me.”
“What did he tell you?” Karla asked her. She didn’t mind talking about her past now. That was all behind her.
“That she was an alcoholic and very mean to you and that she abandoned him when he was just a little baby.”
“She abandoned us both that day. She was a very mean alcoholic and she never really cared about anyone but herself, but I have forgiven her and moved on. She is in my past, but because of her I am the person you know today. If not for her I would have never learned how not to treat people.”
“If you’ve forgiven her then why is it so hard to go to Texas?” Madison asked in a quiet voice.
“Going back to Texas brings up memories of my time before her. Of the times I was happy and loved.”
“But shouldn’t those be good memories?” Malinda asked in confusion.
“They are good memories. Until two years ago those good memories had been beaten down by Diane and her boyfriends. When I went back to Texas for the first time last year I was slapped in the face by the memories and wasn’t prepared to handle them. When we went after Christmas we stayed in the house I lived in with my grandparents and I was bombarded by more memories I had long forgotten. Going back this time will be more of the same. I’m going because I would never do anything to upset Elliot, but I’m apprehensive all the same. I don’t know what to expect.”
“Have you talked to Elliot about how you feel?” Callie asked.
“No and I’m not going to. I don’t want to upset him.”
“He already knows you don’t want to go.” Malinda informed her.
“How?” Karla was stunned by this news. She hadn’t said anything to anyone about it until today.
“I don’t know how he knows, but he told me yesterday that you didn’t want to go to Texas.” Malinda answered her.
“I’ll talk to him.” Karla vowed just as Rylee stepped out of the fitting room.
“I found the perfect first-day-of-school outfit.” She said with a grin and the topic of conversation shifted to clothes.
Two hours later, when the girls met back up with the guys in the food court for lunch, Karla walked up to Elliot. “Can I talk to you for a minute please?”
“Sure, sis.” He replied and followed her to a table away from everyone else.
“Elliot, Malinda told me that you know I don’t want to go to Texas.”
“I do know you don’t want to go and I understand why.”
“It isn’t really that I don’t want to go as much as it’s that I don’t know what to expect when I do go. Both times I have been back to Texas I’ve been bombarded with memories I had long ago buried, memories of Grams and Pops. Diane did her best to beat those memories out of me and she succeeded because I had truly forgotten how happy those times without her were, but when I stepped through the door and into the kitchen of the old house I was instantly swept back to a time when happiness and love were all I knew. It makes me sad and angry knowing that I let someone as vicious as Diane take away something as precious as the memories of that time.”
When Karla stopped talking they sat there in silence for a few minutes before Elliot touched her shoulder. “You know what Diane did wasn’t your fault and you know that there wasn’t anything you could have done to stop it. You were a little girl and had no control over what she did. You’re a different person now though. You stand up for yourself and your friends and you don’t back down or cower in a corner when faced with confrontation anymore. You are strong and brave and smart, and you are the best big sister in the world.”
“How did you get to be so smart, little brother?” Karla asked in a teasing voice.
“I have the smartest big sister in the world, that’s how.” He answered with a grin. “Now, let’s eat.” He added and they walked back to the group to decide what to have for lunch.
Chapter Fourteen
The next three days passed quickly. Elliot enjoyed his time in Texas, but
“What did he tell you?” Karla asked her. She didn’t mind talking about her past now. That was all behind her.
“That she was an alcoholic and very mean to you and that she abandoned him when he was just a little baby.”
“She abandoned us both that day. She was a very mean alcoholic and she never really cared about anyone but herself, but I have forgiven her and moved on. She is in my past, but because of her I am the person you know today. If not for her I would have never learned how not to treat people.”
“If you’ve forgiven her then why is it so hard to go to Texas?” Madison asked in a quiet voice.
“Going back to Texas brings up memories of my time before her. Of the times I was happy and loved.”
“But shouldn’t those be good memories?” Malinda asked in confusion.
“They are good memories. Until two years ago those good memories had been beaten down by Diane and her boyfriends. When I went back to Texas for the first time last year I was slapped in the face by the memories and wasn’t prepared to handle them. When we went after Christmas we stayed in the house I lived in with my grandparents and I was bombarded by more memories I had long forgotten. Going back this time will be more of the same. I’m going because I would never do anything to upset Elliot, but I’m apprehensive all the same. I don’t know what to expect.”
“Have you talked to Elliot about how you feel?” Callie asked.
“No and I’m not going to. I don’t want to upset him.”
“He already knows you don’t want to go.” Malinda informed her.
“How?” Karla was stunned by this news. She hadn’t said anything to anyone about it until today.
“I don’t know how he knows, but he told me yesterday that you didn’t want to go to Texas.” Malinda answered her.
“I’ll talk to him.” Karla vowed just as Rylee stepped out of the fitting room.
“I found the perfect first-day-of-school outfit.” She said with a grin and the topic of conversation shifted to clothes.
Two hours later, when the girls met back up with the guys in the food court for lunch, Karla walked up to Elliot. “Can I talk to you for a minute please?”
“Sure, sis.” He replied and followed her to a table away from everyone else.
“Elliot, Malinda told me that you know I don’t want to go to Texas.”
“I do know you don’t want to go and I understand why.”
“It isn’t really that I don’t want to go as much as it’s that I don’t know what to expect when I do go. Both times I have been back to Texas I’ve been bombarded with memories I had long ago buried, memories of Grams and Pops. Diane did her best to beat those memories out of me and she succeeded because I had truly forgotten how happy those times without her were, but when I stepped through the door and into the kitchen of the old house I was instantly swept back to a time when happiness and love were all I knew. It makes me sad and angry knowing that I let someone as vicious as Diane take away something as precious as the memories of that time.”
When Karla stopped talking they sat there in silence for a few minutes before Elliot touched her shoulder. “You know what Diane did wasn’t your fault and you know that there wasn’t anything you could have done to stop it. You were a little girl and had no control over what she did. You’re a different person now though. You stand up for yourself and your friends and you don’t back down or cower in a corner when faced with confrontation anymore. You are strong and brave and smart, and you are the best big sister in the world.”
“How did you get to be so smart, little brother?” Karla asked in a teasing voice.
“I have the smartest big sister in the world, that’s how.” He answered with a grin. “Now, let’s eat.” He added and they walked back to the group to decide what to have for lunch.
Chapter Fourteen
The next three days passed quickly. Elliot enjoyed his time in Texas, but
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