Millie gasped.
“The closet!” Emmeline said. Without turning on the lights, they rushed into Millie’s walk-in closet, shutting the door. They sat down against the door, barring it from opening if the kids did follow.
Emmeline turned on her phone’s flashlight, setting it on the floor, while Millie crawled forward and fished out a bag from one of the drawers.
“Contraband,” Millie said, showing her the bag of chocolate-covered espresso beans.
Emmeline laughed. “Ohmygod, yes.” The chocolate made the espresso bearable for Millie, and they used to eat these all the time in university while studying.
Millie sat back down beside Emmeline, and they both popped the beans into their mouths, relishing the sweetchocolate and bitter espresso. “You know I actually never get these,” Emmeline said. “It feels like such a uni thing.”
“I keep this bag for special occasions,” Millie said, taking out another. “Uni feels like forever ago.”
Emmeline blew out her cheeks. “When life’s biggest challenge was a discussion post.”
“Things get so complicated the older you get,” Millie agreed, offering Emmeline another bean. Their shoulders were pressed together, and just the contact made Emmeline reset. Seeing her sister always grounded her, and all the tension from the week slipped away in the quiet of the dark closet.
“Those were such golden days, and we didn’t even realize it,” Emmeline said. She was reminiscing on the time her and her sister lived together, went to school together, did everything together.
Millie turned to Emmeline. “I love Ammi, but I’m struggling a little with how intense she can be,” she said. “I mean, I appreciate all the help because managing the kids and a newborn would be too much, but like...” She widened her eyes.
Emmeline snorted. “Don’t worry, she’s driving me up the wall, too,” she told her sister. “She calls me every other day to ask after Motu and the boys and Dad.”
“Good lord,” Millie said, shaking her head. “She asks too much of you.”
Emmeline knew it was true, and she was tired of it.Why must I take care of everything, and everyone? You do in fact have other children!They were words she imagined saying to her mother often, but they never came out.
“It’s okay,” Emmeline said, instead. “How’s Eve been?”
At that, Millie smiled. “Adorable, though Noah’s kind of right: all she does is sleep, so sheiskind of boring.”
Both sisters laughed.
“You’re just used to toddler chaos,” Emmeline said. “And anyway, be grateful she’s not up half the night crying like Ira used to be.”
“God, you’re right.” Millie shuddered at the memories. “Now tell me how things are going with the bookshop. Have you run into Luke again?”
“HaveI?” Emmeline started, blood quickening in her veins at the mention of Luke.
Emmeline told Millie all the infuriating details of the past ten days, expecting her sister to be angry on her behalf but surprised to find Millie squealing and then, worse,giggling.
“Stop giggling!” Emmeline ordered.
Millie only cackled. “Why? This is perfect. He’s yourmatch.”
Emmeline pouted. “I hate him,” she said.
Millie frowned. “Why?”
Emmeline gave her a look, but still her sister didn’t understand. “He broke your heart,” Emmeline finally said. “You cried for a week!”
Millie’s jaw dropped open. “Are you okay?” she asked, slapping Emmeline’s arm.
“Ow!”
“You hate him because of me?” Millie confirmed. “I’m literally married! We are hiding from my three children as we speak! I don’t even remember what happened between us.”
Emmeline scoffed. “Well,Iremember,” she said, crossing her arms.
