“Yes, I visit her once or twice a week, but it’s very rare that she even recognizes me. I’ll try, though.” Quinn closed the album and retrieved a pile of postcards from the same box. They were cards that her grandfather had sent while he was on his business trips. Most contained short and sweet messages, telling her grandmother he missed her, but some were longer with updates on business deals and things he’d seen or experienced.
“It must be pretty special to be so close to your family.”
Hearing the hint of regret in Riley’s voice, Quinn turned and looked up at her. “It is,” she said. “Can I ask you why you’re not?”
Riley shrugged. “It’s me. It’s all my fault. I’ve only ever focused on work, and now I feel like it’s too late to rekindle. They probably hate me because I haven’t been in touch much.”
“Who are ‘they’?”
“My sister, my niece, and my father. I have uncles and aunts too—I’ve never been close to them—but the people I grew up with and love…” She paused. “I’ve neglected them. I’ve only ever thought about myself.”
“You don’t strike me as a selfish person.”
“I am.” Riley shook her head. “At least, I was,” she corrected herself. “Maybe I still am. I don’t seem to know myself these days.”
“It’s never too late to make up for lost time,” Quinn said, detecting a hidden message behind her statement. She regarded Riley, resisting the urge to reach out and run a hand through her hair. “It’s never too late.”
“Hmm…” Riley stared at her, then turned her gaze to the window. “I’ve been thinking about calling my sister. I might do that tomorrow.” She gave Quinn a small smile and straightened herself. “Anyway, I’ll leave you to it. I hope you find the answers you’re looking for.”
29
RILEY
It was scary after not speaking to her sister for months, but the call was long overdue. Riley held her breath as the phone rang and sighed in relief when she heard Jane’s voice.
“Riley?”
“Hi, yes, it’s me.” Riley hesitated. “I’m sorry it’s been so long. How are you?”
“How am I?” Jane sounded even sharper than Riley had expected. “I’ve been trying to speak to you for God knows how long and you keep fobbing me off. What happened? Are you on vacation and suddenly bored or something?”
Something like that.Riley sighed. “You’re right,” she said. “I’ve been a bad sister and an even worse aunt.” She hesitated. “I’ve been selfish, and it took me some time to gather the courage to tell you that I’m very, very sorry.” There was an uncomfortable silence, and Jane made no effort to make conversation, so she continued. “How’s little Mindy?”
“She’s fine. She’s been asking about you.” Jane’s voice was still cold.
“I’d love to see you both.” Riley cleared her throat. “Any chance we could meet up?”
“Just so you can leave me waiting at a restaurant for an hour or be on your phone the whole time we’re together?”
“No.” Riley swallowed hard as a ball of guilt formed in her core. “My life is different now. I’ve moved away from New York, and I sold my company.”
Another long silence followed, and this time, Riley didn’t fill it.
“Are you okay?” Jane finally asked.
“Yes. I just needed a change of lifestyle, that’s all. For good,’ she added, not wanting to go into detail. “I live in Mystic now. It’s a small town in Connecticut along the river. I bought a house here—an estate, actually—and I have more bedrooms than I know what to do with, so you’re both welcome to come and stay here anytime, for as long as you want.”
Jane laughed. “You’re kidding me, right?”
“I’m serious. It’s a nice place for a vacation, and I’ll pay for your flights. Or I could come and see you, whatever you prefer.”
“Wow.” Jane paused. “So, what caused you to suddenly move out of the city and become interested in family? You’re not dying, are you?” Although she sounded sarcastic, there was definitely a worried undertone in her voice.
“I would if I’d carried on the way I did,” Riley retorted in a joking manner. It wasn’t that far from the truth, but Jane didn’t need to know that. “I needed to slow down.”
“I never thought you’d even consider that. What are you doing in Mystic? Workwise, I mean.”
“Workwise, nothing, but I’m doing up the house I bought.”
