Chapter 1.22: Dear Diary, Teens & Trouble

Entry 22:

The days have flown by yet again! Liev was busy instructing Leo and Jilly in their piano lessons while Keniesha and I visited in the living room.
I was so happy that Keniesha and her girls stopped by more often now. They still lived in the city, which we didn’t get to very often.

“Those two are really getting good on the piano, just like their daddy,” Keniesha enthused.
“Leo seems to enjoy it more than Jilly.”

There was a long, pregnant pause. I could tell Keniesha wanted to say something, but it seemed as if it was taking a great deal of effort for her to articulate it.
“Sis, what is it?” Dread began to build in my stomach, holding it in an uncomfortable grip.
“I wanted to tell you that, well,” she paused again.
“For heavens sake, spit it out.”
Did she have tears in her eyes?
“I wanted to say how truly sorry I am about the rift between us. It never should have happened. Instead of blaming you for something that wasn’t your fault, I should have just told you what was really bothering me.”

“You don’t have to say this. We’ve discussed my postpartum depression and the strange way Mango was acting.”
“I know,” she said. “But as your older sister, I just wanted you to know how much I love and treasure you in my life and I wanted to promise you that I’d never let anything come between us again.”

Her words brought tears to my eyes. She never was able to confide in me and I wanted to be there for her, too. I took her hand and squeezed it. We didn’t have to say anything else. We both knew what the other was thinking.

Journal, because Leo and Jilly will be teens very soon, I wanted to take a moment and remember them as they are now.
These are some photos I have of them playing. Someday, I want them to look at these and remember all the good times they had together. The same way I remember the childhood I had with Keniesha…

And here we are. It’s birthday time and I’m not sure I’m ready to let them be teenagers. Yet, it’s going to happen anyway as soon as they blow out their candles.
We decided they should have a pool party.

Leo was first, with goggles still on.

We cheered and laughed.

Then it was Jilly’s moment in the spotlight. She was also still wearing her swim goggles.

My boy has grown into a young man.

And my oldest girl a young lady.

And both of them will always be precious to me.
How unfortunate it is that we can’t see around corners, though…