Her sister never rang her.
It was almost an unspoken rule between them that unless one of them was lying in a ditch somewhere in need of a replacement kidney without any hope for survival otherwise, they were to never ring.
They texted, on occasion.
Mostly, they did their utmost to avoid each other unless absolutely necessary.
It therefore put Adrianna on high alert when, after having spent the night at her uncle's due to her mother's early call time, her mobile came up with Calista's name.
"Ade?"
"You've rang me," said Adrianna.
"I know," said Callie.
"I thought we said we were never going to ring each other," said Adrianna.
"You didn't text back fast enough," said Callie. "I need to get to school for footie practice and I know Naomi's taking you earlier so you can work on your audition. Please? My school isn't that far from your school."
"You're at Dad's," said Adrianna. "Isn't he taking you?"
"Daddy won't wake up," said Callie.
"What do you mean, he won't wake up?" asked Adrianna.
"I mean he's crying and saying how much he misses me, and every time I try to wake him up, he just clings harder to his pillow, going on about how much he misses me," said Callie. "But I don't get it, because I'm standing right there, so how can he miss me?"
"Naomes and I will be there soon," said Adrianna.
"Everything okay?" asked her uncle Brandon, glancing up from his daily newspaper.
"I have to get over to Dad's," said Adrianna. "Cal said he won't wake up."
"Oh dear," said her aunt, locking eyes with her uncle in silent, demanding communication.
"I'm not going over there, Kel," said Brandon.
"You have to," said Kelly. "I have a bunch of caseloads today and if Dylan's not waking up, you know what that means…"
"It probably means he had a little too much fun last night," said Brandon, "and me going over there won't help anything since I'll want to rip him a new one for it."
"Well I'm going," said Adrianna, "and Naomes was going to take me to school, so she's probably going, too."
"You're going to let the girls go over there, by themselves?" asked Kelly.
"I'm always the one picking up his pieces," said Brandon. "Not this time. Not after what he's done to Bren."
"I'll just call Bren and tell her about Dylan, should I?" asked Kelly.
"Don't do that," said Brandon. "It'll just stress her out and he's stressing her out enough these days." Brandon rose out of the chair. "I'll go."
"That's the man I married," said Kelly, giving him a kiss.
"And to think," said Brandon, "if we hadn't run into each other in DC –"
"Which time?" asked Kelly with a roguish glint in her eye.
Brandon stroked Kelly's blonde locks, which were kept short in a fashionable style that extended beyond Kelly's chin but above her shoulders.
"I can't say in front of Ade," said Brandon. "But maybe I'll remind you later."
"I'm gonna hold you to that," said Kelly. "Will you be home for dinner?"
"Should be," said Brandon.
"Good," said Kelly, "Sammy said he should be able to come by tonight. We don't see him nearly enough since he started college."
"We see him more than my parents saw Brenda," said Brandon.
"Still isn't enough," said Kelly. "Considering Sammy actually likes me."
"Naomi likes you," said Brandon. "She just…"
"Is a teenage girl who thinks she doesn't need her mom around," said Kelly. "Yeah, I know. Ade?"
"Yes, Aunt Kel?"
"Always stay close with your own mom, okay?" said Kelly.
Adrianna promised she would.
"Time to go work with other teenage girls who might possibly listen to me," said Kelly.
"I love you," said Brandon. "I'll call you later. Maybe we can do lunch."
"I'd like that," said Kelly. "I love you too, my big, handsome man."
"Your average-size, handsome man," said Brandon between Kelly's lips.
"Average? That's pushing it, Dad," said Naomi. "Do you have to mack on each other like that in front of company?" she asked, standing against the doorway in an ensemble that must have been invented for one of Donna Hardell's fashion weeks.
Though she wore designer herself, Adrianna's wardrobe never took half the risks that Naomi's did.
Adrianna preferred it that way.
"Oh, are we calling family 'company' now?" asked Brandon. "Change in plan, Naomes. I'm taking you and Ade to school."
"I am not going in the minivan," said Naomi.
"I'm taking the minivan," said Kelly, "so that I can pick up all those decorations you girls want for homecoming. And because Donna volunteered me to pick up all the food she ordered for it."
"Homecoming dances have food?" asked Adrianna.
"West Bev homecoming dances with Donna Martin Silver Hardell as PTA president do," said Naomi.
"She ropes in Kel every time," said Brandon, nuzzling the side of his wife's head.
Adrianna attempted to not think of all the times her father had done the same to her mother.
Too many times, she thought.
"I'm just helping Don out," said Kelly.
"And that's what Mom says every time," said Naomi.
With Brandon's promise to Kelly that he would keep her posted on Dylan, the Walshes temporarily parted ways.
Adrianna feared what she would find when they pulled up to the house.
She started to turn her key in the lock, but found it unlocked.
"Callie," she ran in. "Callie!"
"In the bedroom!" came Callie's answer.
"Why is the door unlocked?" asked Adrianna.
"I wasn't sure if you had your key," said Callie.
"I always have my key, so make sure you keep it locked next time," said Adrianna.
"Quit scolding me and help me wake up Daddy," said Callie.
"I miss you," Dylan sobbed, holding onto his pillow. "Baby, I miss you so much. Just…please. Please let me hold you. Please."
"Dad." Adrianna sat beside him. "Daddy."
Dylan responded only with more pleas.
"What should I do?" Adrianna asked Brandon. "Should I shake him awake?"
"Never a good idea," said Brandon. "I'll take a look around and figure out what he took."
"I'll go with you," said Naomi.
"He's dreaming," Adrianna told Callie. "He's just stuck in his nightmares."
"How do you know?" asked Callie.
"Because before you were born, when Mum was starting to get famous, her old boyfriend tracked her down and when he was around, sometimes when she was away filming, Daddy would get like this," said Adrianna. "Go ring the doorbell."
"Why?" asked Callie.
"Just trust me and ring the doorbell," said Adrianna.
"I never trust you," said Callie.
"Ring the doorbell!" said Adrianna.
Callie rang the doorbell.
The instrumentation eased Dylan awake.
"What – what time is it?" he asked. "Shit, I gotta get Cal to school, don't I?" He fumbled for his alarm clock. "Ade?" He squinched his eyes. "What are you doing here? I thought your mum said you were staying at Naomes'?"
"Uncle Brandon brought me," said Adrianna. "We're taking Callie to school."
"I can take Callie to school," said Dylan.
"We're coming up empty," said Brandon, walking back into the room. "Look who's awake."
"I appreciate your offer to bring my daughters to school, but I can take them," said Dylan as he sat up.
"You're wrecked," said Brandon. "How much did you – girls, I think it's best if you leave your dad and I alone to talk."
"I think I have nothing to say to you without Brenda around," said Dylan.
"Really?" asked Brandon. "Because I think that maybe, just maybe, Calista calling Adrianna saying that she couldn't get you awake is cause for concern, Dylan; don't you?"
"I would've woken up in time," Dylan insisted. "Callie's just wanting to get there early."
"Can I talk to my dad alone?" asked Adrianna. "It won't take long."
"I'll take my girls to school," said Dylan. "You can go now," he told Brandon. "Please," he forcibly added.
"Except I'm not leaving here until I find out what you took," said Brandon.
"I didn't take a damn thing," said Dylan. "Ask Callie. She'll tell you I didn't."
"You could've when she was sleeping."
"You think I'd take something when my kid is sleeping in the next room over?"
"The Dylan I knew before this whole thing wouldn't. But the Dylan now? The Dylan who messed around behind my sister's back? Who let her find out that he broke his sobriety from a damn security tape? Who knows."
Dylan shot up from the bed.
"Get out of my house," he told Brandon.
"This is also my sister's house," said Brandon.
"And when she lives in it again, you can return. Until then, you aren't welcome."
"Enough!" said Adrianna. "That's enough! Mum is sick, and you two are over here continuously rowing like this? Uncle Brandon, just go."
"Ade –"
"You can bring Callie to school if you want, but I'm going with my dad," said Adrianna. "I'll see you at school, Naomes."
"Yeah," said Naomi, glaring at her father, "I'll see you at school."
"Bye Daddy," said Callie, giving him a hug.
"Bye, Little Fish," said Dylan, briefly looking at her before looking back at Brandon. The men wore matching, wounded expressions, as if it physically tore them apart to be at odds with each other. "You be good for your uncle."
"Always, Daddy," said Callie.
"You could have gone with them," said Dylan as Adrianna closed the door.
"I changed my mind about going early," said Adrianna. "It's Mum, isn't it?" she asked. "You were crying over Mum?"
"Crying?" Dylan feigned confusion.
