Free An Act of Redemption by K. C. Lynn Page B

worse before it got better.” I’m scared to know what she means by that, I didn’t think it could be any worse that it already was. “Jaxson came to us right after you accepted the plea bargain.” She smiles fondly. “He got Mama help. He sent her to a rehab clinic and paid for it all. I went and stayed with Stacey and her parents while she was gone,” she says, talking about one of her friends from school. “In those three months that we were away he fixed up our house and even set up a waitressing job for Mama when she got out. The people there are good to her. They gave her the hours she needed for the bills and I helped too by working part-time while I finished school.”
    I sit stunned, not knowing what to say. That fucker never said anything to me about it, not one goddamn thing in all the time I’ve been training with him. He did ask once if I had gone to see them, but when I shook my head he left it at that. For Janey’s sake I’m glad he stepped in and helped, and I’m indebted to him for life. But I hate that he saw my life for what it was, to know that I truly wasn’t good enough for Anna.
    At the thought of her, I look up at my sister to see her watching me carefully. “And what about Anna? What does she have to do with all of this?”
    Her expression becomes softer, more sad, and I brace for what she’s about to tell me. “She was there for us the moment you were arrested. She came and took care of Mama even though it was easy to tell she was angry with her about what happened. Some nights she even stayed over because I couldn’t stop crying. I was so scared for you…for us. She shed some of her own tears too, but always tried to hide them so she could be strong for me.”
    I grind my teeth against the conflicting emotions slicing through me. I fucking hate that she stepped in and took on that responsibility, even after I pushed her away. But I shouldn’t be surprised because it’s who Anna is, who she has always been. It’s the main reason why I always kept my life separate from her, so I wouldn’t taint her with it, but she got caught up in it anyway.
    “She still calls me about once a month to check in. I owe her so much, I know her and her father had something to do with me getting into the community college here.”
    My head snaps up in surprise. “You’re in college?”
    She smiles. “Yeah, I’m taking courses to become a social worker and I really like it. Somehow I was magically granted a full scholarship with my book expenses paid for. I also found out that Anna’s father is good friends with the dean. Go figure.” She jokes but I find nothing funny about it. Knowing her father had stepped in too is a tough pill to swallow. He never liked me, never thought I was good enough for Anna and in some way this just proves it.
    “Have you spoken to her?” she asks softly.
    Before I can answer the door flies open. “Janey, honey, whose bike is that out…” My mother trails off on a gasp when she looks into the living room to see me sitting next to Janey. The grocery bags that she’s carrying drop out of her grasp and she places a shaky hand over her chest. “Logan?” she whispers, her reaction the same as my sister’s.
    “Hey, Ma.” My greeting isn’t cold but it’s not welcoming either. I stand, not wanting to be sitting for this. She takes it as an invitation to come closer, but comes to a hard stop at my expression. I’m grateful for it because I’m not ready for any kind of affection from her.
    Janey clears her throat and places a hand on my back. “I’m going to give you guys a minute and go out front to water the plants.” She rises and kisses my cheek. “I’ll see you before you go, okay?”
    At my nod she walks out the front door, leaving me alone with our mother. Tension rains around us as we stare at one another. She looks nothing like I remember her—her eyes aren’t bloodshot and glassy, her hair isn’t a tangled mess like it used to be. Instead, her