“Wiona, Mom’s been asking about you a lot lately,” Madison said.
“After everything that happened, she isn’t so blindly loyal to Dad anymore. She’s not just listening to her husband and son like before.” Madison paused, looking thoughtful. “I think she’s actually starting to have her own opinions. I’m not sure if it’ll last, though.”
“As for Dad, you can just ignore him.” Madison gave a little shrug. “My brother told me to ask if you need anything. He said he’d do whatever you needed, no questions asked.”
Wiona heard the way Madison was speaking up for the Morgan family and couldn’t help feeling a bit off. She tried to keep her voice steady. “So, it sounds like you’re getting along with them again?”
Her supposed ally seemed to be drifting away.
Madison caught the look on Wiona’s face. She grabbed Wiona’s hand and swung it back and forth, trying to lighten the mood. “Don’t be mad at me just because I’m not strong enough,” she pleaded.
“I don’t want to deal with Dad, but Mom and Kyle really have changed. I’m still living with the Simpsons, so you don’t have to worry, I’m not moving back. But… I want to give them another chance.”
“With Kyle around, Dad probably won’t do anything terrible. I know I let you down, but… honestly, I can’t just cut them out of my life forever.”
Wiona sighed, a little smile tugging at her lips. “What, am I supposed to stop you from being with your family?”
“I mean, yeah, I’m a little disappointed. But Madison, you don’t need to worry about my feelings. Really. You’ve already lost so much. Who am I to tell you not to go after what you want?”
“What you want is what you deserve.”
As she said it, Wiona felt something shift inside her. Everyone has to walk their own path, she realized. It’s not written out for you. You make your choices, and you live with them.
Madison hugged her tight. “No matter what, you’ll always be my favorite sister!”
Across the room, Tina was cracking nuts, watching them with a lazy grin.
“If you two keep this up, I’m going to get jealous,” she called out.
Madison leaned her head on Wiona’s shoulder, pouting. “Well, I’m Wiona’s number one best friend. Tina, you can be jealous all you want, but you’re too late.”
Tina shot back, “Please, I’ve known Wiona longer than you have. And we’re business partners—she and I are stuck together for life.”
Madison snorted. “Yeah, but she and I are soulmates. That’s fate.”
Wiona jumped in before things could get heated. She lifted her hands in surrender. “Okay, okay, a triangle is the most stable shape. There’s plenty of room for all of us.”
Madison and Tina chimed in at the same time. “Look at you, such a heartbreaker!”
Laughter filled the parlor, loud enough that Conrad could hear it from his study. Today, Wiona was having a good day. These friends of hers were alright.
Soon, Tina and Madison had eaten and played to their hearts’ content. They didn’t stay for dinner and started getting ready to leave around four.
Wiona felt reluctant to let them go. Her belly was getting bigger, and she wasn’t leaving the house as much as before. She knew it might be a long time before she saw them again.


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