From the Damage 1 - Opposites Attract (12 page)

“Mom, would you listen to me?” Exasperated, Kelly dragged a hand through her hair. “For one, I’m not dating him, and two, I’m not going to stop hanging out with him. He’s the
only
one who understands what I’m going through.”

“What are you talking about? And what makes you think you can tell me what you’re going to do?” Jodi turned away from Kelly, pressing her fingers against her temples. “I’m at my wits’ end here, Kelly. You’re in danger of failing all of your classes.

You sulk around the house every day, and you won’t have anything to do with me or your brother. And then you act like I have no right to be worried.” Whirling to face her daughter, Jodi grabbed Kelly by the shoulders, her worried eyes pleading with her.

“Kelly, did
something
happen to you? Something made you...change. ”

There it was: her opening, the chance to come clean. With tears brimming in her eyes as she looked at her mother, she just couldn’t find words to express what’d happened or why she’d changed. She felt like there was a deep cut inside her, a torment so great that just scratching the surface of it would render her completely helpless with pain. Her voice quivering, Kelly struggled to pull away from her mom. “Mom, I can’t.

Okay?”

“So that’s a
yes
?” Jodi tightened her grip on Kelly’s shoulders.

“Mom, you
don’t
want to know, trust me,” Kelly cried, trying harder to pull away, but she was no match for the older woman’s grip.

“I’m your mother, and I love you,” Jodi said, desperately trying to cling on to Kelly before she could pull away. “So just tell me what happened to my little girl.

Please!”

Tears choked themselves in her throat, and she was so preoccupied with the choking sensation that she hardly noticed when the sad words bubbled up her throat.

“Your little girl had an...an abortion.”

Jodi froze, completely, 100 percent froze. She stared at Kelly, her face a total blank. She shook her head but still kept her hands tightly clutched onto Kelly’s shoulders. “I don’t understand. Wouldn’t you need permission? Forms signed or something? Surely they can’t just let a sixteen-year-old girl walk in and—”

“I used a fake ID,” Kelly whispered, feeling numb and drained. She couldn’t believe her secret was finally out. “Alex paid cash, drove me home, and dumped me.

And the fact that you keep trying to push us back together
really isn’t helping
.”

Jodi pulled Kelly close, clutching her in a tight hug that squeezed the breath out of Kelly’s lungs. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered to her daughter, but the soft, quiet sob was almost inaudible. “I’m
so
sorry you had to go through something like that all on your own, baby. I’m so sorry.”

Kelly began to cry. She couldn’t hold the tears back any longer, and she just clung to her mother, letting her hold her and make her feel safe.

≈≈≈

When Kay arrived home from school that afternoon, she waved goodbye to Zander and then dragged herself up the porch steps and into her living room.

She was startled to find Daphne and her mother in the living room. Daphne was standing with her purse over her shoulder, as if she’d just gotten ready to leave, and her mother stood next to her. Surprisingly, she didn’t look embarrassed or angry, just
friendly
.

Kay watched them, trying to decipher if Daphne had told her mom the lie about the abusive boyfriend. “Wh-what are you doing here?” she stammered, looking at Daphne.

Daphne smiled at her and held up a sheet of paper. “I came to get your mother’s signature so you can keep coming to group meetings.”

“And I gave it to her,” Melanie said, giving Daphne a small smile as if they’d discussed something privately.

Her fear was momentarily forgotten as a surge of joy swept through her body.

“Are you serious?”

Both women nodded, and Kay sprang forward, wrapping her arms around both of them in an excited hug. “Thank you so much,” she said. She wasn’t sure if she was more grateful to her mother for agreeing or to Daphne for obviously talking her into it.

“I’ll walk you out,” Kay said to Daphne, eager to find out exactly what she’d said to her mother to change her mind.

She led Daphne outside and down to her van parked in the driveway. Turning to Kay, Daphne said, “You don’t have to worry. I didn’t tell her what you told me. I would never do that unless you’re in immediate danger.”

“Then what’d you say to make it happen?”

“I told her I thought you were benefitting from the sessions and that taking you out now would only undo your progress and we might never figure out why you decided you needed therapy.”

“And she bought it?”

Daphne nodded. “See what can happen when you’re honest with me?”

Kay felt a quick pang of guilt in her gut, knowing she hadn’t been completely honest but Daphne had gone out on a limb for her anyway.

Daphne reached out, squeezing Kay’s hand. “No more lies, okay?”

Kay smiled, squeezing Daphne’s hand. “I promise. No more lies.”

≈≈≈

“I’m glad to see everybody back this week,” Daphne said, giving Kay a wink as she began the meeting. “Does anybody want to start us off?”

The teens all sat quietly, but Kelly was feeling the urge to speak up, to tell the group members what she’d told her mother and Gage.

Brett leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. “Nobody wants to say anything?”

He noticed a strange look on Kelly’s face and prompted, “Kelly?”

Kelly took a deep breath. “Well...you could say it’s been a climactic week.” She glanced over at Gage, and he gave her a small, encouraging nod.

“What happened?” Daphne asked.

“Well, I finally told my mom, and—”

The sound of the door opening interrupted her. Looking at the doorway, a gasp caught in Kelly’s throat. She reached next to her and grasped Gage’s hand, clutching it so tightly her fingers paled.

“Is it too late to join this group?” asked Alex, still standing in the doorway.