"Don't do that," said Adrianna. "I hear you sometimes, when Mum's been away for a while filming. You get sad and you start calling out in your sleep. I'm sixteen now, Daddy. You can tell me things."
"I can tell you things, can't I?" asked Dylan, looking at Adrianna as if he had never before seen her. "My little girl is practically an adult now."
"I wouldn't go that far," said Adrianna. "Not until I get my license, anyway. But you're diverting."
Dylan tapped the spot beside him on the bed.
Adrianna curled up next to him, as she had done many times throughout her childhood.
"How much do you know about my life before marrying your mum?" he asked.
"I know you had a pretty shite life," said Adrianna. "Sorry."
"Pretty shite is right," said Dylan. "Bren; she was the best thing about my life. She – how much should I sugarcoat this for you?"
"Not at all," said Adrianna.
"You really do take after your mum," said Dylan.
"With your hair," said Adrianna.
"With my hair," Dylan smiled. "There – there were a few times when Bren and I were dating that we'd have to face something that – that made me think I'd lose her. I, uh, became a bit clingy; bit too clingy for your Grandpa's taste. Looking back now, I see that he was right 'cause I'd never be okay with a guy being that clingy with you at this age. But I – but I went and screwed it all up for a while. Did lose your mum, in a different way than I'd thought. At the time, I didn't have a clue that she'd come back to me, or that we'd end up married with the world's greatest batch of kids."
"So you married someone who wasn't Mum," said Adrianna.
"You know about that?" asked Dylan.
"I found Mum's note, in the attic before we moved. Aiden said it was called a telegram, though we were a bit perplexed why they were still sending telegrams in the nineties. Mum had written that someone else got a ring on your finger."
"International telegrams were sometimes cheaper," said Dylan. "A part of me wished that your Mum would have gone to that wedding, that she would have shown up when the priest asked for objections. When she didn't, when all I got was a telegram, I figured there was no going back for us and my wife at the time, she; she was something. If I couldn't be with Bren, Toni wasn't a bad replacement."
"Toni?" asked Adrianna.
"That was her name," said Dylan. "Toni. We – the marriage didn't last long."
"You got divorced?" asked Adrianna.
"She got killed," said Dylan.
"Like Grandpa Jack?" asked Adrianna.
"Grandpa Jack's was fake," said Dylan. "This one; it was real. Damn real. And then with K2…let's just say I've seen my share of death."
"So you're actually dreaming of Toni when you cry like that?" asked Adrianna.
"Your Mum," said Dylan. "When Bren and I are apart, sometimes…I have these nightmares, nightmares that feel so real that it's like Bren and I haven't seen each other in ages. Like it's her in Toni's place. Like I got Bren killed, instead of Toni. Like Bren's been lost to me, forever."
"Why don't you tell her that?" asked Adrianna.
"Tell your mum my dreams feature a world without her in it? I can't tell her that. Bren will think I'm searching for a way out. Which isn't true, Ade. It isn't."
"I know, Daddy. I know."
"I better get you on to school now," said Dylan. "I'm sorry your uncle and I were fighting in front of you. We're trying to be better about that, but I guess it ain't working."
"I think he's worried about you," said Adrianna. "He's just doing a shite job of showing it."
"I think I shredded his trust enough when we were kids that it was easy for it to be shredded again," said Dylan. "And that's on me."
"Dad?"
"Yeah, baby."
"The other day, you asked me if I believe you knocked up Gina." Adrianna glanced at her parents' wedding photo that sat on their bedside table. "Well, I don't."
Dylan closed his eyes. "You don't know how grateful I am for that."
"I'm going to help you prove it, Daddy. Somehow."
"Ade, no." Dylan's eyes sprung open. "I do not want you involved in this. Just let your Dad handle it. Do you hear me?"
"But Dad –"
"I said, do you hear me?"
Adrianna raised her eyes to the ceiling and gave a pointed sigh. "Loud and clear."
"Are you going to tell your mum about what we discussed?"
"Not if you don't want me to."
"I'd rather you didn't. I don't want Bren getting it in her head that the only reason she should come home is to block my nightmares."
Adrianna filed away her father's revelation with the secret her mother had asked her to keep from him.
School, in comparison, was much easier.
She sped through every assignment. Every equation.
She raised her hand in every class, except the one taught by Ryan Matthews.
She wouldn't raise her hand in his class again, despite literature normally being her favorite subject.
She could do without another detention, which she would assuredly receive if she questioned Ryan Matthews on how he could be a literature teacher if Adrianna knew more about the curriculum than he did.
"What did you get on that last equation?" asked Annie Wilson as she held her textbooks firmly against her chest. "I got 384, but I don't think that's right. And I counted a million times so I don't know how it could be wrong."
"It was 485," said Dixon Wilson. "Hey, Ade."
"Hi, Dixon," said Adrianna.
"Are we still on tomorrow to work on the project?" asked Dixon.
"My parents asked to spend time with us tomorrow," said Adrianna.
"Oh, that's nice," said Annie. "I bet hanging out with your parents is a blast."
"Usually, but not when I know what they're going to tell us," said Adrianna.
"What would that be?" asked Annie.
"Nothing in particular. Sorry, I see my cousin Ruby. I wanted to ask her something about homecoming. I'll see you both later?"
"How many cousins do you have in this school?" asked Dixon.
"Many," said Adrianna. "Class of '93."
She told Dixon that she would text him later to further discuss the project.
"I feel like I haven't seen you in ages!" Adrianna told Ruby Silver as she threw her arms around her.
"I know!" said Ruby, her thick brown hair styled into perfect beach waves with a touch of red highlight. "Work is kicking my ass, but I actually don't hate it. Are you ready for the dance tomorrow?"
"I never got a date," said Adrianna.
"Adrianna Maraĵa McKay, I do not believe for one second that no one asked you to homecoming," said Ruby.
"Do you believe that someone overheard Dad warning Dixon about Uncle Steve's obsessive bench-pressing and Aunt Val's Tai chi, and now the boys at this school are scared of showing an interest in me?" asked Adrianna.
"Been there," said Ruby. The four ruby-encrusted butterflies she had pierced through her ear glinted against the light from the window. "Try having Aunt Kelly as the guidance counsellor, to boot."
"Naomi said it was awful," said Adrianna.
"Only when trying to get a date," said Ruby, "which is why I'm so glad I met Julio. And also why I was probably almost as thrilled as Naomes when Aunt Kelly got the caseworker job."
"It worked out, I suppose," said Adrianna. "Naomes and I decided to go together. It's part of her I'm-too-good-for-secondary-boys thing she's doing."
"Great, because Julio is gonna be gone longer than he thought and I was going to be completely dateless for homecoming," said Ruby. "Really didn't want to go on my own."
"Then it's settled," said Adrianna. "The three of us will go together."
"Sleepover at my place tonight?" asked Ruby. "We can plan everything out for tomorrow."
"Can't," said Adrianna. "Cal and I have plans with Mum and Dad tomorrow and this is the first night in days that Mum doesn't have to work, so I'm staying with her."
"Auntie Bren and Uncle Dylan are spending time, together?" asked Ruby. "So they're talking again! That's great!"
"I wouldn't think too much of it," said Adrianna. "I already know what they're going to tell us."
"The same thing Mom and Dad sat me down to tell me years ago?" asked Ruby.
"The very same," said Adrianna.
"Well if you need a shoulder after they tell you, you know where to find me."
"Thank you."
"Anytime, girl."
Ordinarily, Adrianna loved the beach.
She didn't possess an intense passion for it, like her father. She had never taken up surfing, the way Callie had. She did enjoy swimming, though she typically preferred to do so in a pool like the one owned by Steve Sanders versus swimming in the ocean.
Her interests lay elsewhere: in the meadows, in the stables, on the back of her father's motorcycle.
She did, however, enjoy the boardwalk. Reading on a towel on the sand. Catching the sunset over the ocean. Getting the occasional tan, which she would have liked more if she didn't burn before she tanned.
Her parents also loved the beach.
It was, perhaps, why they had brought Adrianna and Calista there.
Neutral ground.
"Why is Dad wearing that hat?" asked Adrianna.
"Your dad is convinced it heightens his attraction," said Brenda, unable to conceal her annoyance at the hat.
"Should I tell him that my batchmates are always attracted to him, with or without hats?" asked Adrianna.
"Best that you don't," said Brenda. "Dylan," she added.
"Bren," he said.
"You've decided to wear the hat again, I see," she said.
"Been getting a ton of compliments on it," he said. "Think it's gonna become a permanent staple of my wardrobe. You ready to do this?"
"As ready as I'll ever be," said Brenda.
