“It was just his finger or fingers, I’m not sure, but it hurt, it happened so fast,” Ana tried to explain.

  “But you're sure it wasn’t a finger then a penis? Did you see it?” she asked Ana.

  Ana looked at her mom. “No, I didn’t, but it was his finger because my pants weren’t down that far,” Ana said.

  “Are you a relationship with him?” Julie asked.

  Ana and her mother answered in unison, “No.

  “Well, it should heal with time, although it will cause pain until it heals. You need to stay clean and away from that area for a while.” Julie explained. Julie helped her to a sitting position. “Ana, if you're having this type of sexual activity, then I would suggest you be on some type of birth control.”

  “No, I’m good. I don't think I’ll be doing anything like that anytime soon,” Ana said.

  “Ok, but if you do or think you’re going to have sex, please come back and get birth control,” Julie said.

  “Ok,” Ana responded as her eyes met Andrea’s. Julie finished, and Ana felt better about the visit. She was relieved she could see Julie in confidence if she needed to. As she dressed, Andrea and Julie stepped out of the room.

  “She reminds me of Laurel a little,” Julie said to Andrea.

  “Yes, she does,” Andrea agreed, smiling and raising her eyebrows. Julie smiled in return.

  “How is she, Laurel?” Julie asked.

  “She’s good, thank you so much,” Andrea replied.

  “By the way, I am going to have a blood pregnancy test ordered, just in case,” Julie said.

  “Yes, thank you,” Andrea said and sighed.

  They left the doctor's office, grabbed a fast lunch, then Andrea pulled into the high school. “Have a good day. I’ll see you in a few hours,” Andrea said as Ana unbuckled her seat belt.

  “Ok, bye, Mom, I love you.” Ana leaned over toward her mother, and Andrea kissed her cheek.

  “Bye, I love you.” That was the first time Ana had done that, and it felt good to Andrea. She waited for Ana to enter the building and smiled as she changed the gears of Ana’s SUV, heading toward town. She wasn’t going to work today. She had made an appointment with her massage therapist and was meeting a friend for a drink in the time she waited on Ana to get out of school.

  CHAPTER TEN

  Charleigh

  Charleigh walked into the spa to find her friend, in a robe, drinking a glass of cranberry juice, most likely mixed with vodka. “Hey honey, how are you? You look so relaxed,” Charleigh said to Andrea.

  “Oh, I’m about to go into a coma from all these oils they have rubbed into my skin,” Andrea said and laughed.

  “Yeah, you smell like baby Jesus,” Charleigh said, making Andrea laugh.

  “Oh my Girl, you would not believe the week I’ve had.” Andrea smiled, putting her drink to her lips.

  “I figured when I got your text saying you needed a rub down and a hard drink.”

  Charleigh was twelve years younger than Andrea. They had met while she was working on a project at St. Catherine’s. Charleigh always made Andrea laugh. She was carefree and witty. She worked as a nurse in the emergency department at the local hospital. Her husband worked out of town mostly, and they had recently been trying to conceive a baby.

  “Char, do you want a drink?” Andrea asked as the waitress passed.

  “I do, honey, but I need to refrain. I think I could be ovulating.”

  “Oh god, then you definitely need one.”

  “Well, I’ve been reading that alcohol decreases fertility. My app says it’s time and my mucosa are just right.” She smiled.

  “Have you been checking your own cervix again? You are obsessed with your vaginal mucosa. I think it’s hilarious.”

  “No freaking kidding, can you see me with my long ass legs trying to hold my leg up and reach up in there to my cervix. I have long fingers, but still, just not a hobby I want. It’s hard as hell. I almost fell this morning and cracked my head. Wouldn't that be great, an ambulance coming to find me with my hand up my vagina, half-dressed, and unconscious?” Charleigh said, making faces as she tried to reenact her experience. Andrea almost spit, laughing.

  “You’re crazy, girl. You make me laugh,” Andrea said. “I needed to laugh today, thank you.” She finished her drink. The waitress passed again, asking if they needed anything. Andrea ordered another drink, and the lady walked away.

