“Well, it must be nice to be the sweet and perfectly logical sister, but it gets old having everyone treat me like I’m a walking mistake.”
“You’re not a mistake, Lynn. And we don’t think that.”
Lynn rolled her eyes.
“And I am not perfect. I’ve made my share of mistakes. Plenty of them.”
“Plenty? Please. We grew up together. You’re so sweet you make honey taste sour.”
“That’s not true.”
“Yeah, it is.”
“I make mistakes all the time.”
“Oh really? Like what? Aside from that time you cut your hair too short, your worst decision was what? Mismatched socks?” Lynn’s eyes widened in mock horror.
“Why do you want me to make a big mistake?”
“I don’t. But I wish just once you’d understand what it’s like. What it feels like to make just one bloody mistake. Maybe then you wouldn’t be so quick to judge me.”
“Oh, trust me. I know what it feels like. I know it only takesone mistake to change everything. That’s why I don’t want you to make the wrong one too.”
“Oh please. What mistake could you possibly have made, Mrs. Clean, that would give you such insight?”
“HIM!” Beth blurted, pointing at Bryce.
“Thanks, honey,” he grinned, and blew her a kiss.
Lynn’s hair flew through the air as she whipped around to look at the man her sister referred to.
When she saw him blow a kiss toward her sister, she spun back around to see Beth burying her face in her hands.
“What? Who is he?”
“Sorry, Bryce,” Beth winced.
“Don’t worry about it. The finger-pointing was powerful. Really drove it home. Besides, it’s not like I didn’t already know you felt that way.”
“I don’t feel that way. Well... okay, maybe a little. But I didn’t mean to blurt it out like that.”
“HELLOOOOOO! Could someone PLEASE tell me what is going on here?” Lynn waved wildly between them.
“That is my husband. Dr. Bryce Jensen.”
“YOUR WHAT?”
Lynn noticed their father had joined them and was sitting quietly at the table.
”My husband. While we were at the convention in Vegas, we got drunk and got married. So yeah, I know what it’s like to rush into something and deal with the fallout.”
“No[CENSORED], you’re kidding, right?”
“Language!” Sue warned.
“Sorry, Ma.” Lynn absentmindedly waved her hand in the direction of her mother, as the gears in her brain began to churn. Lynn looked to Bryce as he cleared his throat.
“She’s not kidding. Though she wishes she was.”
