⇾ 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐁𝐄𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐄 | 𝐏𝐚𝐮𝐥 𝐌𝐜𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐲 𝐈

𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙡𝙤𝙜𝙪𝙚 ➪ 𝙄 𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙚

ꕥ July 25, 1962 ꕥ

I could hear Arabella upstairs, her sobbing slicing straight through the air just like a knife.

My mother was sitting across the kitchen table from me, my father to my left. I could see tears in her eyes as my father sat deathly still, a glazed look in his eyes and his hands folded neatly in front of him. I was still trying to make sense of everything in my head. It had happened too fast for me to even comprehend.

Arabella had just told us that she was having a baby. It seemed like a lot for someone at her age. I didn't have to be smart to figure that much out.

The part I couldn't understand was what had followed. My mother had screamed. She was so mad. Why? She loved Arabella. How could she not be there to help her? Arabella was packing her bags. I didn't know where she was going, but I was scared for her. I wasn't even sure if she knew where she was going.

"You can't ever end up like that," my mother said to me in a forceful voice. "You hear me?"

I nodded, not even really grasping the words.

"That little boy you're seeing better not lay a finger on you."

I was too scared to tell her that 'that little boy' and I made out every afternoon after school. Didn't seem like now was the time. I was a teenager, what could she really expect within reason?

Nonetheless, I nodded solemnly.

"No sex until you're married. Got it? Or this will happen to you too. I don't care if you're living here or not."

I felt an uncomfortable pit open up in my stomach. What was she saying? Was she threatening me now? What did I even do?

I nodded again. "I promise," I told her, and I meant it. She'd scared me straight into it.

Then, I stood up and went down the hallway towards Arabella's room.

I found my sister sitting down on the floor, her head in her hands.

"Arabella?" I asked quietly. "Are you okay?"

She turned around and I saw how puffy her eyes were. I saw the fear hiding inside of them.

She shook her head. "No," she told me. "I'm not."

Suddenly, it felt like I was about to cry too. This was my sister. I told her everything. She always helped me with my problems because I felt like our mother was too strict to hear about them all. I felt like she'd demolish me if I was honest.

I went over to Arabella and sat down next to her. "I can't believe she said that," I muttered. "She said she'd do it to me too. Who does that?"

"Don't make the same mistake I did," Arabella said, her voice practically begging as she wrapped a loving arm around me. "I don't want this to happen to you, alright? Be careful."

I nodded. "I will." I paused. "I'll get to see your baby, right?" I asked her. "When it's born, I'll get to see it?"

She smiled in the midst of her tears. "Of course, you will."

I smiled too. "Good, because you aren't getting rid of me so easily."

She chuckled. "I was hoping so."