Sky
so, you ARE mad
Me
Mad, no. Cold, yes. Roads are hell here. Any luck at the airport?
Addie
The flight situation here is a nightmare. Everything’s being canceled due to the blizzard.
Me
Not surprised. They’re shutting the highways down, so even if you managed to make it to Denver, you’d be stuck in the airport.
Addie
They’re saying maybe tomorrow afternoon, but honestly, I’m not optimistic. This storm system is massive. At least we’re still in Austin, so we can go home and wait it out. Better than being stranded in an airport.
Sky
what if we miss Xmas???
My chest tightened. The girls missing Christmas was bad enough. But if something had happened to Kelsey, if she was hurt somewhere and they couldn’t get to her…
Me
Don’t worry about it. We’ll figure something out. Your mama and I can handle things here. Y’all focus on staying safe.
Sky
does this mean you’re going to see each other again???
Addie
She didn’t mean that.
Sky
what
it’s a legitimate question!
Me
We can manage.
Addie
Okay. But it’s not like her not to respond to a text. Are you sure everything’s okay? Is she mad?
I stared at the screen, weighing how much to tell them. They wereadults, technically. Addie was twenty-five, Sky twenty-two. Old enough to handle the truth. But they were also two states away, helpless to do anything except worry.
Me
I’m sure she’s fine. Probably just taking her time at the store. You know how she gets about comparing brands.
It was a weak lie. Kelsey had never been one to linger over grocery decisions. She shopped like she did everything else—with ruthless efficiency and a mental list organized by aisle.
