Chapter 28
CHAPTER 28
W hen Cora drove back to the city, she stopped at the liquor store in New Hampshire. She picked up as many empty boxes as she could fit in her sedan, then drove straight to her apartment and began to pack. When she’d boxed up half of her kitchen, she decided to look at her to-do list.
The first thing she had written down was to call her dad.
Her mother was right. She needed to make an effort with Rylie because whether she liked it or not, this woman was her stepmother and would be connected to her for the rest of her life.
She dialed Rylie’s cellphone, and she answered right away.
“Cora,” Rylie said into the phone. “Everything okay?”
Cora stumbled out her words at first. “I wondered if we could have lunch. I don’t know, if you’re not busy, I mean. Maybe tomorrow or whenever you’re available?”
“Really?” Cora could hear the surprise in Rylie’s voice. Rylie hesitated for a split second and then said, “Sure. That sounds great.”
They agreed on a central location in Boston that afternoon. A little café off of Commonwealth. When Cora arrived, Rylie was already seated at a table with two cups of coffee.
“Hi Cora,” she said, getting up as soon as she saw her. They gave each other an awkward hug and sat down.
“I ordered a cup of coffee for you, but you don’t have to drink it,” Rylie said, clearly nervous. She wrung a napkin with her hands in her lap.
“You didn’t bring Britney,” Cora said. She was unsure what she expected from the meeting, but she wished she could have seen her baby sister.
“I didn’t really know how this would go, truthfully,” Rylie said.
“I’m not this mean stepdaughter out to get you,” Cora said, starting to feel all the emotions she had when she first found out about Rylie.
“I know, but you just hate me so much,” Rylie said. Then Rylie put her hands on the table and leaned forward, getting close to Cora and looking her in the eyes. “And I deserved it.”
Cora couldn’t believe Rylie’s confession.
“I was really angry about the affair but never about Britney.” Cora felt bad about bringing up the affair, but she wanted Rylie to understand her position. But the affair wasn’t why she was there.
“I love him,” Rylie said, staring straight into Cora’s eyes. And I wish things could have been done differently and that we hadn’t hurt the people we love, but I love him.”
So did her mother , Cora thought, but she kept the one-liner to herself. Saying it aloud would only have ended the conversation. She wanted to begin to mend whatever relationship she had with Rylie and her dad.
“I came here because I think it would be a shame if you missed the wedding,” Cora said, hoping she might have had a change of heart since she last talked to her dad. “You’re part of the family now and so is Britney. We want you there.”
“Your sister and brother do not want me there,” Rylie said, playing with her coffee cup.
“I know we haven’t been the most welcoming bunch,” Cora began.
This made Rylie snicker.
“But we don’t hate you.” Cora could see how hard she had been on Rylie. She hadn’t given her a chance or even considered her as family, but it was time she changed that. “We really do just want our dad to be happy. And you make him happy.”
Rylie burrowed her eyebrows together. She clearly didn’t believe Cora.
“Seriously,” Cora said, giving Rylie a half-smile. “I mean it.” She hesitated, but only for a second this time. “And I’d really like to babysit while I’m back in the city. I loved babysitting Muriel and Ryan when they were younger.”
Rylie’s face lit up. “That would be amazing. Your dad and I haven’t gone out together without Britney for months.”
“Yeah, sure, no problem,” Cora said, glad she came after all. She played with the spoon in her mug. “How is Britney doing?”
Rylie pulled out her phone and opened her pictures. Then she and Cora went through them one by one. After they shared photos and drank more coffee, Cora agreed to babysit the next night. “Would it be okay if I invited my sister, too?”
Rylie smiled. “Of course.”
Her dad called her that night as she packed more of her stuff into boxes.
“She came home so happy about coffee with you,” Phil said. Thank you, Cora. It means a lot to me that you do this for our family.” Then he added, “I love you, Kiddo.”
And she felt a little tug in her heart. “I love you, too, Dad.”