Left Behind Countless Times, This Time, I’m Leaving Them Chapter 02

Left Behind Countless Times, This Time, I’m Leaving Them Chapter 02

When I got to the living room, Paige and my three sisters had already taken up the entire oversized couch.

Nobody saved me a seat.

I grabbed a throw pillow, as usual, and sat on the rug by the coffee table.

Dawn scrolled through travel websites, practically buzzing with excitement.

“Let’s go to Chicago! Michigan Avenue is full of designer stores. We can knock out all our college shopping while we’re there.”

Solara nodded. “I want to see Navy Pier and Millennium Park. Lake Michigan is perfect for pictures—they’ll look amazing on Instagram.”

Luna leaned against Paige’s shoulder and spoke softly, “Mom, I want to go to Chicago too.”

“There are art museums, and there’s the University of Chicago. I’ve always wanted to see what a real top-tier school looks like.”

My heart skipped a beat when I heard “University of Chicago.”

I was about to say I wanted to visit the Adler Planetarium too, but Paige had already pinched Luna’s cheek.

“Okay, we’ll do what Luna wants. You’re the baby of the family, after all.”

The baby of the family.

Those words wrapped around my heart like thorns.

We were quadruplets, born only minutes apart. The hospital records showed I was actually the last one born.

But Paige only ever ranked three of her daughters.

Dawn was the oldest. Solara was second. Luna was the youngest.

As for me, it was like I’d never been part of the family order at all.

Maybe taking care of four babies had been too much for her.

Maybe she’d instinctively erased the quietest one, the baby who cried the least.

My three sisters took the favoritism for granted. Dad just went along with it.

Over time, they really came to believe that this family only had three daughters worth loving.

Paige had already opened the booking page.

“Let me check flights from Seattle to Chicago next month. We should book now before graduation season drives prices up.”

“Make sure you get six tickets.”

I looked at her screen and reminded her anyway.

It wasn’t an unnecessary reminder.

Forgetting Vesper had practically become a Taylor family tradition.

When we were kids, they locked me inside the house while they went to a theme park.

At Thanksgiving, there were always only three new jackets.

When we went to Lake Chelan, they left me behind in a vacation house with the power cut.

This time, we’d be traveling halfway across the country.

I didn’t want to relive that helpless feeling of being left behind by my family in a strange city.

“What’s the rush?” Paige frowned. “You think I’d forget you while booking plane tickets?”

Dawn snorted. “Do you seriously think the whole family’s out to get you? You’re always playing the victim. It’s exhausting.”

Solara popped a cherry into her mouth.

“She’s just afraid we’ll have fun without her. She always has to kill the mood.”

Luna didn’t say anything. She just leaned against Mom’s shoulder, a faint smile tugging at her lips.

I shut my mouth and stopped reminding them.

Outside, the sky grew darker.

One by one, the stars of the Summer Triangle appeared over Seattle.

I watched Vega light up first.

Suddenly, I realized I didn’t have to keep putting my hope in the same people.

This would be the last time.