Jessica looked from her mother to her sister, debating on what to say. She hated being put on the spot, it allowed her anxiety to get the best of her. 'Tell her how you feel' She said to herself as she nervously bit at her finger nail.

"This is ridiculous!" Erica blurted out taking the attention off of a relieved Jessica. "Isn't it obvious that he shouldn't be here? Why do we have to have a meeting about this!?!"

"Erica I am talking to your sister right now!" Mother snapped. "So just keep your mouth shut!"

Jessica felt as if she were going to have a panic attack. Her chest felt like it was tightening, and she was having trouble breathing normally.

Her mother decided to have a family meeting the day after her father left, to discuss the possibility of him returning. Jessica wasn't sure why her mother was so desperate for her father to live in their home. She wanted to tell her mother that she wasn't comfortable with him returning, but the desperation in her mother's eyes made her feel guilty. She felt like if she said no she would be letting her mother down.

Erica seemed to have no problem protesting that Jake stayed out of their house. She made it clear that she didn't like him, and she wanted nothing to do with him. All of Erica's rants seemed to fall on death ears with their mother. Her mother insisted that Jake was a changed man, and could somehow benifit the family.

'Speak up for yourself' Jessica thought. As much as she wanted to be blunt like Erica she just didn't have it in her. She thought if she went against Jake living with them, her mother would hate her.

"I guess it would be okay." Jessica said while twiddling her thumbs around each other.

She looked from her mother's smile to her sister's frown, and lowered her head in shame.

"What!" Erica yelled clearly upset. "I can't believe this!"

"Erica calm down!" Mother demanded.

"I'm going to live with my father!" Erica yelled before storming out of the kitchen.

Jessica sat quietly in her chair unsure of the damage she had just caused. she wondered if she had said no to Jake living with them, what the outcome would have been. She was almost sure it would ruin what little relationship she and her mother had.

"You made the right choice." Her mother assured her still smiling. "You have to understand people do actually change, and your father just wants to build up a relationship with you. He truly is sorry for everything he has done. And if I can forgive him, I'm sure you can too."

Jessica stared at her mother wondering if she actually believed anything that she had just said. Jessica couldn't forgive her father even if she wanted to, she held far too much resentment.

After excusing herself from the table, she retreated to her room to call Stacey. She felt like Stacey was the only person she could confide in, and she was happy to have her around.

"Hello?" Stacey answered on the third ring.

"Hey...it's Jess." She said while trying to get comfortable on her bed. She threw a couple of her pillows onto the floor, and layed back opting to stare at the glow in the dark stars she had plastered to her ceiling.

"How did things go?" Stacey asked.

"My mom asked me would I be okay if he came back." Jessica said. "I told her yeah."

The phone grew silent for a few akward moments, and all Jessica could here was Stacey's breathing. She wondered what thoughts were running through her head.

"Why'd you tell her yeah?" Stacey finally asked.

Jessica pondered over her question for a moment, immediatly regretting her decision.

"I don't know." Jessica said. "I thought my mother would be mad at me if I said no." She admitted.

"You should be mad at her!" Stacey said raising her voice. "Why didn't you say something!?!"

Hearing Stacey raise her voice scared Jessica. She thought that maybe Stacey looked at her differently now, because she didn't stand up for herself. She feared that she would loose her as a friend because of her family drama, and this made her despise her mother for putting her in this predicament.

"You've gotta start telling your mom the truth about things." Stacey said. "You can't go on like this."

"Your right." Jessica quickly agreed. She knew she would more than likely never actually do that, but at this point she would do or say anything to keep Stacey as a friend.

"Well listen I have to run an errand with my mom I will call you later ok?"

"Okay." Jessica said before hanging up.

She wondered did Stacey really have to run an errand or if she really was mad at her, and wanted to get off the phone.

Jessica layed back in her bed, and thought about everything that had transpired. She was so angry with her mother feeling like she caused her to loose the one friend she had. She was angry with her father for even being around. Just when she thought she found a small amount of happiness it was being taken away from her, because of her family.

'I'm not going to let this happen' Jessica thought. 'They wont take Stacey from me.'