The Language of Sisters: A Novel by Hatvany Amy

Author:Hatvany, Amy [Hatvany, Amy]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Washington Square Press
Published: 2012-07-31T00:00:00+00:00

• • •

The house was dark when Jenny and I returned from our trip to La Conner; I figured Mom must have gone out for a movie, thinking we wouldn’t be home until late. Although we had worked out a sort of schedule with Jenny—taking turns going to her in the night and switching off caring for her on the weekend days—Mom still didn’t seem entirely comfortable being around us on a regular basis, spending time together as a family. I supposed that after eight years of living a fairly private, solitary life, having both your daughters back in your house wouldn’t be the easiest thing to get used to, even without all the complications of our particular situation. So even though part of me was bothered by her absence, I tried to be content that my face no longer tightened with anger each time she entered a room. We had come further than I ever imagined we would.

Once I got Jenny settled in the living room on the couch, I sat down next to her. After her nap in the car on the way home, she was alert but quiet. The room was lit in a dim yellow mist from the fireplace; the radio played softly in the background. I put my arm around Jenny’s shoulders, my cheek resting on her soft hair, and took a deep breath. I had thought that telling Shane about my decision to adopt the baby would be my biggest challenge, but as we drove home, it dawned on me that the true challenge lay in finding out if my choice was okay with Jenny. She was, after all, the baby’s mother.

Still unsure of exactly what she understood about what had happened to her, I didn’t want to adopt the baby only to have it remind her of the rape. I lifted my head and pulled my arm out from behind her, shifting to the floor and kneeling before her so I could see her eyes. “Jen,” I began haltingly, tucking my springy curls behind my ears. I was strangely nervous about what her reaction might be. “I have a question to ask you.”

Her angel eyes stayed open, not blinking, her hands patted together softly just above her swelling belly. She was quiet, waiting for me to go on.

“You know the baby inside you? The one you told Lucy was jumpy?” I smiled fondly, remembering this moment at the barbecue. “Well, when she comes out of you, she’s going to need someone to take care of her. I know you’d do it if you could…. ”

“Ehhhh,” Jenny groaned in agreement, and her hands stopped their gentle dance and rested on her stomach. The baby kicked, lifting Jenny’s arm just the slightest bit, and my sister’s mouth blossomed into a wondrous smile.

Baby.

My heart jumped at the word. “That’s right—that was the baby.” I inhaled before continuing, searching her eyes for any hint of what she was feeling. “I want to be the person who takes care of your baby, but only if it’s okay with you.

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