FORTY-SEVEN
PRESENT
Serenity and I spent the day cleaning, shopping, getting our hair done, and finally getting ready in our date attire. She frantically checked her phone throughout the day, though. I was itching to know what her surprise was. She checked her phone once more before putting it in her purse.
“Are you ready?” she asked.
“As ready as I can be with having absolutely no information on what we’re doing or where we’re going.”
Right as we were about to open the front door, the doorbell rang. “Who could that be?” she said in a sing-song tone. I gave her a side eye, knowing she was up to something. She opened the door wide, and I couldn’t believe my eyes.
“Hi, brother,” Luna said, standing there, all grown up from the kid I helped raise.
“Lu,” I said in a whisper.
We ran into each other’s arms. I picked her up and spun her around. I set her down and took a good look at her. “You’re all grown up.”
I looked over at Serenity, who had tears in her eyes. “Did you plan this?”
“I just reached out; it was Luna’s idea to surprise you.” I thought I couldn’t be in love with Serenity any more than I already was, but her reuniting me with my sister made me fall in love with her that much more.
The two women walked over to each other and hugged. Both thanked the other.
“So, I made plans with Emma so you two could talk,” Serenity said. “I have Chinese food being delivered, and I’ll be back in a couple of hours.”
I wrapped her in my arms, hoping my love and appreciation for her were being communicated through the hug. “Thank you, my love,” I whispered in her ear. “You continue to save me, and I will spend the rest of my time here making it up to you.” We kissed lightly before she gave Luna one last hug goodbye and headed out the door.
“Come on in and make yourself at home. Do you want something to drink?”
She walked to the couch. “Ice water would be perfect.”
“Coming right up.” I went to the kitchen to get us both a couple of glasses of ice water, taking a moment to gather my thoughts. I was overwhelmed with emotions, but one thing I knew for sure was that I would do anything to keep my sister in my life this time.
I handed her the glass, sitting in the chair facing the couch. “Can I go first?” she asked.
We were interrupted by the doorbell with our Chinese delivery. I answered the door and brought the food into thekitchen. “We don’t have to eat right away if you’d like to talk first.”
“I had a long drive and want to get some stuff out before I forget, if that’s okay.”
I joined her back in the living room, encouraging her to continue.
“I didn’t mean what I said the last time we saw each other. I never wished it were you; I just wished we could have found a way to be okay without Avery,” she said, looking down at her hands that were clasped together. “I never thought losing her also meant losing you, and I missed you—you from before. You were my role model and my best friend, and I need you to know I didn’t wish it were you. I was an angry teenager entering adulthood who thought I already knew everything.” Her tears fell openly. I rushed to her side and put my arm around her.
“There hasn’t been a day in the time we’ve been apart when I haven’t thought about you. The loss of Avery caused so many conflicting feelings for me that I didn’t know how to be there for you through your grief. I was navigating missing her but also being so incredibly upset with her.” I allowed my tears to fall freely.
She cocked her head to the side. “Can you tell me what was really going on with you two in those last months before she died? I sensed a shift between the two of you, but neither of you was really addressing it.” I scooted over from her a bit on the couch so I could turn and face her. Her misty eyes broke my heart.
“First, I want you to know everything Avery and I did for you after Gram passed was because we loved you and wanted you to grow up as healthily as you could.” I wiped a single tear that escaped. “Avery started to feel like she had to grow up too fast and was missing out on experiences her friends were having incollege. I put so much focus on you and our family; I missed the signs that I was neglecting the relationship I had with her.”
“You said she cheated. Was that true?” she asked, sadness crowding her expression.
I looked down, unable to meet her eyes. “She did. She met someone at her friend's birthday party who made her feel seen. I witnessed him running out of the house when you and I were coming home from an appointment. She admitted she felt neglected by me but also wanted moments to feel young again.” I took her hand in mine as I said, “She suggested we travel separately to have time to think about our situation and how to move forward.” I took a deep breath. “I was conflicted during our flight because I wanted to propose, but I didn’t think I could ever trust her again.”
“That’s why her loss was confusing for you, right? You were going to lose her either way,” she said solemnly, squeezing my hand.
I nodded. “I felt so guilty because in the moments before she was taken from us, I was thinking about how to end our relationship without completely breaking up our family.”
She placed her hand on my shoulder. “I’m so sorry she cheated on you, and I’m even sorrier I was so angry during our fight that I didn’t even bother listening to what you were saying. We missed so much of each other’s lives we can’t get back.” Her shoulders slumped as she looked down.