  “Hey, wait, I need a drink also,” Charleigh said, then ordered a double vodka and cranberry. Andrea laughed again. “Well, hell, it isn’t every day you get to drink with your best friend, the Duke’s wife.” Andrea rolled her eyes. “Tell me, how is my favorite friend’s new daughter?” Andrea told her about the recent incident with Travis and how they had just left the doctor’s office this morning. “Oh my, Andy, I am sorry. But you know that’s normal teenage behavior, right? Don’t you remember how it was to be her age? Oh my god, I was like a horny goat,” Charleigh said, laughing.

  “Travis is twenty-two. That is not normal.”

  “Oh yeah, that part isn’t so good,” Charleigh admitted. “Well, at least it’s over, right? At least he’s gone. She can’t have sex with him if he isn’t around.”

  “He is not employed there anymore, and Ana swears they didn’t have sex.” Andrea expected a sarcastic response.

  “What did she tell you happened, they made out?”

  “Yeah, I guess it would be like third base.”.

  “She told you she did oral?” Charleigh said, almost spitting out her drink laughing.

  “No, she said he had his hand down her pants. Is that not third base?”

  “No, that’s second base. Oh my god, I was gonna say, if she told you she gave him oral sex, she’s brave. I would have rather said I was gang banged to my mom.” Charleigh laughed.

  “Do you think she’s lying? I mean, it was difficult to get her to tell us anything. She’s so stubborn.”

  “Us, who is us?” Charleigh asked.

  “Diane and I,” Andrea answered.

  “Oh my god, what are you all, some kind of tag team detectives? Poor kid probably feels like she’s getting interrogated by the supreme court,” Charleigh laughingly said. “You are hardcore friends, but if she told you that and then didn’t lie about it later when the doctor found the abrasion, probably not.” She shook her head and smiled. “You need a blog called the Bad-Ass Momma Club, or something, giving parents tips on how to interrogate and give interesting methods of punishment for their teenagers,” Charleigh said, making fun of Andrea.

  “Funny. You know I’m not that bad,” Andrea said.

  “No, you’re hard, but you love her, and she knows that. Seriously, I’m glad you're that way, my mom would have beat me with a table leg for something like that.” Charleigh laughed.

  Andrea looked at her in disbelief. “No, seriously, my momma chased me with a table leg one time. She got me too but just a little. But she was bat-shit crazy. We later found out she was bipolar.”

  “Oh my god, you’re not right,” Andrea said, and they continued to laugh.

  “Exactly what deserves being chased with a table leg?” Charleigh said and laughed. “What did Phillip say? I know he expected more from her.” Charleigh sat up stiffly, mocking his proper behavior.

  “Well, you know Phillip, he always did the right thing. He doesn’t get it. He blames me for not knowing it was going on. He says that I make excuses for her. I don’t, though. He just doesn’t realize what it’s like to be female in these situations.”

  “Yeah, he doesn’t get it; he has a wiener.”

  “He grounded her, took her car, and is making her work at the stables until a new person is hired. What he doesn’t know is that she will enjoy that, but I let it go because she can’t just sit in the house on her phone. It would drive me nuts.”

  “Yeah, and you have to tote her around. Where is he anyway?”

  “He’s home today, I think he has a meeting, but he'll be home this evening for dinner. Want to come over?”

  “It might be a good distraction for Ana, so she doesn’t have to think about her injured vagina at the dinner table,” Andrea said, laughing.

  “Oh my god, yes, for her, I will. How freaking awkward would that be to discuss that all evening with your parents? You all have got to chill.” They finished their drinks and enjoyed the sun on their legs. They laughed some more and then drove back to the house in their separate cars.

  “You want to pick up Ana? I’m going to help Nellie. I want to have fajitas for dinner,” Andrea said.

  “Sure, what time do we need to be here?”

  “Be here by six. That gives you time to get some clothes in case you want to stay over later.” Charleigh stayed over some, especially when her husband was out of town. She loved Andrea like a sister. They enjoyed each other’s honesty.

