And I'd Do It Again

Wallowing

Rose frowned. "Are you okay? You sound stuffy."

"I'm fine." Mercedes cleared her throat but she'd cried herself hoarse the day before and barely had a voice.

"Okay." Rose didn't believe that. "Take a coat just in case."

"Alright." Marcy ushered her sister out before Mercedes blew it. They grabbed jackets and purses from the coatrack and jumped in Travis.

Marcy drove to their church and they got out and went inside. They went to the candles and lit one each, bowing their heads before sitting in the front pews.

Mercedes took her sister's hand and held it tightly as she prayed for forgiveness, guidance and solace.

M&MC

"Will you be staying for dinner?" Rose asked Marcy when her daughters returned home.

Marcy hung her stuff up. "No. Pierre and I are going to dinner. I'm just dropping Mercy off and picking up the twins."

"They're going, too?"

"To the Changs'. Mrs. C wants to see them as much as possible before we leave."

Rose frowned at the reminder of her leaving. "Okay. Well, have a good time."

"Uh huh." Marcy walked out of the hallway to find the twins.

Mercedes, who'd been standing there the entire time, shrugged. "She's staying til Wednesday."

"Three days. Yay." Rose sighed heavily. "Come on, come help me with dinner."

Mercedes went into the kitchen with her mother and helped her prepare their meal. Church helped and so did this. She'd always enjoyed cooking so it wasn't much of a surprise.

When it was done, Rose called an absent Marc to eat. "Marc?! Dinner's ready!"

Marc walked in. He sat at the table heavily. "Where's Marcy?"

"Having dinner with her boyfriend. The twins are at the Changs'." Rose sat down.

"I wonder how she can live with herself." He muttered.

"Marc!" Mercedes snapped as tears filled her eyes. So much for feeling better.

He glared before his gaze softened. "I'm sorry. It's not your fault. Laura knew better."

"What's going on?" Rose demanded. Neither child answered her. "What is going on here?!"

"I did a bad thing." Mercedes bowed her head. "I cheated on Sonny."

The fork in Rose's hand dropped. "What?!"

"Quinn and Marcy cheated, too."

"Oh my goodness!"

"It was a mistake. A big mistake."

Rose swallowed any words of rebuke that she might have spewed when she realized she hardly had room to judge. Wasn't she making up for a big mistake?

"He'll forgive you." Marc said.

"He shouldn't." Mercedes bowed her head.

"He will."

M&MC

Though it was nice to have her brother not angry with her anymore, Mercedes needed a friend and while Marcy was busy with Pierre on his last day in America, Laura was busy taking care of the twins and Quinn working on her car; Mercedes intended to find one. That's how she found herself on the front steps of the Hudson-Hummels.