Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 176

"Did you have a dream?" She turned on her side and faced Gloria.

Gloria's face scrunched with concentration. 'Mm-hmm."

Deana knew she was Gloria's second choice, and that didn't bother her because she knew about the dreams. "Why didn't you go upstairs?"

"Something happened to Evan, in my dream, might have been a fight, but he's not home." Gloria fidgeted and moved closer to Deana. 'Dee, what's a meddler?" she asked. "Is it a bad thing?"

Deana took a deep breath, put her arm over Gloria's stomach and summoned the courage required to play the role of big sister. "Meddler, that depends," she said. "Who said it?"

"Never mind." Gloria looked away. "I, ah, I know."

"Gloria, we don't have secrets, sister's tell all," she lied.

Gloria shivered and hugged her chest. 'Daah, Dad-"

Deana's question was out before she could stop it, "Did he hurt you?"

"No, no." Gloria's head shook repeatedly. "He was in a bad, really bad mood. He said mean things, that's all."

"Good." Wasn't it ridiculous to be grateful that their father had only said mean things? "What did he say?"

"Dee, I'm scared. What if he makes me leave? What if he sends me and Morm back to the trailer park? He said that."

Deana refused to cry. "He'd never do that, but if he did, he'd be all alone, because I'm going with you, Evan too."

"He's mad at her and me," Gloria said. "He sald I'm a meddler just like Mom. What did he mean? Did Mom do something?"

"What else did he say?"

Gloria rolled towards her. They were face to face. "Why was he so mad at Mom?"

"Listen to me," Deana said, 'don't worry about that. He's talking stupid. You're not any of those things. Neither is Mom. She saved us from him. Saved me and Evan. If it weren't for her. we would have been alone, stuck alone with him. Nobody to love us and protect us. She saved us. The tears had their way, and Deana hated her father for making her cry, again. "Mom isn't a meddier. She's a hero. I'm sorry you had to get dragged into this with us."

Gloria used the sheet to dry Deana's tears and said, "I'm not sorry. I love you. We're a team."

Their hug was powerful, both girls trembling, neither willing to tell the whole truth. Gloria burrowed her face in the crook of Deana's neck, and their legs tangled together.

"Deana?"

"What?"

"Does kissing Rebecca feel good, um, make you feel good?"

Deana squinted her eye. "What makes you think I kiss her?"

"Um, I guessed."

"You been spying again?" Deana asked.

Gloria rolled on her back and stared at the ceiling. "Not really, I notice things and I-"

"You notice them because you're looking where you shouldn't be looking. Now admit it, you were spying."

"Dee, I swear, I wasn't spying. I might have forgotten to knock and might have seen something, but it wasn't actually spying. I learned

my lesson last time."

"Did you close my door right away, or did you keep watching? If you kept watching, then that's spying."

Gloria said, "I think you're trying to not answer my question."

"Is that so," Deana said.

Gloria smiled triumphantly. "It's so!"

"How much did you see?" Deana asked.

"Enough to know you been kissing a bunch."

"You snoop-a-doodle, one of these days you're gonna see