Chapter 7
Morgan
The microwave dinged, and Morgan stuck her hand inside to retrieve the hot popcorn bag. She emptied the contents into a bowl that sat beside another bowl filled with popcorn from the previous bag.
Jen was waiting on the couch, petting Reginald beside her. Morgan handed her one of the bowls, which she expertly held just out of Reginald’s reach, despite his long, greedy arms.
Morgan sat at the other end of her brown couch. It had seen better days, but it was comfy and served its purpose. Besides, there was no point in getting a new one with Reginald sneaking a scratch now and then, despite having a giant scratching post all to himself nearby.
She took a big sip of the soda Jen had brought to the end tables earlier while Morgan was making popcorn. It was cold and crisp, and Morgan hadn’t realized how thirsty she was. She really needed to drink more water.
While Morgan took another big sip, Jen asked, “Ready?”
“Remind me what happened in the last one.”
Normally Morgan remembered what they’d watched the week before, but they’d skipped last week, so it had been two weeks since their last episode.
Morgan had told Jen she was too tired to watch anything last Sunday, after a long night at Kim’s recommitment party. Which wasn’t a lie. More truthful, however, was that she couldn’t pay attention to anything while she’d been trying not to think about the woman she’d met the night before.
There was no point in thinking about her.
Nothing could come of it. Morgan’s stance on relationships was still firm.
Relationships were a one-way ticket to misery.
Unless you won the relationship lottery like Melanie and Kim.
But Morgan had never been so lucky at anything, so she wasn’t about to test that luck on something she didn’t want in the first place.
But she’d been thinking about Danielle all week, nevertheless. Thankfully, the ruminating about her had stopped a few days ago. Now, Morgan just had a fleeting thought or two here and there.
“It was a cliffhanger,” Jen said while petting Reginald as he settled in for the show with them, half on Jen’s lap and half on the couch. “Lauren H. found out that Theresa has someone back home, and she told Ryan about it. It ended with him about to confront Theresa.”
Morgan never would have thought she’d be not only watching but looking forward to a show like this. She had no patience for drama in real life, but in a scripted reality show? Sure. And it was even better watching it with her best friend.
“Oh, yeah. I remember now.” Morgan dove a hand into her popcorn bowl, sending the buttery scent wafting up to her nose. “Let’s go.”
Jen hit play, and they started the episode. It was the drama-filled goodness she’d been waiting for all week. Reginald had been looking forward to it all week, too, judging by his look of contentment. He had little use for most people, but he adored Jen almost as much as Morgan did.
Halfway through the episode, Morgan’s phone rang on the end table. She grabbed it and held it over her nearly empty popcorn bowl and stared at the screen, a mix of disbelief and horror taking over her thoughts and body.
“Who is it?” Jen asked, pausing the show.
Another ring.
“My sister.”
Another ring as Jen processed that information as well.
“You gonna answer it?”
It was a genuine question, not a nudge. And it took another ring for Morgan to decide.
“Felicia.”
After a long pause, her sister said, “I wasn’t sure you would answer.”
“I wasn’t sure either,” Morgan said. “What do you need?”
She could hear the edge in her voice. Feel it in her throat as she waited for the answer. Because there had to be one. She and Felicia weren’t the kind of sisters who called just to chat. Any chance of that was ruined long ago.
Felicia sighed. “It doesn’t have to be like this. We’re not enemies.”
“We’re not.” The edge in Morgan’s tone softened. “But we aren’t Sunday check-in sisters either.”
“No, I guess not,” Felicia said. “But I wish we were something else.”
Despite what either of them wanted, this was the way things were. The past had cut a trench too deep between them. And Morgan wasn’t sure she even wanted anything different anymore. Maybe at one point. But she didn’t have the energy to miss her sister any longer.
Morgan glanced across the couch at Jen, who was petting Reginald and looking at her with concern. Jen had been more like family these last few years than Morgan’s own sister had ever been.
“Why did you call, Felicia?”
