Looking For You All My Life Part 174

already?"

"Yes. Did you sleep well?"

Leah climbed stiffly from the couch. "Yeah, I think I must

have, especially since I don't remember a single thing since ~

said goodnight." She picked up the water on the table by the

couch and quickly downed it. "I'm thirsty."

"Come have some orange juice," urged Maggie. "I'm

fixing us some breakfast right now, then I think we had

better head into town before someone sends out a search

party."

Leah drank the juice, then looked at Maggie. "Would you

*mind very much if I stayed at your house-just until Jed gets

back?"

"Of course you can stay at my house. You can stay for as

long as you like, Leah. You know that."

She smiled faintly. "Yeah, I guess I know.. I'm just not

sure why." She set down her empty gla.s.s and her smile

faded. "Maggie, there's something I really need to tell you."

Maggie flipped the bacon over and looked up. "What is

it?"

"I need to apologize." Leah sighed loudly. "This isn't

easy, but I suppose it'd be best just to get it out. And if you

hate me when I'm done, well, then it'll be all my fault

anyway." She looked directly at Maggie. "You see, I have Looking for You All My Life273

been really, really jealous of you because of Jed. I know it

probably sounds pretty stupid and totally selfish. But I was

afraid that he loved you more than he loved me. I mean, he'd

actually loved you longer-even before I came along. And it

was no secret that he didn't even really seem to like me very

much right at first-"

"He liked you," defended Maggie. "He's always liked

you."

"Well, you know-he was all worried that I was a bad

influence on Spencer and stuff like that. I knew all about it

then, I just didn't realize at the time that he was my father.

Anyway, when he found out he was my father, then it did

seem like he really loved me. But still not as much as he loved

you..."

"But those are two totally different kinds of love, Leah. I

don't know how you can even compare one to the other. It's

like apples and oranges-both good and special in their

uniqueness. The way I love Spencer is just.. it'S just unex-

plainable. I mean, I'd love him no matter what he did, and

I'd probably even kill to protect him if I had to. That's just

the way a parent loves-"

"Not all parents." Leah's eyes grew dark now, the edges

br.i.m.m.i.n.g with tears. "Not my mother."

Maggie turned down the flame beneath the bacon and

moved closer to Leah, putting an arm around her shoulders.

"Oh, honey, I'm so sorry about that."