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without starting it, just to get the air conditioner running, and waited in the car for Rebecca to come back in.
“Why did Dad throw the phone out the window?” said Dawn, incredulous. This sounded crazy to her.
Rebecca got back in the car and fastened her seatbelt. Just then, Drew started the car, pulled out of the sidewalk and took the road. “Dad did this because he thought you‘d insulted me.”
“I know it‘s my fault that he doesn‘t trust me because everything that comes out of my mouth for you is either an insult or a lie. I‘m always putting you down.” Dawn started to cry.
Rebecca took the phone off her ear and put it on speakerphone.
“I‘m sorry, Rebecca,” said Dawn, crying bitterly. “Mom and I, we‘re both so sorry. This child that I‘m expecting, he or she changed my life completely. The moment I found out I was pregnant, which was roughly four hours ago, I realized just how unfair I‘ve been.”
“Dawn…”
“I‘ve done a lot of harm. I‘m the worst sister in the world.”
“Everyone can change, Dawn,” said Drew. Since the phone was on speaker, Dawn heard him very clearly.
“Don‘t hate Mom. Please don‘t hate her. She was only defending me, Dad, because you would always take Rebecca‘s side, and Mom thought that you preferred her over me. She knew you weren‘t being fair.”
“Dawn, I think you need professional help,” said Rebecca.
“I agree,” said Drew.
“Why hasn‘t Mom called me?”
“She called you like twenty times today, but I guess your phone was off at the time. She left you over twenty messages. She was apologizing. She was with me during all the phone calls she made to you.”
“So, you both want to apologize to us,” said Drew.
“Yes, we both do, but we think you hate us.”
“I don‘t hate you and your mother,” said Drew.
“I don‘t hate you guys either,” said Rebecca.
“So where are you guys going now, to the store? Is everything ok at Uncle Richard‘s house?”
“Yes, everything was great there, but we‘re moving out right this minute,” said Rebecca. Jessica was right beside Dawn, and Dawn had the residential phone on speaker, too, so
Jessica was listening to every single word, silently, so that Drew and Rebecca didn‘t know that she was there.
“Why are you moving out? What happened?”
“Do you remember when Dad signed the house over to you and Mom?” “Yes.”
“Well, Haggai Brady just bought a new house for us and he signed it over to us, too. He gave us the title a few hours ago.”
“Why don‘t you come back to this house?”
“…Because Daddy has custody of me now.”
“So…?”
“I don‘t think it would be right.”