"Hope you girls haven't eaten yet," said Dylan. "I packed a picnic." He held up the wicker basket.
"Mum, he packed you a picnic," said Adrianna.
"Yes, I see that," said Brenda. She hardly looked at the basket. "Very nice."
"You girls go on ahead," said Dylan. "I'm gonna talk with your mum."
"I don't think that's a good idea," said Brenda.
"Bren –"
"Calista has her football – soccer game tonight and Adrianna has to get ready for the dance, so I think given the limited time we have, we should just get straight to the point of why we are here after I teach Callie how to fish."
"Fine," said Dylan, "you teach Cal to fish, I'll take her for a surf, and Ade, you –"
"I'll walk the boardwalk after we eat and get a bit of sun," said Adrianna. "I'm so hungry, I could eat a horse."
Her father had packed a healthier lunch than he normally did, though it wasn't without its megaburgers from the Peach Pit.
Adrianna figured it was due to a change in her mother's diet, which varied from project to project.
She walked the boardwalk, glimpsing her mother helping Callie bait her hook as Dylan sat nearby.
"Hey, don't I know you?"
Adrianna turned to see one of her batchmates, though she couldn't pinpoint his name.
Classmates, she told herself, Naomi said to call them classmates.
Adrianna preferred batchmate.
"I do know you," he said. "You're always hanging around Walsh."
"I'm her cousin," said Adrianna. "Best mate. Both, really. Cousins and best mates. Adrianna McKay."
"Ty Collins," he said, flashing her a gleaming smile she had previously believed were only found on Ken dolls. "Are those your parents?" He nodded in the direction Adrianna had been looking.
"Yeah," said Adrianna. "That's Mum, Dad, and that's my little sister, Callie, who's probably the most frustrating person you'll ever meet."
"That's siblings for you, I hear," said Ty.
"Do you have any?"
"Only child, thank God," said Ty. "Hey, do you like water race?"
"Like, racing through the ocean?" asked Adrianna. "I'm not the fastest swimmer."
"No," said Ty, "water race." He directed Adrianna's attention to the various boardwalk games. "I could challenge you to a water race."
"You're on," said Adrianna.
Ty accepted his defeat graciously.
"The best player won," he said. "Adrianna –"
"Ade," said Adrianna. "You can call me Ade. Most people do."
"Ade," said Ty, "are you going to the dance tonight?"
Adrianna said she was.
"Maybe I'll see you there," said Ty.
"Maybe," said Adrianna.
She continued to look at him as he walked away.
"Adrianna!" Brenda called.
"Coming, Mum!"
Adrianna jogged to the end of the pier.
"Cal and I had to postpone the surf," said Dylan. "Waves are a bit treacherous today."
"But I caught a fish!" said Callie proudly.
"A little fish," said Brenda. "We had to throw it back."
"Still, not bad on the first try," Dylan told Callie.
"I'm gonna get as good as Mum," said Callie.
"Where'd you get that?" asked Dylan, looking at Adrianna's small stuffed leopard.
"I won it," said Adrianna. "Apparently, I'm good at a water race if I don't need to pump my legs to do it."
"Nice one," said Dylan.
The family sat at the bench where they had picnicked earlier.
"So why did you bring us here?" asked Adrianna. "Is this about Mum being sick? Because I already know the only reason you asked us here is either about Mum's health or to tell us you're getting divorced."
"It's about your Mum's health," said Dylan. "Kind of."
"Is Mummy dying?" asked Callie.
"Is she?" Adrianna asked her father.
"Not for a very long time, my lovies," said Brenda.
Dylan sat Callie on his knee.
"You know how we call you our Little Fish, Cal?" asked Dylan.
"Because of how fast I picked up on surfing, Daddy?" asked Callie.
"And how fast a swimmer you are," said Brenda. "Your dad and I weren't sure when you were little if you'd be able to swim at all."
"But I can," said Callie, "and that's why I'm your Little Fish."
"What if you weren't so little anymore?" asked Dylan.
"What do you mean?" asked Callie.
"I mean, uh," Dylan met Brenda's eyes, "what if – okay, the way you swim, well, Daddy swims, too."
"I know, Daddy," said Callie. "You're faster, but someday, I'll be faster."
"Probably will, Cal," said Dylan. "Daddy; he swims and swims so much that sometimes, he has to swim in things other than oceans."
"Like lakes?"
"More like ponds," said Dylan. "Like, if – if Mummy had a pond, Daddy would swim in that. And – and sometimes, Daddy would swim so much in Mummy's pond that – that Mummy would – would – that she would – well, that they would find things in that pond, unexpected things –"
"Dad, she knows what sex is," said Adrianna.
"Adrianna!" said Dylan and Brenda together.
"She's eleven," said Adrianna. "She knows what sex is."
"Callie," said Brenda, "do you know what sex is?"
"Christy said that it's when –" Callie began.
"She knows what sex is," said Dylan and Brenda in unison.
"Thank God, because I don't know where the hell that pond thing was going," said Dylan.
"You tried," Brenda consoled him.
"So you had sex?" asked Callie. "That's no big deal. Grownups have lots of sex, especially married grownups."
"I don't think I want her listening to Christy anymore," Dylan told Brenda.
"Then she'll just hear it from one of the others," said Brenda. "I'd rather her hear it from Christy than Steve."
"I guess I'd rather that, too," said Dylan.
"I think what Dad's trying to say is that he had sex with Mum and knocked her up, so you aren't going to be the baby anymore," said Adrianna.
"You'll always be the baby, Cal," said Brenda.
"But I thought Dad knocked Ruby's aunt up," said Callie.
"Where did you hear that, Cal?" asked Dylan.
"You and Ade wouldn't tell me what a horndog is, so I rang Sammy and asked him what a horndog is and Sammy said it's someone who knocks up Ruby's aunt so since Uncle Brandon called you a horndog, I figured you'd knocked up Ruby's aunt," said Callie.
"Remind me to have a chat with Sammy," said Dylan. "Cal, I only knocked your mum up."
It took Adrianna a second to process the information that she herself had said.
"Oh my God!" she said. "Mum! You're knocked up?"
"Show them, Bren," said Dylan.
"Dylan, we're in public," said Brenda.
"There's barely anyone around and we'll cover you," said Dylan. "Show them."
Brenda stood, raising her flowy sundress to show how high up she had worn her leggings. She folded the elastic waistband down, allowing her stomach to peek through.
"As you can see," said Dylan, "I definitely knocked your Mum up. Again."
"My little brother's in there?" asked Adrianna. "Can I feel him?"
"Little brother?" asked Callie. "I want a little sister."
"I'm afraid you won't be able to feel anything just yet," said Brenda, "but if you girls want, yes, you may put your hands on my belly."
Dylan's hands followed suit with his children's hands, until there were three pairs of hands and thirty fingers spread out upon Brenda's stomach.
"I can't wait to meet you," said Adrianna.
"I hope you're nicer than Ade is," said Callie.
"I hope you're nicer than Cal is," said Adrianna.
"Oh, I'm sure they'll both be nice," said Dylan.
"Both?" Adrianna looked up at her mother.
"You girls might both get your wishes," said Brenda. "Because you're about to get two new siblings."
"I thought we were already getting two," said Callie. "Yours and Ruby's aunt's."
In response to her father's reaction, Adrianna tapped the heel of her sandal against the toecap of Callie's trainers – or, what Naomi kept telling Adrianna was a tennis shoe, whilst Dixon Wilson insisted it was a sneaker.
To Adrianna, it would always be trainers.
"Hey!" said Callie.
"They mean there's two in Mum's belly," said Adrianna. "It's twins. It's twins, Mum; isn't it? We're having twins? Like you and Uncle Brandon?"
"Yes, sweetheart," said Brenda. "Your dad and I are having twins."
"I call baby-sitter," said Adrianna.
"No, I call baby-sitter," said Callie.
"You aren't old enough to baby-sit," said Adrianna.
"Well maybe I'll be old enough when they're here."
"No you won't because I'm old enough to baby-sit all three of you and you aren't old enough to baby-sit anybody."
"Girls," said Brenda, in that warning tone she tended to get when Adrianna and Calista stood on the brink of argument.
"Are we moving back in with you, Dad?" asked Adrianna.
"Your mum feels that, for the moment, it's better if you don't," said Dylan.
"But we will be moving out of Val's," said Brenda, sitting back down at the picnic table.
"So I'll be helping your mum find a place that's just as close to Brandon's as it is to mine," said Dylan. "When Mum's a bit further along, I'll be over much more often, just to see how she's getting on and help out in whatever way I can."
Dylan's hands had returned to Brenda's stomach, this time settling against the fabric that draped over it.
