“What? Why?”

“I don’t know, darlin’. I’m just trying to follow her wishes. But, I think you need to contact your sister and ask her to come here. Maybe it will give you some closure?”

“Closure? I have more questions than answers right now. I don’t expect closure is coming any time soon.”

“I know this all comes as a shock, but think of it this way. You have a sister now. Isn’t that good news?”

Mia thought for a moment. “Well, I guess that all depends on what this sister of mine is like, doesn’t it?”

Kate stood with her arms crossed in front of her daughter. She wanted to say she’d never been this mad before, but that would be a lie. She’d been this angry at her daughter a number of times recently.

“Evie, what am I going to do with you?”

“Send me on a nice long vacation?”

“This isn’t funny!”

“Oh, come on, Mom. Teenagers act out all the time. This isn’t a big deal,” she groaned as she leaned her head back, her long, dark hair splaying over the back of the chair.

Kate sighed and sat down on the ottoman. “Evie, what is bothering you so much that you need to do these things? I want to help you.”

She sat up and glared at her mother. “Don’t treat me like I’m crazy. I’m just being a teenager.”

“I didn’t say you were crazy, Ev. I don’t even believe that. But, you’re throwing away your future doing these stupid things. Something is obviously upsetting you, and I’m your mother…”

“Stop it! Please!” Evie said, standing up and stomping toward her room. A few moments later, Kate heard her slam the door.

She shuddered when she thought about her daughter’s future. What kind of life would she have if she kept behaving this way? The what ifs kept her up many nights.

Just a couple of years ago, they had a different relationship filled with shopping trips, mother daughter dates and the occasional pedicure. Now, they butted heads constantly, and Kate couldn’t find one thing to praise about her daughter. All she did was discipline her, and she hated it.

She missed the days when Evie was a little girl, only interested in unicorns and baby dolls. Now, she played horrendous music so loud in her room that the downstairs neighbors kept calling the landlord of their apartment building and complaining.

There were times she thought about calling Brandon, her ex-husband, and begging him to take her, but she knew that wasn’t the answer. Evie hadn’t talked to her father in years, and Brandon seemed to have no interest in a relationship with her. It was all just so sad.