Page 15 of Pierced Pages

Halfway through the episode, Morgan’s phone rang on the end table. She grabbed it and held it over her nearly empty popcorn bowl and stared at the screen, a mix of disbelief and horror taking over her thoughts and body.

“Who is it?” Jen asked, pausing the show.

Another ring.

“My sister.”

Another ring as Jen processed that information as well.

“You gonna answer it?”

It was a genuine question, not a nudge. And it took another ring for Morgan to decide.

“Felicia.”

After a long pause, her sister said, “I wasn’t sure you would answer.”

“I wasn’t sure either,” Morgan said. “What do you need?”

She could hear the edge in her voice. Feel it in her throat as she waited for the answer. Because there had to be one. She and Felicia weren’t the kind of sisters who called just to chat. Any chance of that was ruined long ago.

Felicia sighed. “It doesn’t have to be like this. We’re not enemies.”

“We’re not.” The edge in Morgan’s tone softened. “But we aren’t Sunday check-in sisters either.”

“No, I guess not,” Felicia said. “But I wish we were something else.”

Despite what either of them wanted, this was the way things were. The past had cut a trench too deep between them. And Morgan wasn’t sure she even wanted anything different anymore. Maybe at one point. But she didn’t have the energy to miss her sister any longer.

Morgan glanced across the couch at Jen, who was petting Reginald and looking at her with concern. Jen had been morelike family these last few years than Morgan’s own sister had ever been.

“Why did you call, Felicia?”

There was another long pause before she spoke again, her voice as crisp as Morgan knew her Sunday dress must be.

“I’m getting married.”

It was a surprise but not a shock. Felicia had always been one of those kids who dreamed of her wedding when she grew up. As a teenager, she only dated boys with “serious prospects,” and Morgan was never sure if those were Felicia’s words or their mother’s whispers in her ear.

“Congratulations. I’m happy for you.”

And she was. Whatever gap between them they couldn’t bridge, Morgan always wanted her big sister to be happy. Whatever that meant for her.

“Thanks,” Felicia said. “It’s in a month. Kind of pulling this together on the quick side. Neither of us wants a long, drawn-out thing.”

“Sounds practical,” Morgan said. “If a bit stressful for you, I’m sure.”

“A little. But it’s what Ben and I both want, so it’s worth the whirlwind.” Felicia paused. “I really think you’d like him.”

Morgan couldn’t hold back a snort. “Okay.”

“No, I mean it. He works in environmental law.”

Morgan was less certain that fact meant anything except that this guy sounded better than the lobbyist intern from when Felicia was in college. Beyond that, Morgan knew nothing about this guy. And she really didn’t want to know anything more.

“Mom can’t be too happy about that.”

Just mentioning her left a foul taste in Morgan’s mouth. She wasn’t even sure why she had brought her up.