Adrianna wondered if her mother had noticed her father's hand placement and, if so, why Brenda did not remove Dylan's hands.
"I don't know how this pregnancy is going to go," said Brenda, "so Ade, we might need your help taking care of Callie."
"I can take care of myself," said Callie.
"Not overnight, you can't," said Adrianna.
"If Dylan and I need to be somewhere overnight –"
"Like hospital?" asked Adrianna.
"Why would they be in hospital?" asked Callie.
"To have the babies, gobshite," said Adrianna.
"Don't call your sister a gobshite," said Dylan.
"But she is one," said Adrianna.
"I'm not a gobshite," said Callie. "You're a gobshite. And you told me babies are born in shops. That Mum had me in an American shop and you tried to go to the British shop to exchange me, but they said you didn't have enough pounds because you went to buy biscuits first and overspent."
"Adrianna!" said Brenda.
"I never told her that, Mum," said Adrianna.
"Did so," said Callie.
"Did not."
"Did so."
"Did not!"
"Did so, just like you told me Father Christmas isn't real!"
"Isn't my fault you were listening in on Aiden and I."
"Girls!" said Dylan. "Your Mum was speaking."
"Sorry, Mum," said Adrianna and Callie together.
"As I was saying, if your dad and I need to be anywhere overnight, then your uncles or aunts will watch you," said Brenda. "This is more like if Callie needs to be picked up earlier than Dylan and I can get her because of appointments or something in that vein, since wherever we live will still be too close to the schools for you girls to be eligible for bus pickup. We know you can't pick Cal up at present, Ade, but when you get your license –"
"Whatever you need, Mum, I'll help," said Adrianna.
"That's our girl," said Dylan.
"I thought I was your girl," said Callie.
"You're both my girls," said Dylan.
"Will we still be your girls if you have another girl, Daddy?" asked Callie.
"You'll always be my girls, even if your mum gives me another girl."
"I wasn't talking about Mum's girls," said Callie.
Leave it to Callie to ruin a perfectly fine afternoon with their parents, Adrianna thought.
"Brenda," said Dylan, racing up behind them. "Bren, talk to me."
"I have to get Adrianna to her hair appointment," said Brenda.
"But it's not for another few hours," said Adrianna.
"We could run into traffic," said Brenda.
"You're not going to run into traffic," said Dylan.
"It's LA," said Brenda. "There's always traffic."
"Brenda, just – Ade," Dylan handed her a small wad of one-dollar bills, "go over there and get Callie a cone before we go, alright?" He pointed to an artisanal ice-cream stand near to where they stood. "Mum and I will just be inside here." He pointed to the empty building.
"Dylan, Ade and I really do have to go," said Brenda.
"It'll only take a minute, Bren," said Dylan. "Please. I just want to check on you."
"Alright," said Brenda.
"I thought we were getting ice-cream," said Callie as she and Adrianna crouched behind the building with the open window.
"We will," said Adrianna. "I just want to hear what they have to say first."
If the adults weren't so secretive, Adrianna thought, she wouldn't have to eavesdrop.
"I'm fine, Dylan," said Brenda.
"Would you quit saying you're fine when we both know it's bullshit?" said Dylan. "What's going on, Bren, huh? You've barely texted me in days! I thought we were at least back to having decent text conversations, if nothing more."
"I've sent you the photos you requested," said Brenda. "I've texted you the updates. I've given you the calls, as asked. I cleaned my voicemails."
"You've been quiet," said Dylan. "Ever since you and Ade went shopping and you asked that Callie stay over at mine, your texts; they've been different."
"I've kept to our arrangement," said Brenda. "I don't need to do anything more than that."
"But you scolded me for eavesdropping, Ade," said Callie. "You told Daddy I eavesdropped on Uncle Brandon even though I eavesdropped on Sammy talking to Naomes about Uncle Brandon calling Daddy a horndog and you got me in trouble for it and now you're eavesdropping?"
"Yes, I will admit I am a hypocrite in this regard, but Cal, shush; I'm trying to hear Mum and Dad."
"You're doing my head in, Bren," said Dylan. "Something's been going on with you, and I want to know what." Taking Brenda's hand in his, he ran his thumb over her knuckle and raised his hand up to her cheek as his forehead connected with hers. "We've got two kids, baby. We're about to have four. You don't get to keep shutting me out like this. I love you, and I know you love me. I can't remember a time I didn't love you. Can you honestly remember a time you didn't love me?"
"This isn't about love, Dylan."
"Then what is it about? Tell me what's going on!"
"Why have you been with me?" came Brenda's answer.
Dylan's back straightened until he had metamorphosed into a flagpole.
"What do you mean?" he asked. "You know why I'm with you, baby."
"I know you've loved other women," said Brenda, slipping away from him. "You have, so don't try to deny it. We both know I wasn't your first choice. If things were different, you would've never come to London, either time. You would've never gotten back with Kel, either. You'd probably be living in Hawai'i, maybe own a surf shop there or teach at a surf school."
"Eighteen years together, seventeen of those since we said I do, an additional four years together before all that, more than twenty years of being each other's best mate, four kids later, and you don't think you're my first choice?" asked Dylan. "Where is this coming from, Brenda?"
"It doesn't matter where it's coming from."
"It matters to me. You've never brought this up before. Ever."
"Look, Dylan, the simple fact is that if your life had gone differently, the kids and I wouldn't be in it. The kids will always be part of your life but maybe; maybe it's better if I'm no –"
"Better for whom?" asked Dylan. His voice dropped to a gravelly level Adrianna hadn't known her father's voice was capable of. "Better for you? Tell me, baby; if my life would be better without you in it, why am I fighting so hard to save our marriage? Why am I fighting to prove to you I didn't fuck Gina?"
"Because you're scared of losing the kids in the divorce," said Brenda. "You should know I would never do that to you, but that's why you're fighting. For our kids."
"Is that what you think? You truly think that I think that you would take custody of the kids from me? That I don't love you, that I don't miss you, that I don't need you, that I don't dream about you, that I don't worry over you, that I don't want to shag you here and now, that I haven't overdone my cold showers since you moved out, that I can't bring myself to wash your pillowcase, that the only thought that plagued me this morning was how well you'd slept, that you've made me into a sappy fool who doesn't mind being a sappy fool when I've experienced a love like ours with the love of my life; oh no, I couldn't possibly, because all I care about is keeping custody of our kids?"
"That's all well and good," said Brenda, "but have you considered that maybe I've been the love of your life because I'm the one in it? That maybe you have multiple loves of your life? In the grand scheme of things, I'm not your greatest love, Dylan. I never have been. And I'm not going to spend the remainder of my life competing with a ghost to prove I am."
Dylan took a giant step backward, as if Brenda had elbowed him in the face.
"Toni?" he asked. "You think you're competing with Toni? How the hell can you think that, Brenda? Have I ever given you that impression? Have I ever made it seem like you don't mean every goddamn thing to me?"
"Maybe this thing with Gina has just shown us what we're lacking, what we were too afraid to admit before," said Brenda.
"And what the fuck would that be?" asked Dylan.
"Dylan, if Toni walked through that door right now, you would go to her in a heartbeat. And that's okay. I don't need you to pretend you wouldn't. She was brutally taken from you and the life we've spent together, the kids we've had; that should have been your life, with her."
"If you've felt that way all this time, why did you ever marry me? Why did you have kids with me? Why have you and I engaged in endless shagging and snogging all over the fucking globe? Why have our problems been minimal until we returned to this code and this shit with Gina started? Why the fuck is this coming up now, Brenda?!"
"Maybe I just didn't want to be alone," said Brenda, "like you didn't want to be alone. Maybe it was easier for us to keep returning to the familiar, rather than wait for something new. I'm living another woman's life. I have her kids, her husband. I can accept that, but I don't have to keep doing it."
"Maybe you're right, Bren."
"I'm – I'm right?" Brenda swallowed.
"Maybe I did fuck Gina, to get Toni out of my head," said Dylan. "Maybe that's what I've been doing all the times I've shagged you. Hey, maybe I even thought you were Toni, since you look so alike and all. Is that what you want to hear? Do you want me to be intentionally cruel, so you can feel better about giving up?" He gave a harsh laugh. "This makes how many times you've dumped me? Four? Five? I'm losing count. If you go through with this divorce, Bren, that's it. We either stay married, or we're nothing. I'm not going another round with you just for you to dump me again. This last time was supposed to be for keeps."
"The girls don't need to see us quarreling and – and I can't keep quarreling with you like this, Dyl; I don't have the energy," said Brenda. "This isn't us. We don't quarrel. I don't want it to become us. I just – I just think it's better," her voice quaked, "if we – if we let this go whilst we still have some modicum of respect for each other."
