Page 51 of Metal & Mud

"And you wonder where I get the energy to go through my workouts from," a quiet voice said from the kitchen doorway. Sabby looked up to see Jess there, her arms crossed over her chest and a bemused, sad smile on her face. "You okay?"

Sabby wiped at her face, fiercely sweeping away the tears that threatened to fall. "Fuck no. How long have you been there?"

"Came in about halfway into the conversation." Jess came over and sat down. "I heard Mom's voice first, and I knew it'd be better if I stayed out of it. So... you had the talk with her."

Sabby nodded, and realized that her sister was suddenly on the verge of tears too. "When?"

"Right before I joined the Army," Jess said softly. "You remember how they were when I came out to them, but there were a few conversations with Mom that were... caustic."

"Let me guess. Saint Victoria realized that all of her good work was going down the drain with her abnormal, deviant daughter, and how could you just spoil all of her good parenting?" Sabby asked, and Jess nodded. "Jesus Jess, how'd you ever come back home?"

"I kept hoping that she'll realize what she did and maybe change," Jess said quietly. "Sabby, I wish I could have been there when you were getting in trouble, but I... I had to save myself."

"Which allowed you to save me," Sabby reminded her, putting an arm around her sister.

Jess turned to her, and the two hugged, tears flowing freely. The cushions of the couch wrapped around them as they held each other, the familiar scent of Jess's shampoo mingling with the salt of tears.

"I love you so much, Jess."

"I love you too, Sabby," Jess whispered, squeezing her tight. "I swear you're always going to have a home with me. I don't care if I get hitched to Cara Delevigne and become her love slave. You're always going to have a home with me."

"I know." Sabby squeezed her sister tighter. "You're too hot for Cara Delevigne though."

"Look who's talking!" Jess released Sabby and smiled through her tears. "Calling me an exceptional soldier and all that. And you're too hot for Hollywood."

Sabby shrugged, and smiled. "I'm not worried about that. I know I'm hotter than he deserves, but he's a good boyfriend."

"Meh, he's not too bad... for a college boy PFC," Jess teased. Glancing over her shoulder, she hummed. "Want some wine?"

"No workout tonight?" Sabby asked, and Jess shook her head. "Even after all that barbecue?"

"Recovery fuel, and I'll work any extra off tomorrow," Jess said. Twenty minutes later the box of admittedly cheap wine was half empty, and both girls were tipsy, Jess laughing about the barbecue. The cool glass felt good in Sabby's hand, the sweet liquid washing away the bitter taste of confrontation.

"So Carter, he decides that starting a fire the old fashioned way wasn't good enough, so he goes and gets a bottle of rum and pours it on the wood!"

Sabby laughed. "He didn't!"

"He did!" Jess laughed. "God Tom Franklin was so fuckin' pissed, but Nate Nichols was like 'bro, we coulda used gas.' So we all started trying to top one another on the most ridiculous ways to start a barbecue."

"What was Logan's idea?" Sabby asked, and Jess laughed uproariously. "What was it?"

"He said the best way was to get me pissed off and hungry, and name the barbecue Hollywood," Jess said, sending both of them laughing hard.

"He didn't!"

"Oh he did!" Jess said with a giggle when she could speak again. "You got yourself a good one. Although..."

"What?"

"Telling Mom that he's a good lover?" Jess asked, holding her stomach. "I nearly yarked myself!"

"Why?" Sabby asked. "Come on, Logan's a good guy."

"Yeah, yeah, he's a good guy," Jess admitted. "And, I like him. He's good to you, and you clearly are enjoying yourself."

"But?"

"But," Jess said, taking another sip of wine and shivering, "dick. No thank you."

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