up."
"Gram!" Sienna scolded.
"It's a new age," Gram said. "Let a woman speak her mind, no matter what words she uses. I can say shit if I want."
With a small smile, Sienna let the car roll out of the driveway and into the street. As she rolled up her window, Paige appeared on the porch. She was dressed in a white t-shirt, old jeans, and her old red converse. She waved at Sienna and then walked to help Gram.
Pride welled up in Sienna's chest. Give the girl a piece of hope and she knew what to do with it. Paige would be alright. Gram was a good role model. She'd bring her back down.
Turning around the corner, Sienna forced herself to only think of work.
Sienna had never felt so dead tired. Pulling herself through the front door, she put the fresh pie from work on the table and went upstairs. She shed her work clothes and put on an old pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. Slumping into her bed, it wasn't long before she was in a dreamless sleep.
When she awoke, it felt like only minutes. The sun was high in her room, which meant late afternoon. She didn't have work today. Grinding her teeth, she forced herself out of bed.
Down the hallway, she heard voices. Lori and Linda's voices, sounding oddly more sober then they had in a long time. Halfway down the stairs, she sat down and listened.
"Ah, that girl's good for something, Lori!" Linda said.
"This pie looks delicious!" Lori agreed.
For a few minutes, all Sienna heard was the disgusting sounds of eating pie like pigs. Forks clanked against china and laughter filled the foyer.
"Hey, Lori, what's more powerful than the power of love?" Linda asked with a snort.
Lori, clearly confused, said, "The power of pie?"
"Yes, dear," Linda scooped another chunk into her mouth. "That's what the world runs on—lots and lots and lots of pie."