"Maybe it is," said Dylan. "Maybe there is no use saving this marriage." His tone had flattened until it was completely devoid of emotion. "Because if that's the way you feel, then you don't know me at all and maybe we've been living a lie for eighteen years."
"Maybe we have," said Brenda. "So you'll agree to the divorce?"
"We stick to the arrangement," said Dylan. "We stay married until after the twins are born, until all the paperwork's been filed for them, and then, if you still feel this way, we'll get divorced."
"We had a good run," said Brenda morosely. "Seventeen years is more than a lot of people get."
"A better run would have been seventy," said Dylan.
"Like my grandparents," said Brenda.
"Yeah," said Dylan. "Like Bill and Arlene."
"Still more than your parents got."
"Like that helps, Bren. We could've made it as long as your parents."
"Maybe it's better that we won't. Eventually, maybe, we could be –"
"Don't say friends. Don't you dare say friends."
"David and Donna are."
"It took years for them to get back to that place."
"I'd rather be your friend than your enemy, Dylan."
"And I'd rather be your lover than your friend, as I have steadily been for the last eighteen years, Brenda!"
"We were friends before that, Dylan. Before we got back together, the first time in London, we were friends. When you were dating Kel, we were friends."
"We were never just friends, and you know it. Or do I have to remind you of the last time we caught a little SoCal fish?"
Adrianna had heard enough.
"What are we going to do, Ade?" Callie's normally shining blue eyes brimmed with tears. "Mummy and Daddy can't get divorced. They can't. I don't want two Christmases! I want one! With Mummy and Daddy!"
"They won't," Adrianna reassured her sister with an awkward, one-armed embrace they rarely engaged in. "They won't get divorced, Cal. We won't let them."
"How can we stop them?" asked Callie.
"We just have to help Mum realize that she's wrong," said Adrianna. "We have to remind her of how important she is to Dad so that she does know him again and then he changes his mind about the divorce."
"I don't like Mummy and Daddy fighting," said Callie.
"Neither do I, Cal," said Adrianna. "Neither do I."
"I thought babies make grownups happy."
"I think they tend to."
"Then why aren't Mummy and Daddy happy?"
"It's complicated."
"I hate complicated."
"Me too."
They sat in contemplative silence, until Callie took a bulldozer to it.
"Ade, if they divorce, do we get to live in different houses from each other?" she asked.
"I don't know," said Adrianna. "Maybe."
"Then I guess divorce wouldn't be all bad," said Callie. "Especially if you're back in London and I'm still here with the babies."
"Screw you, Cal," said Adrianna, despite being tempted by the idea herself.
As long as Adrianna was the one who got to live with the babies.
She thought of her parents' impending divorce all throughout her hair appointment, her nail appointment, as she slipped into her dress, and as Brenda applied Adrianna's makeup.
"Your aunt Kelly should really be doing this," said Brenda. "She's much better at it than I am."
"She's doing Ruby's," said Adrianna. "I like the way you do it."
"Are you upset we told you on the day of your homecoming?" asked Brenda, chewing over her lower lip. "It was the one day we could all get together and –"
"Mum," Adrianna brought her hand to Brenda's shoulder, "learning about the twins just made homecoming all the more special. I'm going to remember this day forever."
Brenda smiled as she caressed Adrianna's cheek.
"Ade, no one except you girls know about the twins right now, and we'd like to keep it that way," said Brenda, blotting Adrianna's lipstick. "Your aunt Val and uncle Brandon think there's one. No one else knows about this pregnancy, at all. Dylan and I want to tell them ourselves."
"So basically, don't tell Naomi?" asked Adrianna.
"Or Ruby," said Brenda.
"Kai? What about Sammy?"
"No and no," said Brenda.
Adrianna added her parents' shared secret to her growing pile of secrets.
"I don't think you're going to be able to hide it much longer," she said, eyeing the bulge of Brenda's stomach reflected in the mirror. It had become bigger once Brenda had temporarily unrolled the waistband of her leggings for greater comfort as she stood applying Adrianna's makeup. "My siblings want everyone to know they're on their way. I'm surprised you've been able to hide it at all."
"Tips and tricks I picked up when filming whilst pregnant with Callie," said Brenda. "But I am aware that those tips likely won't work as well for these two with the rate I'm growing, which is why we wanted to tell you girls immediately. I'm sure the press will pick up on it soon and I didn't want you finding out from the media. Same reason I told your uncle."
"And Aunt Val?" asked Adrianna.
"I did, but it was more of a formality than anything," said Brenda. "Val knew before I did. She's the one who convinced me to get checked for it. I expect Dylan and I will arrange a time to tell the others. There." Brenda stepped back to admire her handiwork. "God, I can't believe you're going to your first West Bev dance. Your mum getting knocked up again probably isn't how you pictured your junior year going. It certainly isn't how I pictured your junior year going."
"None of this is how I pictured junior year going," said Adrianna, "but I'm chuffed to buggery, Mum." She wrapped her arms around Brenda's waist. "Really, I am. And I'm also chuffed you and Dad are hanging out again. I hope you keep that up. For the twins' sakes," she added.
Adrianna stood and sat back down, this time on the edge of the bathtub.
"Sit, Mum," she ordered.
"Naomi will be arriving soon," said Brenda.
"But not yet, so sit," said Adrianna. "You've stood long enough. My siblings want a break."
Brenda took the spot Adrianna had vacated.
"I'm not going to have a very good dance if I leave without knowing how you're getting on," said Adrianna.
"What are you on about?" asked Brenda. "I'm fine, love."
Adrianna was fatigued of adults professing their acceptable wellbeing when their wellbeing was anything but.
"No you aren't, Mum," she said, "and you don't have to be. I don't want the answer you give everyone else. I want the true answer, the one you'd normally give to Dad or Aunt Val."
"Sometimes, you're a bit more like your Grandma and your Dad than is comfortable," said Brenda.
Adrianna gave her an imploring look that said Adrianna was waiting and would not be brushed off.
"Ade, you're my daughter. I shouldn't be talking to you about these things," said Brenda.
"Mum, I'm sixteen," said Adrianna. "Did you ever want your parents to be more open with you about their struggles than they were?"
"Depended on the struggles, honestly," said Brenda.
Adrianna continued to wait.
"I guess I'm scared, Ade," Brenda expelled a breath. "My – your dad's and my last pregnancy didn't go quite as planned and now that I'm responsible for the safety of two, instead of one, I'm – I'm terribly frightened. I – I don't know if I can do this."
"Oh, Mum," said Adrianna. She went to Brenda the way Adrianna would do as a child. "Don't you know how many batchmates have envied me for having a mum like you?" Adrianna lay her head on Brenda's shoulder. Brenda turned her cheek against Adrianna's hair. "Don't you know how lucky I am to have a mum like you? How lucky Callie is, and how lucky these twins are? My siblings, they're going to be fine," said Adrianna. "Truly fine." She rested her head on Brenda's stomach, uncaring whether her carefully styled updo had come undone. "You would cross the galaxies to protect us, Mum; I know that. Dad; he would cross the galaxies to protect you. And Cal and I; we'll make this as easy for you as we can. Well, I will. I'll work on Cal. I can't promise we won't row, but we can try to do it less."
"I appreciate that, Ade," said Brenda. "You astound me, baby. You truly do." She placed her hands on either side of Adrianna's cheeks and kissed the top of her head. "I've known plenty of girls your age who would never go out of their way to reassure their mothers, including and especially Naomi. Including me, sometimes. How did I get so blessed to have a daughter like you?"
"You married Dad," said Adrianna. "We McKays are a special breed."
It had been worth a shot, anyway.
A slew of people popped in, all anxious to see the girls in their formal wear.
"Uncle Steve," said Ruby, "how many more pictures are you going to take?"
"It's not every day your nieces go to junior homecoming," said Steve Sanders. "Besides, I promised Mads and Hannah Banana that I would upload these to Facebook for them. Just give me a second."
"No one uses Facebook anymore," said Ruby.
"We do," said the majority of the adults in the room.
"Though I'm more of a Pinterest girl and Bren's more on the Gram," said Donna. "Ruby tried to get me to join that one; what's it called, Ruby? Clapback?"
"Snapchat, Mom," said Ruby.
"I didn't see the point of it," said Donna.
"Brando's on his LinkedIn far more than he's on Facebook," said Steve.
"It's necessary for the career, bro," said Brandon. "Easier to talk to Andrea that way, too."
"That's the only reason I got a Twitter," said Kelly. "David hardly answers otherwise."
