"Little sister? How could I not know you have a little sister?" I question him with my mouth open in shock. Jake shushes me before leaning closer to lower his voice.

"She doesn't know she's my sister. Peggy adopted her when she was a baby... She doesn't want Jasmine to know we're related."

"What? Why?" I'm filled with so many questions.

"I don't know. It's one of her terms I have to follow if I want to keep seeing Jasmine. I'll explain everything to you, I just want you to see the life Jasmine lives." Jake glances around the bungalow with a wince on his face.

He looks physically uncomfortable at the thought of his little sister living in Peggy's humble abode.

"She doesn't have a good life, Wentworth. She's my little sister and I can't do anything by law to give her a better life... It kills me."

My heart aches for him. I intertwine our fingers together before swallowing the lump forming in the back of my throat. Jake turns to look at me and his blue eyes are covered with a glossy layer of tears.

"No matter how scared we feel or how young we are, we'd never abandon our child like my Mom abandoned Jasmine. I'm not freaking out over the baby because I know I won't mess up as badly as she messed up," Jake blinks to clear the tears filling his eyes.

I'm not accustomed to seeing him so choked up with his emotions. The story surrounding Jasmine must be heart-breaking to have him react like this. I fall silent and allow Jake to open up to me on his own accord.

We're going to do everything to be good parents, Emily. I know it." Hearing him sound so confident and secure of our abilities does help calm the anxiety bubbling in the center of my chest.

"Okay, Jake. I trust you," I say quietly.

Peggy stumbles into the living room holding a tray with three cups of tea. Her eyes flicker between Jake and I and she settles her lips into a thin line.

"Hmm. Did you come here to see Jasmine? Or is there another reason you're here?"

"I came to see Jasmine. Here's a Christmas present for her," Jake says before handing Peggy the shopping bag.

She peers inside before haphazardly dropping the bag to the armchair.

"It's a Barbie doll. It's the one you told me she wanted," Jake says quietly.

Peggy doesn't seem happy, thankful or excited at Jake's gift to his little sister. Her personality appears to switch up within a split second and she takes a seat while staring directly at me. Her eyes narrow into tiny slits and I squirm with discomfort. A bad feeling stirs inside my gut and I decide I don't like the aura surrounding her.

"So... You're pregnant?" Peggy asks me. I nod my head in response. She must have been eavesdropping on our conversation. How much of it did she hear?

"Are you keeping it?" Peggy asks me in a blunt and straightforward tone.

I blink in surprise and place a hand over my stomach. Why does everybody keep asking me that?

"Yes, I'm keeping the baby." I say with a hint of irritation lining my voice. Why is it anybody else's concern whether I keep my child or not? I would never think to question anyone on a decision regarding their body. I simply have no say in the matter.

"Can I see Jasmine? I'd love to get to know her," I say, partly to change the subject. I feel the desire to get to know her knowing Jasmine is Jake's sister... Even if she doesn't know who I am.

"No, dear. I don't think that's a good idea." Peggy says bluntly.

"Why not? You could give her Jake's present. I'm sure she'd like that." I hit back at her with a raised brow. Peggy shifts in her seat and doesn't appear to like my decision to confront her. She gives me a final hard look before turning her attention to Jake.

"I think you should both leave."

"Already? But I was hoping to spend time with –" Jake argues against her but Peggy stands to her feet and steps aside to create a clear pathway to the front door.

"Now. Goodbye." Peggy interrupts with an unreadable look on her face. I stare at her in bewilderment. What happened to the warm welcome we received mere minutes ago? Jake's jaw locks with frustration but he doesn't argue against her. He stands up and helps me off the couch before walking toward the door.

"If there's anything you need, call me. Okay, Peggy? Anything at all. You know I'm always here to help you and Jasmine."

"Goodbye, Jake." Peggy ignores him completely before slamming the door in our face.

I blink in surprise and feel frustration bubbling away in the pit of my stomach.

"God, what is her problem? She's so hot and cold." I mutter under my breath. Jake glares at the badly painted green door with a scowl on his face.

"She's unhinged and completely unreasonable. That's what's wrong with her... As soon as Jasmine is old enough, I'm getting her out of this hell hole. She deserves better than this."

I couldn't agree with him more. Growing up with an unstable adult figure can't be easy for a child. Both Jake and I have experienced it first hand. He grabs hold of my hand before guiding me toward his car. He appears to be filled with anger and frustration as he pulls open the passenger door, waits for me to get inside before slamming it shut. He walks around and slides into the driver's seat before slamming a hand onto the center of his steering wheel.

"Fuck!"

"What's the story with Jasmine?" I ask him quietly. He runs his fingers through his dark hair before exhaling a deep breath.

