LIV
The car fills with the sound of Nursery Rhymes to keep the kids occupied. I stare out of the window as the female narrator begins the story of The Three Little Pigs. I'm not sure how much of these stories our toddlers understand, but they seem to enjoy them. So, something pleasant is registering in their little brains, which is good enough for me.
Despite the audio playing, there's a palpable tension between Rob and I. We barely spoke as we left the house, keeping ourselves busy with the kids. The only reason there was some sort of communication between us was thanks to Lillian asking question the both of us felt we should answer. Though, given the fact that she was the only one in the house, I knew her questions weren't that important.
She wanted us to say something. Which I appreciated.
"So... How long do you think this will take?" Rob asks.
My eyes stay fixed on the changing view, "less than an hour, probably. They're good with kids, and ours won't last any longer than that."
He gives me a quick glance, returning his view to the road ahead, "why's that?"
Finally turning my head, I look right at him and state in my most monotone voice, "their bedtime."
"Right."
Silence falls between us again, as I look down at my phone.
Another twenty minutes to go...
"...That time you came home late, and I was... You told me not to worry. Do you remember that?" I ask Rob, looking his way.
His eyes become darker as he replies, "yeah."
"Were you meeting Tracy then too-"
"Liv, I-" he sighs, running a hand through his golden hair. "I wasn't meeting Tracy."
"What were you doing, then?"
I can see the inner conflict manifest in his face, as he seems to battle with whether or not to tell me whatever it is that he's thinking.
"I'm not supposed to tell you this, but I was meeting up with my brother. He was having a... Problem with the machinery and needed someone to take him to the emergency room. He made me promise not to tell anyone."
My eyes roll, and I'm having trouble buying all this, "right, because he'd ask you to drive hours to get him to a hospital."
"Well," Rob starts, "it wasn't hours. He lives downtown, so..."
I can't help but feel kind of childish for getting so upset about all of these things. Well, getting mad at him for meeting his ex and lying is fair, but I was starting to hold a grudge for almost nothing.
"And that's it?" I question once more.
He nods, "that's it."
******
Britney opens my photo album and pulls out the most recent photos from our family shoot, as we sit in our parents' living room. She lifts one of the pictures up and admires it with a smile, examining each of our faces.
"These pictures came out beautifully. These tots are so cute! I can't even handle the level of cuteness I'm witnessing right now. God bless our genes, right?"
I laugh, "yeah, so blessed. They're amazing photographers, too. You should've seen them with Neil and the twins. It was like they'd met in another life."
"Wow," she says, picking up another photo, "you have to give me their card. I want some pics for my next audition."
"Audition?"
She glances at me for a second before grabbing more pictures, "yeah. I got an agent, and she got me a few jobs modelling for some stores. No biggie."
I'm so surprised, I'm not sure what questions I should ask. She never mentioned anything to me about becoming a model. Not recently, anyway. Brit has always had big dreams, and she didn't want her only status to come from our parents' wealth, which I can understand.
She spoke flippantly of modelling in the past, but never took any concrete steps. So, this is unexpected.
"Which stores?" I ask her.
Britney puts the photos back into the album, and looks at me, "Bluenotes, Garage, Urban Behaviour-"
I slap her arm, hard, "Britney!"
"OW!" she squeals, rubbing her injured flesh.
"That's amazing! I can't believe you're just telling me this now."
"Well," she grins, still rubbing her arm, "I wanted it to be a surprise. The prints and ads are being released in a few weeks. I had planned to be casually walking in the mall and then point them out to you. But, this works too."
My arms reach out, and I pull her into a tight hug.
"Congratulations. I'm proud of you, Brit."
After a few seconds, she breaks us apart and holds me at arm's length, smiling.
"Thank you."
"Oh, how lovely to see your daughters getting along!" Our mother sings as she comes into the living room. She gives us each of us a hug, then picks up her Gucci handbag.
"Ready to go?" I ask her, getting up. Britney and I grab our stuff as well, then look at our mom expectantly.
Her smile falters, and I already know what's coming.