"I thought Silver's always on Reddit," said Steve. "He keeps sending me Reddit links. That and YouTube, which is better than when he kept trying to get me on MySpace. Remember MySpace?"
"I remember Silver was constantly changing his MySpace page," said Brandon. "And Bren, you dabbled in MySpace a bit, didn't you?"
"A bit," said Brenda. "Shane always found the best bands on there."
"What's that one site called?" asked Steve. "The other video platform where people do stupid shit and make it viral?"
"Vine," said Kai.
"Vine, yeah. Silver's frequently sending me his Vines," said Steve. "Did you know his last vid went viral? I'm still annoyed I have yet to go viral, like him."
"Dad, if you don't stop with the pictures soon, we're going to be late," said Kai.
"Kel was always late," said Steve.
"Fashionably late," said Kelly.
"Except that dress we wore to Spring Fling," said Brenda. "Oh God, Kel, remember that dress?"
"Do I remember that dress?" asked Kelly. She laughed. "I pulled it out of the attic and offered it to Naomi."
"And I asked why Mom thought I would ever wear such a hideous dress," said Naomi.
"She isn't wrong," Brenda laughed.
"We thought we were so cool," Kelly got out through her continued laughing fit.
"You told me to stand far away from you so no one knew we were both wearing it," said Brenda.
"Wow, Mom, you were a bitch," said Naomi.
"Naomes! Language!" said Brandon.
"In this case, Brandon, I can agree with our daughter that yes, that is a questionable, bitchy move," said Kelly.
"I don't care," said Brandon, "our daughter is not going around calling anyone a bitch, including and especially you."
"I didn't say she is one," said Naomi. "I said she was one. There's a huge difference, Daddy."
"You can call me one," said Valerie. "I don't mind."
"Don't encourage her, Val, please," said Brandon.
The doorbell rang.
"It's probably Dylan," said Brenda. "He wanted to see Ade in her outfit and then he's bringing me to Callie's game."
"I can bring you," said Brandon.
"I thought we had dinner plans," said Kelly.
"I'll meet you at dinner after I bring Bren to Callie's game," said Brandon.
"Brandon, I think I'm perfectly fine being in the truck with the father of my children," said Brenda.
"Is that all he is to you now, Mum?" asked Adrianna. "The father of your children?"
Steve opened the door, revealing more than just Dylan.
"We arrived at the same time," said Dylan, stepping around Steve to allow David to enter.
"I just want to see my daughter," said David, holding up his hands to Valerie.
"What's going on?" asked Donna, looking between them.
"What's going on is I have to talk to you," said David. "And you, Dylan. You have to be in on this."
"Can we do it another time?" asked Dylan. "Bren and I have to get to Callie's game."
"Before or after I get another juice cleanse?" asked David. "Because the first one felt real great." He locked eyes on Valerie.
She broke their contact.
"You should probably talk to them," said Brenda. "I'll be in the truck."
"Or I could take you," said Steve. "I'm headed over that way to meet a client, anyway."
"There you go," said Brandon. "Steve can take Bren to Callie's game and Dylan can meet her there. All good."
"No one asked you, Walsh," said Dylan.
Brenda cleared her throat and indicated towards the kids.
"I mean, great idea, Walsh," Dylan forced out. "I'll see you at the game, Bren."
"See you there, Dylan," said Brenda.
Adrianna pulled her father aside as David did the same with Ruby.
"You look gorgeous, darlin'," he said. "Just like your mum did at our spring dance," he added in a choked voice.
"Daddy," she said, "you can't give up on Mum. You just can't. My siblings have to have two parents, the way Cal and I do."
"They'll always have two parents," said Dylan. "Nothing's gonna change that."
"But Daddy, you love her," said Adrianna. "And Mum loves you."
"Maybe love just isn't enough sometimes," said Dylan. "Maybe eventually, you just gotta let people go when they clearly wanna go."
"Dylan!" said Donna. "We're waiting!"
"I better go see what your aunt and uncle want," said Dylan. "Have a great time at the dance, kiddo." He kissed the top of Adrianna's head. "Don't do anything Andrea wouldn't do."
"Why Andrea?" asked Adrianna.
"Because the rest of us would do things," said Dylan. "So be more like Andrea and less like the rest of us."
"Okay, Dad."
Adrianna joined her cousins.
"I need to know what Dad's talking about with them," she said.
"Why?" asked Ruby.
"Because I think they're talking about something that has to do with my mum and maybe your aunt," said Adrianna. "Kai, how terribly do you need your mobile tonight?"
"I probably don't," said Kai.
"Great," said Adrianna. "I need it."
They FaceTimed Naomi, hid the mobile in a plant placed beside a small opening revealing the room where the three adults stood chatting, and left for the dance.
"You know we wouldn't have been able to do this if one of them was driving us," said Kai.
"Then it's a good thing Ruby is," said Naomi, turning up the volume on her mobile as she muted the audio on her end.
"You told her?" asked Dylan.
"I had to," said David. "She was gonna find out."
"And how exactly was she gonna find out?"
"Oh, I don't know, Dylan; maybe because Valerie fucking caught me with Gina?" asked David.
"Val did?" asked Dylan.
"Yeah, Val did," said David. "I'll never look at Jamba Juice the same way again."
"You did not seriously ask David to hook up with Gina," said Donna. "Are you kidding me right now, Dylan?"
"I wouldn't put it quite like that, Don," said Dylan. "I only asked if he would trick Gina into falling in love with him so he can get her to reveal what a fucking liar she is. Silver here said he would do it. He doesn't have to sleep with her."
"I did do it," said David.
"You slept with her?" Donna yelled. "David Silver! How could you sleep with her, after what she's done to my Brenda?!"
"And to me," said Dylan. "Going around telling everyone I cheated."
"You do have a habit of these things," said Donna.
"Gee, thanks, Don," said Dylan.
"Well honey, you haven't done yourself any favors," said Donna. She adjusted the thin cloth headband holding back her long, curled tresses that after years of color experimentation had returned to their natural blonde. "Not least of which is getting David to hook up with Gina."
David hastened to correct his ex.
"I did not hook up with her," he said. "I told her we had a spark, one that might be worth exploring. I took her to the movies, and I got juiced for it."
"So you're backing out?" asked Dylan. "You might as well. Bren's made it clear we don't stand a chance whether you get the truth out of Gina or you don't. Guess we can forego the whole plan."
"Excuse me," said David, "I did not get a fucking juice bath to back out now."
"You're not backing out?" asked Dylan.
"I'm changing the rules of the game," said David. "I'm only doing this if Donna knows. Val, too."
"If Val knows, she'll tell Bren."
"Or if Val knows you've gone as far as to ask me to get Gina to fall for me, she might decide you're more innocent than she thinks," said David. "And then she might help you."
"What's the point?" asked Dylan. "My future ex-wife's proven she doesn't know me. It doesn't matter that I didn't sleep with Gina."
"It fucking does matter," said David.
"And people wonder why I curse so much," said Ruby.
The others shushed her.
"You see this?" asked David, holding up a vibrantly colored paper.
"The National Enquirer," said Dylan. "I didn't know you have a subscription to this offal, Silver. The Enquirer isn't fit to wipe my balls with."
"I don't," said David. "Look at the cover."
BRENDA MCKAY INVOLVED IN LOVERS' SPAT AT BEVERLY HILLS MALL.
SOURCES SAY SHE HAS BEEN CHEATING ON HUSBAND DYLAN FOR MONTHS!
WILL HE TAKE CUSTODY OF THE KIDS?
"Where the hell do they get this shite from?!" asked Dylan. "Who is Brenda supposedly in a lovers' spat with?"
"Gina," said David, opening up to the article. "They think she's cheating on you with Gina."
"Silver, why is there a picture of you and Gina standing with Brenda and Val?" asked Dylan.
"I told you, Val caught Gina and I together," said David.
"You left out the part about Brenda being there!" said Dylan. "Was this when they went shopping with Adrianna and Naomi? Did Adrianna see Gina?"
"I didn't see Adrianna around," said David.
"You sure she wasn't around?" asked Dylan.
"Not that I saw," said David.
Dylan thrust his knuckle into the wall.
"Gina," he said, "she got to Bren somehow. Told Bren something that made her doubt our entire marriage. Made Bren question why I'm with her. Convinced Bren she isn't the greatest love of my life, which couldn't be further from the truth. Fuck, and I almost let Bren talk me into a fucking divorce because of it!"
"I don't know about that," said David, "but I do know that Gina was accusing Val and Bren of wanting to hurt the baby."
"Bren would never!" said Dylan.
"I know that and you know that," said David. "But if something like the Enquirer picks up on it?"