There was another long pause before she spoke again, her voice as crisp as Morgan knew her Sunday dress must be.
“I’m getting married.”
It was a surprise but not a shock. Felicia had always been one of those kids who dreamed of her wedding when she grew up. As a teenager, she only dated boys with “serious prospects,” and Morgan was never sure if those were Felicia’s words or their mother’s whispers in her ear.
“Congratulations. I’m happy for you.”
And she was. Whatever gap between them they couldn’t bridge, Morgan always wanted her big sister to be happy. Whatever that meant for her.
“Thanks,” Felicia said. “It’s in a month. Kind of pulling this together on the quick side. Neither of us wants a long, drawn-out thing.”
“Sounds practical,” Morgan said. “If a bit stressful for you, I’m sure.”
“A little. But it’s what Ben and I both want, so it’s worth the whirlwind.” Felicia paused. “I really think you’d like him.”
Morgan couldn’t hold back a snort. “Okay.”
“No, I mean it. He works in environmental law.”
Morgan was less certain that fact meant anything except that this guy sounded better than the lobbyist intern from when Felicia was in college. Beyond that, Morgan knew nothing about this guy. And she really didn’t want to know anything more.
“Mom can’t be too happy about that.”
Just mentioning her left a foul taste in Morgan’s mouth. She wasn’t even sure why she had brought her up.
“She just tells people he’s an attorney,” Felicia said.
“Well then, I’m happy for all of you,” Morgan said. “Just let me know where I can send your gift.”
Another pause, this time ridiculously long. Then, in the smallest voice Morgan had ever heard from her big sister, Felicia said, “I’m hoping you’ll bring it with you.”
It was Morgan’s turn to sit in silence, nearly dropping the phone from her hand as it went limp momentarily.
She must have misheard. There’s no way Felicia could have been asking what Morgan thought she was asking.
“No,” she finally said. “I mean, I can’t. You know I can’t.”
“But you can. Please.” Her pleading tone was completely out of character. Felicia was usually ordering people around her, not begging them to do things.
“I’m assuming she’ll be there.”
“Of course she will,” Felicia said, annoyance creeping in for the first time in their conversation. “But I want you there, too.”
“I promise you she doesn’t feel the same way.”
“I don’t care about that.” The fierce Felicia that Morgan knew all too well was coming out. The one who’d grown tired of the family battles but had taken a side, nevertheless. “All I care about is that I want my sister there. I want you to be a bridesmaid.”
This just kept getting better.
Morgan couldn’t believe she was actually considering this.
But she loved her sister. Despite everything.
“Can I think about it?”
“Yes, of course,” Felicia said. “But I need to make plans, so can you tell me by next Sunday?”
A week.
A week to decide if she was going to put herself in the line of fire again.
The impulsive side of Morgan wanted to give a quick no. End of discussion.
But the part of her that still loved her sister was winning out.
“Fine. I’ll call you next week.”
Her sister inhaled with joy on the other end of the call. “Thank you. I really hope you’ll come. I miss you.”
“I’ll talk to you next week.”
Morgan ended the call and tossed her phone onto the couch cushion beside her.
“That sounded… interesting.”
Morgan shook her head and turned to Jen and Reginald, who had fallen asleep on his second favorite person’s lap.
“She wants me to be in her wedding.”
Jen’s eyes widened. “Sheesh. That’s a lot. Are you going to do it?”
“She needs to know by next Sunday.” Morgan shrugged. “If it were just her, I’d go in a heartbeat. She hurt me, but she’s still my sister, and she just made a shitty decision in a shitty situation.”
“But it isn’t just her.”
Morgan shook her head. “I never wanted to see my mother again. And I was doing a good job of making that happen.”
“Tough choice. Sucks either way.”
“Yup.” Morgan sighed and took the remote from Jen. “But I’ve got a week to decide, and we’ve got half a show left to watch. I don’t want to think about it anymore today.”
She pressed play and settled in, as if that last part were possible.