Free Emily's Daughter by Linda Warren Page B

breath, opened the door and stepped inside. Rose sat in her recliner, an angry scowl on her face. Her dark hair was now almost completely gray, and her blue eyes dimmed with pain and age. Becca paced back and forth, waving her arms in her usual spitfire manner, her dark eyes brimming with resentment. Another argument. Emily braced herself.
    Her father stood in the kitchen doorway with a solemn expression on his tired face. His hair was also gray, and his daughters had inherited his dark eyes.
    The loud voices immediately stopped and Becca flew across the room into Emily’s arms. “You’re home, Em. Thank God you’re home.” Becca kissed her and Emily kissed her back. This was why she came—to feel this closeness that only sisters could experience. Becca needed her, and as long as she did, Emily would continue to return home.
    “You didn’t say you were coming, Emily Ann,” her mother said in a critical tone Emily knew all too well.
    “Nice to see you,” her father put in, but there were no hugs or kisses or the love they once shared as a family. In her parents’ eyes, Emily had done something unforgivable. It had been more than eighteen years, and they’d never recovered from their disillusionment.
    Emily cleared her throat and sat on the old beige sofa beside Becca. “I took a few days off and decided I’d come for a visit.”
    Rose pointed a finger at Becca. “Because she called you, didn’t she? You wouldn’t come home for any other reason.”
    Before Emily could answer, Becca jumped to her feet. “So what if I did? You’re driving me crazy. I’ll soon be eighteen and you still treat me like a little girl.”
    “Don’t talk to me in that tone of voice,” Rose threatened.
    “Or what?” Becca asked sharply. “You’ll take away my privileges? Ha!” Becca threw back her head and laughed a sarcastic laugh. “ What privileges? I have to be home at ten. You monitor my dates. I can’t have new clothes or go anywhere, and on and on it goes. I’m like a prisoner.”
    “Go to your room!” her mother shouted. “I’m tired of arguing with you.”
    “You bet I’m going to my room and I’m packing and getting out of here. Not even Em can stop me.” She ran down the hall and slammed her door.
    Her father disappeared into the kitchen as he always did—anything to avoid a confrontation. Rose reached for the oxygen mask that lay in her chair. She held it to her mouth and took several deep breaths. Emily could see she was having difficulty breathing.
    She got up and took her mother’s pulse. It was racing, but Emily felt sure she was just agitated, and in a moment she’d calm down.
    “You okay?” Emily asked softly.
    Rose removed the mask. “I can’t deal with your sister anymore. She’s wild and out of control.”
    Emily bit her lip and knew she and her mother had to talk—a long-overdue talk. The only person out of control was Rose. How could she make her see that?
    She pulled up a chair and sat next to her and had to fight the urge to hold her hand. She held the hands of many of her patients while she talked to them. It made them feel as if they were important to her, and it made Emily feelcloser to them. But with her mother it was a different story. When Emily was small, she was held, kissed and loved, but now things were so different. These days her mother rarely touched her and Emily felt as if she was tainted…tainted because she’d gotten pregnant out of wedlock.
    That was the dread about coming home—experiencing this coldness from her mother, and her father, too. Though her father was never as outspoken as Rose, it was there in his eyes…the disappointment. And that broke her heart.

CHAPTER FIVE
    “W E HAVE TO TALK ,” Emily said, trying to keep the pain from ruling her emotions.
    Rose removed the oxygen mask. “About what?”
    “Becca.”
    “I wish you’d stop calling her that. Her name is Rebecca.”
    Emily inhaled deeply and ignored the criticism. Emily had started