  Charleigh pulled up in Ana’s car at the school at four p.m. Ana had gotten a text saying she would be picking her up. She had never met Charleigh, but her mom spoke about her a lot. Ana saw her SUV and got in, flinging her bag in the back. “Hey Anastasia, I’m Charleigh, and I’m your taxi today,” Char said, introducing herself. Ana smiled. “So, your mom said you're in a drama class.”

  “Yeah, my friend Brittani is in it, and she likes it, so I figured it would be better than band or something.”

  “I did theatre in school, and I loved it.” Charleigh pulled onto a road that Ana knew wasn't in the direction of her house.

  “Where are we going?” Ana asked.

  “Well, I figured you needed a little field trip since you’re on lockdown?” Charleigh grinned.

  “Yes, please, I hope my dad isn’t home this evening.”

  “Well, he is, but I’ll distract him.” Charleigh winked at her; and. Ana smiled. They sped down a country road and ended up on the farthest side of town near Charleigh’s house. “Hey, I am going to grab some stuff from my house. Can you drive? I mean, do you have a license?”

  “Yes, this is my car,” Ana said, smirking.

  “Ok, smarty-pants, you can chill with that,” Charleigh said, antagonizing Ana. Ana followed Charleigh in her house. Her big dog almost knocked Ana down when she went through the door. “Brutus, get down.” Charleigh pushed the dog down. “He’s just excited, sorry.” Brutus followed Ana, sniffing her hands and butt.

  “You’re married?” Ana asked.

  “Yeah, Dylan works out of town some. He won’t be home till tomorrow,” Charleigh explained. Ana looked around at the pictures throughout the house. There were a few pictures of her mother and Charleigh laughing and drinking wine, then one of them close up, standing near a big rock cliff.

  “This is my mom?” Ana asked.

  “Yeah, it is. Glad you can recognize her.” Charleigh had a bag hanging off her shoulder. “Come on. You’re driving.”

  “Where were you? That doesn’t even look like her. She’s all happy and young.”

  “We were in North Carolina, and your mom is young. You just don’t know it. You know why she’s cool? Because she has a cool young friend, me,” Charleigh laughed. She opened a beer and went outside on the porch. “You want one? Charleigh asked jokingly. Ana looked surprised. “I’m kidding, your mom would be pissed, and she’s not grounding me.”

  “I’ve drunk before. I’m not a baby,” Ana said.

  “Oh, I know you have. Now come on.” Charleigh finished her beer and got on the passenger side.

  She put a beer in a cup, and they left. Ana looked down at the beer and then at Charleigh. “Don’t tell your mom, I don’t want to hear it, and don’t ever drink and drive. I’m riding, but don’t do that either. And if you do, don’t get caught, and if you do, don’t blame me.” Charleigh said. Ana laughed and pulled out of the drive. Charleigh had Ana drive around town. She showed her where she worked and where she and her mother hung out sometimes. They also circled around the back road that ended near the stables. Ana saw Travis’s truck on the side of the road.

  As she looked in her rearview mirror, she said, “What’s he doing here?”

  Charleigh turned around, “What? Who was that?” Ana slowed down like she was going to turn around. “Is that the guy? Oh hell no, you are not turning around; keep going.”

  Ana sped back up. “What? I was just going to ask him what he was doing? He doesn’t live near here.”

  “That’s the boy that you were caught with. No way. Are you talking to him? You have to let him go, he’s too old, and your mom will kill you. I’m surprised she hasn’t already.”

  “I didn't have sex with him. We just messed around,” Ana said as if it was news to Charleigh.

  “Ok, say what you want to. You’re the one with the abraded hoo-ha,” Charleigh said, one-upping her.

  “Oh my god, I can’t believe she told you that.” Ana was shocked her mother would disclose her personal information.

  “What? I’m a nurse. I don’t care. I see that stuff all the time,” Char said. “And let’s be honest, between you and I, I bet there was probably a little more that went down than that. Maybe not that time, but I’m sure there were other occasions?” She pulled her sunglasses down and looked at Ana. Ana pulled into the top of her drive.

