Page 14 of One Cry Too Loud
“I’m here!” A voice shouted from a distance. “I know I’m late. I’m sorry, but I’m here!”
I turned to the cause of the noise to find a woman who struck me as vaguely familiar running toward us with a bag in her hand.
“Oh God. What the hell is she doing here?” Sarah Jane groaned. The look on my daughter’s face jogged my memory, and I realized just who it was that I was looking at.
Yara, my daughter’s former best friend and Taylor's new fiancé, rushed toward us.
“You should have told me that she was coming,” Sarah Jane said. “I guess you thought I wouldn’t agree to this if I knew she would be here.”
“It’s not that. I just didn’t realize she would be here,” I said honestly. “I should have. I should have assumed that Taylor would want to keep her safe. I’m sorry that you're being blindsided with it.”
“It’s alright,” Sarah Jane muttered. “It’s not the first time I’ve been blindsided by this woman.
The woman in question was breathless by the time she got to us. Her chest heaved as she settled in front of me.
“I’m here,” she repeated.
“I can see that,” I answered. “Give me your bag.”
“My bag?” She asked.
“You can’t have anything where you’re going,” I explained. “Taylor should have let you know that.”
“Oh…I’m sorry,” she said, handing it over. “I just-”
“Is your phone in this bag?” I asked. “If not, I’ll need it too.”
“It’s in there,” she replied.
I opened the lockbox back up and dropped her stuff into it. I closed it with my foot. “You’ll be able to get your things whenall of this is over. I understand you might be confused, and this might be jarring, especially if Taylor didn’t explain things to you very thoroughly. I apologize if that’s the case. I hope you understand that this is an effort to keep you safe and I can’t give you any more information than that at the moment.”
“I get it. Thank you” She nodded. Then, turning her attention to my daughter, she said, “Hey SJ.”
“Yara,” Sarah Jane answered coldly, rocking Denise Katrina a bit in her arms.
“It’s good to see you,” Yara said.
“Is it?” Sarah Jane asked.
“Is that hard to believe?” she asked. “After all, you’re my best-”
“Dad, I’m going to head on into the bus. Be careful. I love you, and I’ll see you soon,” she said.
“I love you too. I love you both,” I answered, giving my granddaughter a kiss on the top of her head as Sarah Jane turned and walked away.
“Do you think she’ll ever forgive me?” Yara asked as Sarah Jane left.
“He’s not the right person to answer that question.” I heard Kat’s voice close to me. Turning, I saw her walking toward Yara and I. “And not just because he’s SJ’s father.” Kat settled in front of the other woman. “It’s also because he’s not a woman. So, he doesn’t really understand the depths of a female friendship. He doesn’t get how deep, how complex, and how absolutely special they are. He’s a man. He doesn’t understand how your best friend becomes your sister. He doesn’t understand how deep and irrevocable the hurt can be when you find out that your sister has betrayed you.”
“He was single,” Yara said. “When we started dated, he was-”
“Your best friend is your sister,” Kat cut her off. “I don’t know how much more clear I can be.”
“So, you don’t think she’ll ever forgive me?” Yara asked.
“I couldn’t say.” Kat shrugged. “She has a big heart, but she looks pissed. I will say this much. She grew up in a family of police officers. By the time that girl was six years old, she knew four different ways to break your arm. So, if I were you, I’d keep my distance on that bus.” She winked. “Good luck Yana.”
“It’s Yara,” Yara said.