"Reputable media knows the Enquirer is shite," said Dylan.
"Everybody loves a good bit of gossip," said Donna, as in the car, Ruby said the same.
"I think people have a bit more to focus on than whether Brenda is cheating on me with a random woman," said Dylan.
"You're vastly overlooking yours and Bren's popularity," said David, "and how quickly this could spread to US Weekly."
"US Weekly is also shite," said Dylan.
"But how many people know that?" asked Donna. "What's to stop Good Morning America from calling and asking for an interview with you about how you feel now that Brenda's carrying on an affair?"
"Or Good Morning Britain?" asked David.
"Do they really think I'd help ruin Brenda like that?" asked Dylan.
"These people are in the business of making money," said David.
"And gossip sells," said Donna.
"Especially adulterous scandals of the rich and famous," said David, "like an internationally-acclaimed actress and the internationally-acclaimed author she's allegedly cheating on."
Dylan hit the back of his head against the wall.
"I guess it's better for them to think Bren's cheating on me with Gina than for them to think Bren's plotting to hurt Gina's kid," said Dylan. "I'll bet you ten million pounds this article happened because of Gina. There's no way I'm gonna let her put my marriage and my family through a woodchipper like this. No fucking way."
"Bren said you agreed to divorce her, Dylan," said Donna.
"And when she told you this, Don, was she ecstatic? Was she glad to get rid of me?" asked Dylan. "Did she act like being my ex-wife would be the best fucking thing on the planet? That she's been dreaming about getting out of this marriage, the way she's talked herself into thinking I have?"
"Well," Donna hesitated, "no, not at all, but –"
"Because she knows this divorce is shite as much as I do," said Dylan. "She got me to cave to it when I thought Brenda and I no longer had anything to save. But we do. She's acting. She's fucking acting. She put on a performance; a performance so brilliant, so raw, even I bought it. Me, who knows Bren inside and out!" Dylan slammed his hands down on a desk. "Bren isn't through with me. This is all about protecting herself, because of whatever the fuck Gina told her. Bren; she – she's vulnerable right now, more prone to listen to shit if she thinks it has some plausibility and I – I am not letting Gina end my marriage. I'm not letting Gina send Bren and I back to the fucking friendzone after how long it took me to fight my way out of it. And I'm definitely not letting Gina put my wife or my kids through a fucking media frenzy, dragging Bren's hard-earnt reputation through a fucking mudslide. The plan's back on, Silver."
"Man, listen," said David, "before you get further into this than you already are; Don and I, there's something we have to tell you about Gina."
"Something we probably should have told you before all this happened," said Donna.
"But we never knew it would get like this," said David.
"And Dyl, you know how protective I've been over Gina since Daddy died after feeling so guilty that she barely got to know him as her father before he did," said Donna, "or feeling guilty that I blamed her for Daddy's death. Protective to the point that I've kept her secrets. And asked David to keep them, as well."
"Except now she's gone after Val," said David.
"And Bren," said the trio.
"Gina was stable," said Donna. "She'd been stable for a long time. We thought she still was."
"What are you on about, Don?" asked Dylan.
"We'll tell you everything," said David, "everything you need to know about Gina Kincaid, about the mental break she had after her mom died when Ruby was about the age Callie is now. And then, if you still want me to fake this thing with Gina, I'll still do it, but only if Val's in on it, too."
Naomi's mobile closed out of FaceTime.
"Shit," said Kai, "my phone must've died."
"We didn't plug it in!" said Adrianna. "Dammit! How could none of us think to plug it in?"
"Probably because a dead phone is easier to hide," said Naomi.
"We could turn around and plug it in," said Ruby.
"Not a chance," said Naomi. "Adrianna's supposed to perform tonight."
"I'd rather know what Uncle David and Aunt Donna have to say about the woman destroying my family than sing tonight," said Adrianna. "You heard my dad. He'd almost stopped fighting!"
"And normally I'd agree to turn this car right back around," said Naomi, "but if you don't sing tonight, then they might get someone else in your place. And that person might star in Spring Awakening, instead of you."
Adrianna had to get the lead.
She had to, because it would force her parents to watch her performance together, the way they were attending Callie's footie together.
The more moments her parents spent together, the less certain her mother would be of the divorce.
"I'll figure it out somehow," said Ruby, "and when I know what they told your dad, then I'll tell you."
That seemed reasonable enough.
Adrianna arrived at the dance, a mixture of nerves and excitement to sing before a new crowd.
"You look – well, incredible, I guess," said Navid Shirazi. "First time words have failed me, because incredible isn't an accurate description."
"Thanks," said Adrianna. "So do you."
Navid and Kai, she thought, may have been the best dressed lads in the hotel.
She didn't know much about American homecoming dances, but she did think that they were not normally held in hotels.
That must have been another perk for the students of West Beverly.
"Mind if I take a few pictures for the paper?" asked Navid, holding up his camera.
"Sure," said Adrianna.
She pulled in Naomi, Ruby, and Kai to pose with her.
"Walshes, we are going to make this the best homecoming ever," said Naomi.
"I keep telling you, Naomes, I'm not a Walsh," said Kai. "Neither is Ruby."
"Ruby's dad is the brother of my mother, who married into the Walshes," said Naomi. "And you're the son of –"
"Steve and Janet Sanders," said Kai.
"But did Janet carry you?" asked Naomi.
"Naomi," Ruby chided.
"You know the answer to that, Naomes," said Kai.
"You came out of the body of a Walsh," said Naomi.
"She isn't a Walsh," said Kai.
"Anyone who Dad and Auntie Bren consider a Walsh automatically becomes a Walsh. That goes double for Grandma," said Naomi. "And your dad considers himself a Walsh regardless. So again, Walshes, we're going to make this the best homecoming ever."
The best homecoming ever had to include the best soundtrack ever, said Naomi, adding to Adrianna, no pressure.
Adrianna warmed up with the band.
"You've done this before?" they asked.
"Not in California," said Adrianna.
"But you have elsewhere?"
"London. My home."
"Ah, then you'll be fine," they said.
She was better than fine.
Her vocals had the crowd hitting the dance floor immediately.
Adrianna sang until the band cut off for the next band to play.
"You were wicked," said the guitarist. "If you ever think about getting a more permanent gig, here's my card."
"I'll consider it," said Adrianna as she took the card.
Without the high that had encompassed her from the performance, Adrianna's thoughts returned to her parents.
"It's a party." Adrianna looked down to see Ty Collins approaching the stage. "I know high school dances leave much to be desired compared to college parties," he said, "but you look like you just found out your whole litter of cats died."
"I've just got a lot going on at home," said Adrianna. "It's hard to enjoy myself when my parents are so miserable."
"You wouldn't have known it from the way you rocked out up there," said Ty. "So, I hear you're from London."
Adrianna confirmed she was.
"How are you liking SoCal?"
"It isn't my first time here," said Adrianna, joining Ty on the floor. "Most of the family is in the area, so we've visited plenty."
"Living here is different than visiting, isn't it?"
"It's not terrible," said Adrianna. "I suppose I just thought it would be…different."
"Your parents?"
"Yeah, my parents. Our living arrangement. Everything should just be…different."
"Well I can't help with that, but how's about a little dancing?"
"With you?" asked Adrianna.
"I don't see anyone else walking over here, do you?" asked Ty. "You didn't hear it from me, but they have said that I am one of this school's better dancers."
Adrianna spotted each of her friends involved in their own conversations, including both of the Wilsons.
"Sure," said Adrianna. "A dance would be good."
Ty spun her around until Adrianna couldn't spin anymore.
He took her hand, leading her over to the table that had his belongings.
"Here." He offered her a bottle. "You must be parched from all that singing."
"Oh no, no thanks." Adrianna held up her hands in an 'x' formation. "I don't drink."
"Underage?"
"At all."
"That's cool," said Ty. "Neither do I. Which is why this is a soda."
"Oh." Adrianna laughed. "Sorry. Old habit, I guess." She accepted the bottle and took a sip.
"What kind of fizzy drink is this?" she asked, attempting to detect the foreign taste on her tongue.
"Fizzy drink?" asked Ty.
"Er – soda. What kind of soda is this?"
"The really good kind," said Ty.
Adrianna drank it all up.
"Mm, that is good," she said, smacking her lips. "May I have another?"
"Sure can," said Ty, giving her a second bottle.
Halfway into her third, Adrianna was beginning to feel woozy.
"I – I think I should stop with the fizzy now," she said.
"Probably should," said Ty. "I'm gonna get going, Adrianna, but it was real nice chatting with you. The dancing wasn't bad, either."
"I had fun," said Adrianna.