  “We didn't have sex. It was close, I guess, but we didn’t,” Ana said.

  “No penetration, right?”

  “Right.”

  “Hey, oral counts as sex, just saying. You can get some bad diseases from that,” Charleigh reminded Ana.

  “I didn’t do that either.”

  “Good girl, but you know, even if you had had any kind of sex, you could tell them, it is normal,” Charleigh said.

  “I know. Do you think she’ll be chill one day with me?”

  “I didn't make your mom cool. She was already awesome when we met. She makes me a better person. Your mom is chill, but she’s your mom. It’s different; she can’t be all crazy with you because she has to be a good influence on you.” Charleigh explained. She reached over and slapped Ana’s thigh. “Come on. We’re ten minutes late. Let me handle it.” Charleigh bounced into the house.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  High Road

  Andrea looked at her phone. It was 6:10 p.m., the locator said Ana was coming down the driveway. She felt relieved. She was finishing the vegetables and getting ready to put the chicken on. Charleigh came in the door. Andrea looked at her watch and then at Charleigh. “I know, I’m sorry,” Charleigh said. Ana sat her bag down near the steps.

  “Why don’t you put Charleigh’s bag upstairs and yours as well,” Andrea said. Ana picked up the two bags and headed upstairs as she texted on her phone.

  “How was the trip home?” Andrea asked.

  “Good, but we saw --.” Charleigh stopped, moved closer to Andrea, and whispered, “We saw Travis on the side of the road that goes to the stables. It was weird.”

  “Yeah, that is interesting. Did you stop?”

  “No, I didn’t think that was a good idea.”

  “Yeah, it isn’t. They are not supposed to be communicating.”

  “Well, Ana was surprised as I was to see him.” Andrea seemed happy with that statement.

  Ana came downstairs with her phone glued to her hand. Andrea and Charleigh chatted, and Charleigh poured Andrea a glass of wine. Andrea gave her a disapproving look, and Charleigh whispered, “Chill, Momma.” Andrea shook her head and smiled.

  Phillip came into the kitchen. “Look who’s here, hey Charleigh,” Phillip said. “You want a beer?”

  “Yeah, sure,” she replied. Charleigh got her and Phillip a beer. Then she assisted Andrea in the kitchen. Ana stood against the counter, texting on her phone. They decided to eat outside since it was such a nice night. Phillip seemed to be relaxed for the first time since he’d been home. They were talking, and Charleigh was letting them in on her and Dylan’s plans of having a baby.

  “Life changes when you have a child Charleigh, you just wait,” Phillip said.

  “I know, I know,” she said.

  “Ana, how was your day with mom?” he asked.

  “Fine,” she replied as she looked at her phone. She had been texting off and on throughout the meal and seemed distracted.

  “How did you like Dr. Julie?” he asked.

  “She was very nice.”

  “Ana, phone,” her mother said. Ana put the phone under her leg.

  “Sorry, Mom, I’ll need to stay after school until five on Thursday and Friday for theatre class. They're having auditions.”

  “Ok, and don’t you have a paper due Friday morning?” Andrea asked.

  “Yeah, I’ll work on it as soon as I get home.” Andrea nodded as she swallowed a bite.

  Phillip cleared his throat, and Andrea looked at him. “What is it, dear?” she asked.

  “Ana, you have chores to do right after school. I want you in this house before dinner so you can finish your homework, especially if you have a paper,” he said.

  “But if I can’t stay after, I can’t audition. Can’t I finish the stables then eat dinner later, Dad?” Ana asked.

  “Ana, we eat as a family, you know that,” he said.

  “Dad, why does it matter to you? You won’t even be here,” Ana said, staring at him. She was right, but that statement didn’t please Phillip.

  Charleigh stood up. “Anyone want a drink?” she asked.

  “Yeah, sure,” Phillip and Andrea both said. Charleigh walked into the house.

  Ana asked, “May I be excused to go to the stables.