“There should still be an old one around somewhere. From when Daddy was deployed?” Our mother had always insisted we celebrate Christmas together as a family. One year that tree stood, covered in ornaments and dust, until February, when Dad came home from Iraq.
“The fake one? Great. Maybe we can get DJ to throw balls at it,” Meg said.
I leaned my head against her shoulder, a little buzzed with wine and lack of sleep. “Thanks for being here.”
She hugged me, enveloping me in her warm Meg smell, babies and Pantene shampoo. “What are sisters for?”
I felt a twinge of guilt. I hadn’t exactly been there for her lately. “How are you doing?”
“Fine.”
I snorted. “You sound like Mom.”
“Yeah.” Meg looked away.
“We should tell the girls about her surgery on Friday.”
“I know. But what good would it do? It’s not like they can come home.”
“They still have a right to know.”
“It’s not our place to tell them.”
“Have you talked to Dad?”
“To MomandDad. She doesn’t want to worry them. And he doesn’t want to upset Mom.”
“I could e-mail them,” I offered.
“Because that’s reassuring,” Meg said dryly.
I shrugged.
“Fine. I’ll tell them,” Meg said, taking Mom’s role as she always did. Taking responsibility.Thank God. “I’ll tell them everything’s fine and they don’t need to come.”
“Thanks.”
Her smile flickered. “It’s what I do.”
“Make everybody feel better?”
“Pretty much.” Her tone was light.
I peered at her, trying to read her expression in the dark. Trying to imagine how it would be to have everyone depending on me all the time, to be responsible for everybody’s feelings. “So, what’s this about you going to work for Carl Stewart?”
“Oh, that. It’s just part-time. A couple hours a week, helping out with the books since his parents retired. I can do most of it from home.”
“Following your passion,” I said, half joking.
“I don’t have a passion. I’m an accountant.”
“But you like numbers.”
Meg nodded. “I like the clarity. The responsibility. And I’m not going to lie—I like getting paid.”
“What does John think about you going back to work?”
“John says it’s my decision. Whatever I want, he said.”
