Heart to Heart Part 1 Chapter 8
After roughly seven minutes, Lily, Lucy, Lana, Lola, and Lisa began to settle down from their crying. Lily gazed at them and tenderly wiped away each tear from their eyes. Once she finished, one of her sisters addressed her. "Are you sure you don't want to leave us?" asked Lola, her eyes still brimming with tears. Lily met her gaze and replied, "Yes, Lola, I promise I won't leave." Lola sniffed and recalled a question she had been meaning to ask Lily.
At school, Lily, I overheard you asking, "Why do I always seem to create more issues for my family?" What did you mean by that? After hearing this, her younger sisters looked at her with confusion and worry about what Lola had just said. Lily was shocked to realize that one of her sisters had overheard her.
Moreover, Lola accidentally overhears the conversation. She is reluctant to let her family know, torn between the desire to lie and the knowledge that it's wrong. With a sigh, she begins to explain the situation to her sister. Lily is uncertain if this will help, but with no other options and her sisters' growing concern, she decides it's best to inform them of what's happening.
"OK, do you guys remember when I made that embarrassing video for the video contest?" Lily asks her sisters, who nod in agreement. "Yes, we remember the video contest, but why does that matter now?" Lisa responds, puzzled. "After you all found out, you were very upset with me," Lily continues. "I'm never going to your birthday party again, Lola," "I want to slam the door too, Lana," "I don't have a sister," "I say that often, but this time I mean it, Lucy. Revenge should be mine, Lisa." "We did say that, but we didn't mean it; we were just angry," Lana admits, feeling guilty. "But we gave you a trophy to make up for it," Lola adds, hoping to cheer her up. "Yes, I know. I was happy, not because of the trophy, but because you all forgave me," Lily acknowledges with gratitude.
Being alone only intensified the regret. I created that foolish video to win a trophy, which only angered my sisters. As Lily spoke, tears streamed down her face. They all tried to soothe her, but Lily continued, overwhelmed by guilt. It wasn't just the mean things I did to you all. I caused you to miss your TV show, coerced Lana into dressing like Lola for a silly dairyland ticket, exploited you all for vacations, destroyed Lisa's vital experiment, mocked Lucy's belief in speaking with spirits, and spoiled our trip over the 'sweet spot.' Lily confession deepened her sorrow. Attempts to console her were futile, and her next words stunned everyone. "I always cause chaos, I disrupt everything, I've even marred your lives. I SHOULDN'T BE PART OF THIS FAMILY BECAUSE ALL I DO IS WREAK HAVOC ON OUR FAMILY LIFE. I DESPISE MYSELF FOR IT. I LOATHE MY LIFE."
Lily's outburst sends her crumbling to the floor, her hand covering her face. The loud sisters look on in shock, unsure of what to say. On one hand, they want to understand what's troubling their older sister; on the other, they're hesitant to probe after Lily's confession. "No, you didn't ruin everything," they reassure her. Turning around, they see Lola with tears in her eyes. Lily sits up, still weeping. "YES, I DO! I RUIN E..." She's cut off mid-sentence as she feels something. It's Lola, embracing her. Lily looks up, sniffing and crying.
Lily, you are the best sister one could ever ask for. We don't know what we would do if something happened to you. We would be devastated if you left us forever," Lola says, her voice breaking with tears. "I want you to understand how much you mean to me. I can't bear the thought of anything happening to you. I love you," Lola adds, still crying. Lily was shocked to hear this, and before she could respond, her other sisters did as Lola had done. They ran to Lily and spoke. "You mean everything to us; you are the reason we are who we are, and we are grateful for that," Lana says, crying. "You watched over us when we were little and helped us learn to walk. You support us in what you're good at," Lucy says, crying and embracing her. "If you were never here, we wouldn't be the same people we are now. I'm not usually emotional, but..." Lisa says, breaking down in tears, unable to let go.
Lily ceased her tears, allowing their words to resonate within her heart, realizing her sisters truly cared for her. She acknowledged the importance of making prudent choices. Gazing at them through tearful eyes, Lily expressed her feelings, "The greatest gift I've ever received is having the best sisters one could ever ask for." Embracing tears of joy, they shared a moment of pure happiness. Meanwhile, Lori, who had overheard everything from outside the room, knew it was time to speak. "It's time to finally talk," Lori declared, as she began to open the door.