I just stared at my plate. Hearing someone say it out loud hit differently. I had always known something was wrong with the way my parents treated me, but hearing it called abuse made me feel both validated and strangely ashamed.
“I’m calling your parents after breakfast,” she went on. “First, to tell them you’re staying with me for now. Second, to let them know I’m aware of how they’ve been treating you.”
My heart started racing. “But what about Kate? If you tell them you know everything, they’ll realize she told you about the pregnancy.”
“I won’t mention the pregnancy,” Aunt Bonnie said. “That’s Kate’s news to share when she’s ready. But the rest? They need to hear it.”
After breakfast, I called Kate back while Aunt Bonnie cleaned up. She answered immediately, sounding out of her mind with stress.
“Are you okay? Where are you? Did Aunt Bonnie let you stay?”
The questions came one after another. I told her I was fine and staying at Aunt Bonnie’s. She sounded relieved, but still anxious. I asked how she was doing and whether our parents suspected anything.
“They don’t suspect a thing,” Kate said. “They’re too busy redecorating my room now that it’s all mine.”
There was so much guilt in her voice that I could hear it.
“Lily, I’m so sorry. I should have found another way.”
I still wasn’t fully over the hurt, but I understood why she had done it.
“It’s okay,” I said. “But Kate, what’s your plan? You can’t hide a pregnancy forever.”
Kate started crying softly. “I don’t know. I’m scared to tell them. You know how they’ll react.”
I knew exactly how they would react. They would find some way to blame me, even though I had nothing to do with it. They would shame Kate and still somehow make the whole thing worse.
“What about the father?” I asked. “Is he in the picture?”
“It’s Tyler,” she said. “You know, from my chemistry class. His parents are super religious. If they find out, he’s screwed. We both are.”
Tyler Williams. I knew him vaguely. Tall, quiet, played baseball. Not someone I would have expected Kate to date in secret.
“Have you thought about what you want to do?” I asked carefully.
“Like, do you want to keep it, or—”
“I don’t know yet,” Kate admitted. “I need time to figure it out. Can you ask Aunt Bonnie if she’ll help me? Maybe I can come over and we can talk.”
I promised I would ask. Right after we hung up, I heard Aunt Bonnie on the phone in the living room. Her voice was raised, and even though I couldn’t make out every word, it was obvious she was tearing into someone. My parents, probably. I sat on the edge of the bed in her spare room, where she had already moved my boxes. Part of me wanted to eavesdrop, and another part was too scared to hear what she was saying. After what felt like forever, the apartment went quiet. A minute later, Aunt Bonnie appeared in the doorway.
“Well, I just had a nice chat with your father,” she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “He claims they didn’t kick you out. Just suggested you might want to stay with friends for a while.”
I snorted. “Yeah, right. They literally packed all my stuff.”
“I know,” she said, sitting down beside me. “Your dad has always been good at rewriting history. But I made it clear you’re staying with me for now, and we’re going to have a family meeting soon to discuss how they’ve been treating you.”
My stomach dropped. “A family meeting? With them? Do we have to?”
“Eventually, yes,” she said. “But not right away. First I want you settled here. And I get the feeling there’s something you want to ask me.”
I nodded. “Kate wants to know if she can come over and talk to you about… you know. Her situation.”
Aunt Bonnie smiled. “Of course she can. Tell her to come over tomorrow after school. I’ll make sure I get home early from work.”
The rest of that day was strange, but nice. Aunt Bonnie helped me unpack my things in the spare room. It was small, but it was still way better than sharing with Kate had ever been, because now I had my own desk, a queen-size bed, and actual privacy. She even took me shopping for decorations to make it feel more like mine. The whole time, I kept checking my phone. No messages from my parents. Not even an “Are you okay?” or a “We miss you.” Just silence. Kate texted that she would come over the next day around four to talk to Aunt Bonnie. That night, Aunt Bonnie ordered pizza and we watched movies on her couch. It felt so normal, like the kind of thing I imagined other families did all the time. No walking on eggshells. No feeling like a burden just for existing. Just relaxing and being together.
“You know,” Aunt Bonnie said during a quiet stretch of the movie, “I always wanted kids of my own. It never worked out that way. But having you here… it’s nice.”
