“Girls!” Rory yelled, her voice carrying even from inside the house.
“Uh oh. You guys ran from something…” I kept my voice low so my sister wouldn’t overhear.
Rory stepped out onto the porch, hands braced on her hips and eyes narrowed at her daughters. “Since when is that a proper goodbye? Y’all just scream out that you’re leavin’ and run? I don’t think so. Get back up here.” She pointed to the space in front of her, her tone firm.
The girls both grumbled under their breath, but they did their momma’s bidding and trudged up the porch steps to give Rory a hug before grabbing something she handed each of them. With just as much speed as the first time, they dashed back to the cart and practically dove in.
“Put ’em on now,” Rory called from the porch. “It’s cold.”
“What’s she talkin’ about?” I asked out of the corner of my mouth, just loud enough for the girls to hear.
Ava rolled her eyes and thrust out a sparkly pink hat with a huge pompom on the top. “This stupid thing.”
“MyGod, that’s hideous. What are you, four?”
“That’s what I said!” Ava threw her arms up in exasperation.
“Mine’s worse.” Ella shoved hers—bright green, complete with oversized ear flaps—between the front seats.
I barely held in the laugh that so desperately wanted to escape, but I somehow managed it. “C’mon now, girls, your momma just wants to make sure you don’t get sick. And it looks like shetriedto pick out styles you’d both like.” I gestured to Ava’s sparkle-infused hat. “You normally love all things glittery.” Grabbing the hat Ella had shoved to the front, I shook it. “And your favorite color is green.”
Groans and grumbles were my only response, and this time, it was my turn to roll my eyes. One tweenager was enough, but lately, Ella had been jumping ship, replicating all that sass she’d learned from her older sister way too early for my liking. I honestly had no idea how Rory put up with it all.
“All right, y’all.” I tossed the hat back to Ella. “Put ’em on so your momma doesn’t have a stroke.”
“But, Aunt Maaaaaaac,” they both whined in unison.
I snorted. Lord help me, but if I ever had kids, they’d be spoiled rotten, because I’d do just about anything to avoid listening to that. “I wasn’t plannin’ on makin’ you wear ’em the whole time, but if you keep on like that, I will.”
They both shoved on the hats without another peep, and the three of us waved to Rory as I turned the cart around and started on our meandering path toward the main house for our standing Sunday supper date. When Rory’s place was out of view, I floored it, the hats came off and were tossed somewhere—no doubt hopefully never to be found again—and the chatter started up.
The girls were complete opposites—where Ava loved fashion and makeup and dance, Ella preferred fishing and camping and getting dirty outside—so giving them equal airtime was challenging.
“I’m so excited for the wedding!” Ava squealed, hands clasped together and tucked under her chin. “And I can’t wait to try on my dress. It’ssopretty.”
Ella groaned, and while I wanted to, I kept that feeling locked up tight. It wasn’t that I didn’t want my sister to be happy, or that I wanted to spoil her day in any way. It was more I just…didn’t understand.
I didn’t comprehend why getting married had to involve this huge, stressful event full of shit—expensiveshit—they were never going to use again, all the while being surrounded by people they barely spoke to. Ruby could take care of that at town hall for twenty bucks.
But I had learned early on that Willdidsee the value in all those things—and so did Ava—so I shut my mouth and supported them both. But inside, I felt a whole lot like Ella, which was to say I’d rather be out in the wilderness, peeing in bushes and avoiding poison ivy, than messing with all this nonsense.
“Are you goin’ with Will for the cake tasting?” I asked.
“Of course!” Ava bounced in the seat, her age—where it was practically the law to play it cool—no match for her excitement.
“I am too.” Ella poked her head between the seats and grinned her toothless smile. “It’s the only good part of this whole stupid thing! At least I get cake, even if I have to wear a stupid, fancy dress.”
I stifled a laugh—Ella was my soul sister, through and through, whereas Ava and Will were two peas in a pod. “You sure say stupid a lot.”
“Well, it is.”
“At least you can wear your Chucks with your dress, though, right?”
“I guess,” she grumbled. “Wish I could just wear jeans too.”
“You’d look dumb if you did that.” Ava rolled her eyes.
“You’dlook dumb,” Ella snapped, leaning up close and getting right in her sister’s face.
