They fell silent and listened to the sound of the children playing, which contained all the ecstasy and terror of youth. Avery’s thoughts, as always, returned to her life with Chiti. Bonnie had told them the truth; now she must as well. She turned to her sisters.
“I fucked up, guys,” she said. “I really fucked up.”
“I told you not to get poppy seed,” said Lucky, pointing to her bagel.
Bonnie gave Lucky a look to shush.
“What is it?” Bonnie asked, leaning toward Avery.
Avery took a deep breath.
“I slept with someone else.” Avery exhaled. “And I lied about it. And then I promised Chiti a baby and I…I can’t. I can’t do it. I want to want it, but I don’t. It’s not…It’s not who I am.”
“Oh shit,” murmured Bonnie.
Avery glanced up at them. Bonnie, clearly taken aback, let out a long exhale. Lucky, meanwhile, appeared unfazed.
“So that’s what happened,” she said.
Avery gave her an incredulous look.
“You knew?”
“About the sleeping with someone part, not the baby stuff. Well, I had my suspicions.”
“How?” asked Bonnie.
“Chiti showed me the Plan B. She thought it was mine.”
“And that’s why you called me a hypocrite,” said Avery, finally putting together that piece of their fight. “I thought it was just because of the stealing.”
“What stealing?” asked Lucky.
“I’ve been having a bit of an issue with the five-finger discount,” said Avery. “But I’ve stopped that now.”
“Avery!” exclaimed Bonnie, looking shocked. “What the hell?”
Avery gave her a desperate shrug.
“I have impulse control issues.”
“Join the club,” said Lucky with a dry laugh.
“You two…” Bonnie shook her head, then turned to Lucky. “Why didn’t you tell me about the Plan B?”
“Or me?” added Avery.
Lucky turned to Avery.
“We’ve been in a good place, and I didn’t want to ruin it. And—” She turned to face Bonnie. “It’s not my shit to tell.”
Bonnie made a face to show this was fair, then looked at Avery.
“Does Chiti know?” she asked.
Avery nodded.
“About the sleeping with someone else, not the baby,” she said. “She needed some space after she found out and that’s, in part, why I came here.”
They sat in stunned silence. Eventually, Lucky let out a low whistle.
“I’d heard a rumor,” she said. “But now I know it’s true.”
Avery glanced at her with a look of panic.
“A rumor? About me?”
“Yeah.” Lucky nodded. “That you are not, in fact, perfect.”
Avery snorted with relief.
“When have I ever claimed to be perfect?”
Now it was Bonnie’s and Lucky’s turn to roll their eyes.
“Okay,” conceded Avery. “I may have tried to give you that impression once or twice. But that’s just because I wanted…I don’t know, after our parents, I wanted you guys to have one solid person in your lives. And I fucked up so badly when I was younger, leaving you all like I did, I may have overcompensated a little as an adult.”
“Well, apparently you’re not overcompensating anymore,” said Lucky. Avery gave her a pained look. “Sorry,” she said. “I’ll shut up.”