"It's a long one."

"We have an hour's drive ahead of us to get home. There's time."

Jake nods his head in agreement before turning on the car and backing out of Peggy's driveway. Before he drives away, he turns to look at Peggy's bungalow with regret and frustration. It must be difficult for him to drive away knowing he can't take his little sister with him. I know Jake and I know how much he values family... If there was anything he could do for Jasmine, he would have already done it by now. He drives for ten minutes in complete silence before finally speaking.

"Do you remember how I told you I was raised by Aunt Myra?" Jake asks me quietly.

I hum in response. Jake's hand tightens around the steering wheel and his throat rolls with emotion.

"My Mom has always been in and out of my life for as long as I can remember. She'd hang around for a couple months before disappearing to run away with my father. It was common for her to leave without notice," Jake tells me.

"I'm sorry. That must have been difficult for you," I whisper.

"It was my normal. I loved growing up with Tobias and Ivory so it didn't bother me as much as you'd think. One day, I came home with a state boxing award. I was so proud of it. I wanted to show Mom, but Aunt Myra said she was gone. That was the first time I really hated Mom for leaving me without a second thought. I didn't see her for almost two years. She didn't visit or call. She didn't even write me a letter. She showed up again when I was ten years old. One morning, she stood on Aunt Myra's doorstep holding a baby bag in one hand and a newborn baby in the other."

"Jasmine?" I ask.

"Yes. She was two weeks old and Mom had broken up with my father. He told her to leave so she came crawling back to Aunt Myra's for help. I was so angry with her but that disappeared when I saw her holding Jasmine. I was only a child but as soon as I looked into her eyes, I instantly fell in love with her. I'd always wanted a little sister of my own." Jake smiles at the fond memory but his smile quickly vanishes.

"Mom was a mess. She drank every single day to deal with the break up. She didn't care for Jasmine the way a Mom should... Just like she did with me. One night, I woke to Jasmine screeching. I went into Mom's room and Jasmine's clothes were soaked through. She wasn't wearing a diaper and her clothes were ruined. I lifted her out of the crib and took her to the bathroom."

My eyes fall shut for a brief second as I imagine Jake dealing with an absent Mom. He deserved better than that.

"What happened after that?"

"I tried to bathe her. I took off her clothes and placed her in the sink. I did everything so slowly and carefully so I didn't hurt her. No matter what I did, she continued to screech at the top of her lungs. I was singing to her to try and calm her down but it wasn't working. The bathroom door opened, Aunt Myra took one look at me before breaking down into tears. She took Jasmine from my arms and ordered me to go back to bed. The next morning, Jasmine was gone."

"Gone?" I whisper with shock.

"Yes. Aunt Myra gave Mom a choice. She could either look after Jasmine properly and get sober, or put her up for adoption so another family could look after Jasmine the way she should be looked after."

Disappointment swarms through me. "Your Mom went with the second option?"

"Yes. She gave Jasmine up without hesitation. I was furious with her. I yelled at her for weeks afterwards but no matter how much I yelled, it wouldn't bring Jasmine back. Aunt Myra couldn't look after her. She was raising three kids on her own, barely getting by and working a full time job. Everybody thought foster care was the best option for Jasmine. Little did they know, the foster system is a pile of garbage. Most children in the foster system don't end up with good families."

"Peggy adopted Jasmine," I say quietly.

"Yeah. Fostering a child pays good money so Peggy took her in for financial benefit. When I was old enough, I tracked her down and begged her to give me a chance to see Jasmine. She agreed if I followed her rules. The main one being Jasmine could never know I was her older brother. I was introduced to her as Peggy's godson."

"I'm sorry, Jake. I had no idea."

I reach over to slip my hand through his. Jake turns to give me a watery smile. He appears to be carrying the guilt of Jasmine's fate on his shoulders.

"You do know it's not your fault, right? You were a child. Looking after Jasmine wasn't your responsibility," I tell him. He kisses the front of his teeth before turning his attention back to the road.

"I don't know, Wentworth. If Mom kept her shit together for a couple of years, I would have been old enough to care for her. She wouldn't be stuck with a deranged bat-shit crazy woman as her only parent."

"That's not your responsibility, Jake." I repeat my words in hope to get through to him. It's unfair for him to carry the burden and guilt his Mom should be carrying.

"I guess you're right. I visit her on her birthday and every Christmas but it's not enough. She has no idea her family lives only an hour away. How messed up is that?"

"Yeah, it's pretty messed up. Maybe one day, she'll be home where she belongs."

Jake nods once with a hopeful look in his eyes. When he speaks, his voice is lined with a deep sadness and heavy guilt. "Yeah, maybe."