“What else has she lied about?”
“What exactly did she say?”
“That Bev asked why she didn’t have one. Stephanie said she went into the bathroom and cried because she couldn’t answer.”
I pressed my palm against the counter.
“Anna,” Terry said quietly, “that’s not one lie. That’s a whole life.”
Then her voice softened.
“That’s a whole life.”
“I care about Stephanie. She helped me through some awful nights. But she needs to tell the truth now.”
“That’s between you and her.”
“It is. But you should know something. She always said you were the best mother she knew.”
Somehow, that hurt more.
Terry hadn’t just confirmed the lie.
She’d been living inside it too.
That’s a whole life.”
***
Stephanie was still sitting where I’d left her.
Bev moved beside me.
“Do you want to stay for this?”
“I want to be with you.”
I nodded, then looked at my sister.
“You didn’t invent a daughter. You borrowed mine.”
“Do you want to stay for this?”
“I wasn’t trying to take her from you.”
“Bev thought you were.”
Stephanie froze.
Bev spoke before I could.
“I thought you wanted Mom gone.”
“No.” Stephanie shook her head. “Never.”
“Bev thought you were.”
