Meg glanced at the clock. It was 10:03 p.m. in Laguna, morning in Florence.
Sure.
Seconds later, her laptop camera flickered to life.
Anna appeared, backlit by morning light pouring through a window that framed terracotta rooftops. Her hair was piled in a messy bun, and she wore a paint-splattered tee Meg vaguely remembered from a family beach trip a decade ago.
“Hi,” Anna said, cautious but not cold.
“Hi,” Meg replied. “Lemons, huh?”
Anna held up a half-finished canvas. Bright yellows and moody purples. Unexpected. Bold.
“I got tired of sunflowers. Too obvious. Lemons are honest.”
Meg smiled faintly. “That’s very... you.”
Anna tilted her head. “You look like hell.”
“Thanks. You always know how to flatter a girl.”
Anna shrugged. “I mean it nicely. You look like someone who hasn’t slept in a while.”
Meg hesitated, then nodded. “Tyler left yesterday. I’m covering the Shack. And still doing work stuff. It’s—a lot.”
Anna didn’t say I told you so. She just leaned in a little closer to the camera.
“You okay?”
Meg stared at her sister for a second. The question was simple. Familiar. Unexpected.
“Ask me again later.”
Anna gave a soft smile. “Okay. I will.”
They looked at each other for a beat, the silence between them thick with everything unspoken.
Meg took a sip of her tea and grimaced. “Why does tea taste like regret when it’s cold?”
Anna laughed. “Because cold tea is what happens when you stop paying attention to your needs for hours. Classic eldest child move.”
“I don’t have time to pay attention to my needs.”
“You’re literally sitting in an empty house, drinking tea and spiraling.”
Meg gave her a look. “I’m not spiraling. I’m—looping. It’s different.”
Anna laughed. “Okay, fine. You’re looping like a Roomba trapped in a corner. Still counts.”
Meg smiled despite herself. “You haven’t changed.”
“And you haven’t slowed down,” Anna replied, gentler now. “But you did text me. That’s something.”
“Thank you,” Meg added, almost as an afterthought. “For saying yes. For not making me feel bad for showing up so late in the game.”
“Are you kidding?” Anna shook her head, amused. “You being there let me stay here. With Bea. This fellowship—it’s a huge deal. I said no at first. Because I didn’t think anyone would step up if there was an emergency. Especially not you.”
Meg let that settle. There was no edge to Anna’s voice now. Just quiet gratitude.