"So did I," said Ty. "And maybe under other circumstances, we could've made something of this, but she offered the big bucks, Ade. You understand. You don't turn down the big bucks on an easy job like this. It isn't personal; just business."
"Who offered the big bucks?" asked Adrianna. "What are you on about?"
"I'm real sorry," he said. "I've been told to give you a message for your mom, too."
"A message? For Mum?" asked Adrianna.
"LL says hi," said Ty.
"LL?" asked Adrianna.
"It's a real shame your mom didn't stay in London," said Ty. "By the time LL gets through with her, she'll wish she had."
Adrianna could not think straight.
She could barely focus on the decorations within the room, let alone comprehend what Ty Collins had told her.
"LL Cool J," she said. "L.L. Bean. Bean. Bean."
She began to sing about beans, specifically beans on toast.
"Ade? Hey, Ade, what'd you drink? Huh?"
Adrianna opened one bleary eye to the blearier versions of who she thought were Kai and Navid.
"Fizzy drink," she said, and giggled. "Really good fizzy drink. Uncle Shane calls it pop. That's an interesting word, isn't it? Pop." She popped her mouth. "Except you say soda," she pointed at Kai. "Soda pop. Fizzy pop. Fizzy drink. Mineral. Refresher. Coke. Did you know some people say Coke when it isn't a Coke? That would be confusing, don't you think? You'd go to a restaurant and ask for a Coke. They'd bring you a Coke, but you didn't want a Coke. You wanted a Fanta, but you asked for a Coke. How would the restaurant people know you wanted a Fanta? The real Fanta, not the kind you drink here. Americans are always bungling things up from other countries. I miss Fanta. The real Fanta. That's what Mummy and Daddy need. A good Fanta. It'll clear everything up."
"She's on something," said Navid.
"What'd you take, Ade?" asked Kai.
Their voices sounded strange, like they were coming from within a diving helmet.
"I told you," she said. "Pop. Pop. Pop. Did I ever tell you about the time a tree popped my ballon? Callie laughed. I didn't laugh. It wasn't funny, but she still laughed. Maybe I should laugh about the divorce. Maybe that'll make it better. Ha ha ha my parents are getting divorced haa."
Her head lolled onto Navid's shoulder.
"Naomi!" Kai shouted. "Ruby! We need you over here!"
"What happened?" asked Ruby as she rushed over.
"Adrianna took something," said Navid.
"She says it was pop – I mean, soda – but you don't ramble like this from soda," said Kai.
"You do if the sugar content is too sweet," said Adrianna. "That's the problem with your fizzy drinks. They're all so sweet. Why are you so addicted to sugar? It isn't even real sugar. It's all fake. Real sugar tastes infinitely better. You should use that more often and maybe you'd have better fizzy drinks. Except Rootbeer. I like Rootbeer. As long as it's bought in a shop. Homegrown Rootbeer is nasty pop. Pop. Poppp."
"Adrianna," said Naomi, "where did you get this soda?"
"From the pop man," Adrianna sang.
"Did anyone see who she was with?" asked Ruby.
"Ty Collins," said Navid. "She was dancing with Ty Collins."
"He's a great dancer," said Adrianna.
"A great dancer who drugged you!" said Navid.
"No," said Adrianna. "He was nice. And he smelt good. Like Hawai'i. Nana lives there. Usually. Except right now, 'cause she's away on one of her retreats. But usually, she's in Hawai'i. Did you know there's an apostrophe in Hawai'i?"
Adrianna had never realized how many colors made up the world. She stretched out her hand, attempting to touch all of the colors at once.
Instead of colors, she touched fabric.
"Of course he was nice," Navid grumbled, "he probably would've tried to climb into your pants if Kai and I hadn't been coming over at the same time he conveniently left."
"Where is he?" asked Kai. "I'll kick his ass!"
"Ty wouldn't do that," said Naomi. "He wouldn't."
"Wake up, Naomi," said Navid. "The guy drugged your best friend, your cousin, and you still can't see him for the complete jerk he is?"
"But I've known him for forever," said Naomi. "He can't be a jerk. Someone else must've done this to our Ade. Maybe it was one of the bandmembers."
"Ty was the only one who danced with her," said Navid. "And she was acting fine before then."
"Dance is over for us," said Ruby. "We've got to get Ade out of here. We can't bring her to my place. Mom will freak and assume I was involved somehow. Then she'll demand to speak to the principal and ask how she could allow a situation like this, at which point I'll remind Mom that she almost didn't graduate because she was caught drunk at prom, at which point we'll start fighting and she'll probably end up calling Dad to complain about my attitude, Dad will tell her I don't have an attitude, Mom will tell him I have his attitude, D'Shawn will try to calm Mom down and…none of that will help Ade."
"We'll bring her to mine," said Kai. "Dad can call everyone. He's got plenty of experience with this kind of thing with all the shit his KEG brothers have brought around. He'll know what to do."
"What's wrong with her?" asked Dixon.
"Can we help?" asked Annie.
"We're taking her to my dad's," said Kai.
"We'll come along," said Dixon.
"This dance will turn into a dud without you guys, anyway," said Annie.
"I think this is more of a family matter," said Naomi.
"If that's your way of telling us not to go to the press about it, we weren't planning to," said Dixon.
"I think we can trust them, Naomes," said Ruby.
"I don't know," said Naomi. "This one's got a shifty look about her," she said to Annie.
"That's just the way she looks," said Dixon.
"Rude," said Annie.
"Look, we're just a really protective family," said Naomi, "and we've been burned by the press a little too many times."
"Isn't your dad press?" asked Annie.
"He's a hardcore, Pulitzer-prize winning news journalist who has reported from some of the worst war-torn areas," said Naomi. "He is not a pap."
"We won't go to the paps," said Annie. "Promise."
"She's good for it," said Dixon.
"Naomes, we really have to get Ade out of here," said Ruby.
"Alright, the Misery Sibs can come along," said Naomi.
"Misery Sibs?" asked Annie.
"I heard Missouri is Misery," said Naomi. "Is that not true?"
Depended on which part of the state you were from, said Dixon.
Steve met them in the driveway.
"Who did this to her?" he demanded.
"Ty Collins," said Navid.
"Ty Collins? Ty Collins? I'll kill him," said Steve. "Who's Ty Collins?"
"The kid you kicked off the track team when you were still coaching 'cause he kept saying how much richer his mom is than you," said Kai.
"Yup," said Steve. "I'll kill him."
"Does she need to go to the hospital?" asked Ruby.
"We can't bring her to the hospital," said Naomi. "The paps will be swarming all over this shit and that's the last thing Auntie Bren or Uncle Dylan need."
"Ade might need medical attention," said Ruby. "I doubt Auntie Bren and Uncle Dylan will care about the pap attention half as much as Ade not getting the attention she needs."
"I've got it covered," said Steve. "One of my brothers does this kind of thing for celebrities on the downlow all the time. He's on his way over."
"I like your brothers," said Adrianna. "Muntz is funny. That's a funny name. Muntz. Like a bar of chocolate. Muntz. The Muntz Bar. Now offering the Muntz Bar at one pound fifty!"
"Not those brothers," said Steve. "Fuck, Ade, what did he give you?"
"I keep saying really good fizzy drink, but no one's listening to me," said Adrianna. "Why is no one listening? If we were in London, people would be listening."
"We're going to help you, Ade," said Steve. "You just gotta stay awake, alright? As tempted as you might be, do not fall asleep. Ryan might need to run some tests."
"No needles," said Adrianna. "I don't like needles."
"Neither does your mother," said Steve, "but if needles are necessary, then they're necessary. Now, go call your parents," he told the others. "All of your parents. And one of you might want to warn Ty Collins to flee the country."
"Why?" asked Annie.
"Because, putting aside the fact that he's about to get his ass handed to him by myself, Val, Brando, Silver will try, etc etc, Dylan and Brenda McKay are about to be on the warpath," said Steve, "and Ty Collins will be their main target."
At the sound of her parents' names, Adrianna expelled the contents of her stomach.
Directly onto the polished shoes she thought may have belonged to Navid Shirazi.
-x
Sources: Google, Google Images and the websites for BOCA Recovery Center, Reddit, UFMG.
(Shout-out to KJ to express my continued gratitude and appreciation, as well as those of you whose review I could respond to directly. Thank you, KJ! Heh, love that I managed to stump you. Cowboy Dylan is a blast! So glad you love the choice of the twins. I can't see DnV ending for the third time if they were to get into another relationship, so hence the bed buddies. You know Val and those walls! The question is: after all these years, can David obliterate them? Or are our babies destined to be apart?)
Thanks a million! x