“Yeah, Melissa’s a lot of fun,” Leslie says. “I didn’t realize it until we spent an extended time with her. I think it helped that it was only women, and as more time passes since her engagement ended, the happier and more lighthearted she seems.”
“Agreed. Melissa will be great for them next weekend,” Wendy says, and then she looks back and forth between Ash and me. “But tonight, or any other night before we leave for Arkansas, if your sisters need women around them, bring them to one of us.”
“We will,” I say. “Thanks.”
Ash thanks them as well and then asks Wendy, “Are you going to be able to meet Leslie’s parents while you’re there, or will you be with your family the whole time?”
“I’ll be able to meet them on Friday.”
“Yes,” Leslie says, “Mom’s planning to drive into the city to pick us up from the airport and take us to Shannon’s, so he won’t need to take off work to do that. Then Dad and my little sister Cynthia will drive in from Oakville after work to meet Wendy before she goes out to dinner with Andrea.”
Wendy grins at Ash. “Are you jealous I’ll get to meet her parents before you do?”
“A little,” he admits with a smile. “But I’ll get to meet them when they come here in a few weeks.”
I try not to smile, knowing Ash plans on proposing to Leslie while they’re here. Mom is going with us to help pick out a ring next week.
* * *
“I want to say I’ll hate you all forever,” Tonya says, “but that’s not true. I’ll probably only hate you for tonight. How could you keep this from us?”
True to form, Tonya is livid, while Sonya is sobbing in my arms on the love seat.
“We didn’t want you to be upset or worried about it any longer than you had to be,” Mom explains from her spot next to Tonya on the couch.
“We’re already upset and worried because Dad’s such a tyrant and treats you like you’re lower than the deep end of the pool,” Tonya retorts. “How did you think us knowing about the divorce would make things worse? In the long run, it’ll make things ever so much better.” She folds her arms over her chest. “I don’t appreciate being treated like a baby.”
“Tonya, stop it,” Sonya chokes out. “They were only trying to protect us.”
Tonya ignores her. “Do Leslie and Wendy know?”
“They do,” Ash says.
She narrows her eyes at him. “Did they know when we went to the lake? Is that why they took us out of town—so you could plan this divorce without us around?”
Ash sighs, knowing he can’t lie to her. “Yes.”
“I cannot believe you did this to us, and I can’t believe they betrayed us like that, either. I thought they were our friends!”
“They are,” Sonya says, pulling away from me and wiping her face with a tissue. “They love us.”
“When people love you, they don’t keep things like this from you.”
“They do,” Sonya replies, sitting up straight and glaring at our sister. “They protect you from things that will hurt you. They give up their entire weekends to spend time with you. Don’t you dare say Leslie and Wendy aren’t our friends. Theyare.”
“Okay, fine. They’re our friends. But I’m still mad.” Tonya pouts, and I try to hide my smile, but she spots it and points at me, “And don’t you laugh at me. You don’t get to laugh.”
I hold my hands up. “Not laughing. There’s nothing funny about any of this.”
“Kids,” Mom says, “let’s stop arguing about whether it was right or wrong for us to not tell you girls about this earlier. What’s done is done. Now we need to focus on what’s going to happen this week.”
We lay out the plan for Thursday, and of course Tonya has something to say about it.
“We don’t need Randall to babysit us. We need to be at home with Mom, supporting her.”
“I’ll be supporting Mom,” Ash says. “You need to stay away.”
“We don’t.” If Tonya were standing, she would undoubtedly have stomped her foot.
