Different Circles

“He was nineteen then,” Laura said. “And Sarah was eighteen, just graduated high school. She was the daughter of the Bishop of our ward. The Bishop stepped down after it became known that Sarah was pregnant. He and the entire family disowned her. As far as I know, they’ve never spoken to her again. As for my family, we were forbidden to talk about Joey to anyone in the Los Angeles ward or even at school. Mom and Dad have lived in constant fear that the new ward would find out about him and the whole thing would start over again. At least ... they used to worry about it until I started being mentioned in the papers for living in sin with you. I’m pretty sure their shame of me overrode their shame of Joey.”

“Wow,” Jake said again, shaking his head. “This is a level of intolerance that I cannot even begin to wrap my mind around. Do your people really believe that disowning family just because they dipped their wick and a little miracle happened is what God wants?”

“They really believe that,” she assured him. “You can see now why I want nothing to do with that religion—or any other religion, for that matter.”

“You don’t have to explain it to me,” Jake assured her. “I’ve always felt that way. Are you going to call him?”

She sighed. “Yeah, I guess I need to just so I can find out what this is about. It has to be bad news of some kind. I cannot think of a single good reason why Joey would want to talk to me now, after all these years.”

“Did he disown you as well?” Jake asked.

“I don’t know,” she said. “I haven’t talked to him at all since we moved to LA. Mom would give me updates on him from time to time, but they were always negative updates, I think as a warning of what happened when you went against the teachings of the church. And it’s sad, really, because Joey was the sibling I was closest to when I was little.”

“Really?”

She nodded. “He was my big brother,” she said whimsically. “I mean, Aaron was my big brother too, but he was only eighteen months older than me, and he and I never really got along all that well. Joey was eight years older. He used to babysit me and Aaron when Mom and Dad had to go to some church function or to work. He used to walk me and Aaron to school. He used to ride me on his handlebars around the neighborhood. He really liked having a baby sister, I think.” She giggled a little. “I helped him meet girls. They would flock to him when they saw that I was with him.”

Jake nodded reverently. Laura’s brother had employed a tried-and-true method of using a known chick-magnet to further his cause. And Laura must have been adorable as a youngster, with her red hair and her freckles and her cute face. They surely would have gathered in force around the big brother that showed such a nurturing instinct. Perhaps that was a factor in his attraction of the Bishop’s daughter. Hmm, Jake thought respectfully. A Bishop’s daughter. I ain’t never had me no Bishop’s daughter. This dude has done something in the sack that I haven’t managed to accomplish.

“It sounds like you had a good relationship with him,” Jake offered, deciding—wisely, no doubt—to keep his speculations and observations to himself.

“I really did,” she said, her expression melancholy. “Well ... I guess I’d better see what this is all about.”

“Here’s the number,” Jake said, picking it up and offering it to her.

“In a minute,” she said, turning back toward the bedroom.

“Where are you going?” he asked.

“I need to put something on,” she said.

“Why?”

“I can’t talk to my brother while I’m naked,” she said simply. “Eww.”

“Okay then,” Jake said slowly.

She disappeared and then came back a few minutes later wearing a long, loose-fitting white t-shirt that came down to just above her knees. It was apparent to Jake that she had not put on a bra or even panties beneath it. Apparently, it was okay to talk to one’s brother with no panties or bra on as long as there was outer-wear involved.

“I think I’ll go get out of these clothes and take a quick shower,” he told her.

“Okay,” she said absently. She now had the piece of paper with Joseph II’s number on it. She was staring at it but making no move to pick up the phone.

He went into the bedroom and quickly stripped off his clothes, putting the ski wear in one place while putting his undergarments in the laundry bag. By the time he was done with this and walked back to the bathroom, Laura was on the phone and talking to someone. She had no expression on her face and he could not hear what she was saying. He left her alone and went to take his shower and take account of his own bumps, bruises, aches, and pains.

Once he was toweled off, he threw on a pair of sweatpants and walked back out into the sitting room. Laura was still at the writing desk, her expression one of deep thought. She did not look particularly upset.

“Well?” he asked her carefully. “Was it bad news?”