****

“I still can’t believe you’re going to be a mom soon.” Stacey laughs across the table as we sit outside eating lunch.

I look over at her, noticing her warm brown skin tone, honey eyes, and head full of natural coils and curls that she has styled in a high puff. Her long limbs and neck move with the grace of the dancer she once was. Well, actually, she still is. As a matter of fact, she dances burlesque at a popular club in Atlanta.

“Tasha, can you believe it? I mean, I know you haven’t known Coral as long as I have, but could you imagine her being a mother?” she questions me.

I swallow deeply and force a smile. “No, I can’t imagine it. Although she has incredible protective instincts,” I state, remembering how much my sister has taken care of me over the years.

Coral rolls her eyes and waves her hand dismissively. “Whatever. Don’t get all emotional, you two. Butterball here has already turned me into a sap. And as the aunties of this kid, I expect you both not to spoil him rotten like you do with Laura already.” She points and glares at both of us.

Stacey holds up her hands defensively. “I make no promises.”

“Nor do I,” I concur, laughing.

“Stace, how’s the conference going?” Coral asks.

Stacey’s eyes widen in excitement. “Oh, it’s going well. I’m learning so much. This conference is on how family dynamics affect people with eating disorders and their recovery. Very interesting stuff.”

“Family dynamics. Isn’t that interesting?” Coral tilts her head, looking at me.

For my part, I stuff another one of the crab puffs we’d ordered in my mouth, squinting at Coral.

Stacey being the rather intelligent person she is, looks between Coral and me. “I’m not a body language expert like some people, but even I can tell there was some sort of hidden meaning in that comment,” she concludes, eyeing Coral. 

Coral’s eyes shift over to me as if to say, spit it out!

I stuff another crab puff in my mouth.

“Tasha,” Coral implores. “Just say it.”

“Somebody, say it,” Stacey adds, sounding nervous.

I close my eyes tightly, remaining silent. 

“Look, Tash, if there’s one thing I’ve come to realize, especially in the last few months, is that family is the most important thing in the world. I’d never want Laura or Butterball to feel like they either couldn’t tell me anything or like they were alone in this world.” She looks directly at me now with what looked strangely enough like tears in her eyes. I don’t ever think I can recall a time when I saw Coral cry. “Tasha, it’s okay. Just tell her,” Coral urged.

Despite the tenseness of the situation, I smirk at the nickname Coral’s given the baby in her womb. Last time she was at the doctor, he told her the baby was in the ninetieth percentile in size and weight. Ever since then, Coral’s taken to calling him Butterball.

I looked at Stacey and then down at my now empty plate. I had no idea how she would take this, but if Coral believed it was okay, then so would I. “I’m your sister,” I finally admit.

Stacey’s eyes widen as she stares at me before looking over at Coral for the truth.

Out of the corner of my eye I see Coral nod. “It’s true.”  

“What? But how? That doesn’t make any sense.”

“I was a secret…our father’s dirty little secret.” I can’t help the bitterness in voice. 

“Our father? Wait, you mean…” Stacey trails, off trying to put the pieces together in her head.

“Yes, our father,” Coral begins. “He had an affair while Mom was sick. Tasha’s mother lived upstairs in our apartment building. They had the affair off and on for years as Mom’s disease progressed. Eventually, Tasha was born.”

“But that was years ago. How long have you known about Tasha?” Stacey’s voice rises.

Coral doesn’t look perturbed in the least by Stacey’s questions. “I found out when I was about twelve. You were seven and Tasha was five. I overheard him on the phone one day with Tasha’s mom who was threatening to take him to court for child support. Mom had passed recently and his drinking had gotten out of control. After that, I realized he had another daughter, but he wasn’t taking care of her. So I made it a point to befriend the child and look out for her,” she states, rubbing her belly.

“Just like a big sister. But why didn’t you tell me?”

“That was my doing,” I interrupt Coral. “I didn’t want anyone to know. I was ashamed.”

“Ashamed? It wasn’t your fault the adults in our lives had lied and cheated. You were innocent.”

I grin at Stacey, seeing the social worker in her now. “I know that, but…” I pause, not wanting to go into the totality of my history and my real shame. I’d long ago stopped blaming myself for my parents’ actions, but there are things in my life I’d yet to completely let go of. I look to Coral, remembering that day a decade ago when she came and found me in juvenile prison. No, I didn’t want to go into detail about that yet.

“But nothing,” Stacey persisted. “It’s terrible what our father and your mother did to you…to us. And I guess I can understand you not wanting anyone to know until you were ready, but I just wish you would’ve told me. What if something had happened to you while you were away at war or trying to save the world? We could have lost contact and I would—”

“That wouldn’t have happened,” Coral interrupts.

“Why couldn’t it have possibly happened? Tasha didn’t know where I was—”

“Quincy knew and our aunt and uncle did too.”

“What?!” I shriek, pinning Coral with a glare.

She pauses, looking back and forth between Stacey and me. “I told Quincy after I found you in New York.”

“What?” I ask again, rising from my seat. “How the hell? No! Why? Why would you tell them?” I was angry and afraid. I was afraid because I wondered what Coral had told her about my life when she’d found me in New York.

Coral pivots to me, looking me right in the eye. “I told them because like it or not, the reality was I was going back to a warzone, and the possibility that I would never return was very real. And if that would’ve happened, I knew Quincy wouldn’t have hesitated to carry out my wishes to protect you and look after you. I knew Aunt Ruth and Uncle Gerry would have welcomed you into the family, and you wouldn’t have had to be alone. I had made a promise to look after you when we were kids, and I broke it once. I wasn’t about to let that happen again.”

I was left speechless at Coral’s words. My vision blurred as my eyes became watery. She had looked out for me in ways I never even knew nor could I imagine. I feared daily that she wouldn’t come home when she was on deployment. “Dammit! How the hell am I supposed to be pissed at you when you put it like that?” I whine, wiping my eyes.

“Yeah, she has a way of doing that,” Stacey chimes in.

I turn away from Coral, grinning at Stacey. “She’s a damn piece of work.”

“And probably has more secrets than we can even fathom.”

I nod in agreement as Coral chuckles.

“Stacey, I’m so—”

“Don’t be.” She holds up her hand. “You had your reasons for keeping me in the dark. Hopefully, one day you’ll trust me enough to tell me the full story,” she states as she grips my hand. “For now, I’ll settle for getting to know my sister.” She looks at me expectantly. 

“I’d like that,” I agree.

“Welcome to the family, little sis, as fucked up as it is.” She laughs.

I laugh at that too. I sigh releasing a weight I hadn’t even known was there. I’m starting to feel like I actually have two sisters.