"Vraiment, maman?"
"Désolé, ma chérie. But, something has happened at the studio. I'm needed urgently. Rain check?"
Brit and I exchange looks, then sigh in harmony. "Alright," I concede, "the two of us will go. You handle business."
Mom smiles, blowing kisses to us as she hurries out of the house.
The two of us leave as well, locking the front door behind us.
"Starbucks?" I suggest.
"The one at the mall?"
"Yup."
Brit shrugs, "I'm down."
******
Mmmm.
"I love green tea frappes! It's been so long since I've had one," I moan in bliss, sipping on the amazing cold beverage. We walk away from the food stand and head towards the nearest Bath and Body Works.
Britney rolls her eyes, stirring her strawberry creme with her tall straw, "you're extra. I'm telling Robert."
"Telling him what?"
"That you're having an affair with delectable desserts," she teases, a huge grin on her face.
I shake my head, smiling as well, "ha ha."
"How's that going by the way?" She asks, glancing at me, "you and Rob?"
My smiles fades as I remember our issues and the ex he forgot to mention to me.
For two and a half years.
"What's wrong?" My sister asks, concerned. "Oh no, Liv... You broke up..."
"What?! No, no, we did not. I just..." I stare down at my drink, which is melting by the second, the whip cream sinking into the green blend. "There were some issues."
Britney spots a padded bench, and pulls me over to it, making me sit beside her.
"Spill."
Sipping on my frappe, I look into her eyes, which are laced with concern and compassion. After a few minutes of looking at the ground as Brit waits patiently, I finally speak up.
"So... The day of the shoot, Rob told me he was gonna stay at the school a little longer to meet up with donors. While he's at school, his sister, Lillian-"
"Devil's angel?" Brit cuts in.
"Yes- no. She's fine now," I tell her, and she furrows a brow critically. I wave off her comment and continue, "anyway, she comes and is cool, so we're cool now. We're talking about how Rob is later than usual. I say that he's meeting with donors, at the same time that she says he's meeting his ex."
Brit's eye widen. "Excuse me?"
"I know. I'm all triggered and mad, so I leave the kids with her and go up to my room to call him." I pause, looking her dead in the eyes, "Britney."
"What?"
"I called the man fifteen times!"
She kisses her teeth, not buying what I'm selling, "say honest!" She waves her hands around dramatically.
"Walahi!" I clap for emphasis, letting her know I'm dead serious, "I swear! So, then I'm all mad and start crying. You know me. As I'm drowning in my sorrows on the floor, the man walks in all concerned and comforts me."
Brit's so shocked, but she just squints, "what the hell?"
"Right?! I'm so surprised, I don't say anything. I just hug him. Anyway, I confronted him about this ex at dinner. He told me nothing happened, that she was just meeting him to give some of his stuff back. I'm still mad, so I just say we have to go for the photo shoot. In the car, I ask him about her again, and if they met up a few months ago." I pause, taking a breath.
Britney looks at me in anticipation, eager for me to continue, "and?"
"Apparently he was taking his brother to the hospital; some penis problem. He didn't tell me because his brother made him promise not to."
"...That's it?" she asks.
I shrug, "that's what I said. Apparently, it is."
She falls into the back of the bench, dumbfounded. "Wow."
"I know," I agree, sipping the last of my drink.
Brit closes her eyes, lifting her hand, "wait, do you know who the ex is?"
Shaking my head, I tell her, "nope. I just know her name."
"What's her name?"
I smirk, focusing my gaze on some passersby, "you probably don't know her-"
"I still wanna know her name," Brit insists.
My eyes go back to my sister, whose still digesting all the information I've just given her. I sigh, and tell her reluctantly, "Tracy."
Brit's eyes snap open, and she sits up so quickly I almost didn't see her do it.
"Britney," I say, sitting up and studying her. "Do you know something?"
She frowns, and when her eyes meet mine, their full of something I can't really read. Whatever it is, though, it's not good.
"Yeah," she finally says, "her. I know Tracy."
*********