Florence let out a breathy little laugh, an embarrassed, delighted sound that Vivian couldn’t remember ever hearing her make before. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“Yes, you do.” She lifted her eyes at last to find her sister watching her. “It’s all right, Flo. I just want to know what you’re thinking. Or if the two of you have… what you’ve talked about.”
“What I’m thinking…” Florence crossed to the washstand to pick up her hairbrush. But she stood there, turning it over in her hands as she replied. “I’ve always felt like all I could do was survive, to just struggle through each day and hope I made it. Things started to get better for us—I haven’t felt so desperate or exhausted these past few months—but still, it was…”
“Hard,” Vivian said quietly. “It’s hard.”
“It’s hard,” Florence agreed, crossing back to the bed and placing the brush with the rest of her things. “But Danny… He doesn’t just survive, does he? I mean, he does, we all do, none of this is easy. But his heart is thriving. He’s so alive it feels like he glows sometimes.” She turned to look at Vivian at last. “And then, for whatever reason, he turned that glow on me. Being around him feels like… like being in the sunshine after living in the dark my whole life.”
“The reason is pretty obvious, Flo,” Vivian said, her throat so tight she could barely get the words out. “You’re a hell of a girl. And you’re as sweet and pretty as they come.” She hesitated, then added, “It doesn’t bother you that he’s Chinese?”
“I can’t imagine it makes his life any easier in this city,” Florence replied quietly, looking down once more. She had picked up a dress and was folding far more carefully than it needed. “But no, it doesn’t bother me.”
She glanced up at her sister. “Does it bother you?”
“Me?” Vivian asked in surprise. “Of course not. I’ve known Danny for ages.”
“But knowing someone, and seeing him with your sister…” Florence bit her lip nervously but pressed on. “That’s two different things. There’s plenty of people would be bothered by it. And you’ve been acting odd ever since—”
“I’m not bothered by you being sweet on him,” Vivian interrupted, her voice catching in her throat. She closed her eyes, unable to look at her sister as she forced the admission out. “It’s just hard to think about losingyou.” She opened her eyes again, meeting her sister’s shocked gaze. “It’s been just you and me for so long. I don’t… I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“Oh, Vivi.” Florence put aside the skirt she was folding and reached for Vivian’s hand. “You can’t get rid of me that easy. You know that. I’ll be pestering you to watch your language and go to bed for the rest of your life.”
That made Vivian smile. “You would,” she said, shaking her head. “But you know…” She hesitated. “If anything comes of it—of you and Danny I mean—”
“It won’t be easy?” Florence asked. Vivian nodded. It was an understatement, and they both knew it. It was hard enough being a poor Irish girl. Being an Irish girl stepping out with a Chinese man could be downright dangerous for both of them. “Nothing’s ever been easy in our lives,” Florence said. Her hands were trembling, but her voice was firm. “But if something does come of it… I think it might be worth the risk. And at least with a dead mother and no father to speak of, I don’t have to worry about my family objecting.”
“Does that mean…?” Vivian hesitated again. “Have you and he talked about… anything?”
“No, not really.” Florence turned back to her careful folding, a blush spreading over her cheeks. She seemed about to say something else, but she closed her mouth quickly.
Vivian wondered if her sister was lying. She wondered what she had missed these last few days. But she couldn’t bring herself to ask. “Well, he’s a swell fella,” she said, turning away so Florence wouldn’t be able to see the pained expression on her face. “Whatever happens next, I’m glad he’s making you so happy now.”
“Yes,” Florence said quietly. “It’s nice to feel happy.” She gave her head a little shake, then smiled. “And it’s nice to have the day free from work, even if we’re going to miss the money. Should we—”
But whatever she might have said was lost as someone knockedsharply at the door. When they opened it, Danny was there. Florence greeted him with a bright smile.
“Hello, sunshine,” he said, but he didn’t quite smile back. “Viv, this just arrived for you.”
It was an envelope. Her name was written in English on the front, but below that were a series of Chinese characters, some that she recognized from the front of the Chins’ restaurant. She frowned, her stomach fluttering with nerves. “It came in the mail?”
Danny shook his head. “Some local kid brought it. I don’t think…” He glanced at Florence and cleared his throat. “I don’t think it has anything to do with the other thing.”
Vivian nodded. She didn’t think so either, but her hands were trembling, and she couldn’t bring herself to open it.
“Here.” Florence eased it out from between her fingers, which were gripping it hard enough to crumple the edge of the paper. “Let me.” She ran a finger under the flap and pulled out the letter. As she read it, she let out a gasp, one hand rising to cover her lips as the envelope fluttered to the floor.
“What is it?” Vivian demanded, feeling like the bottom had just dropped out of her stomach.
Florence glanced up, and her dark eyes were full of tears. “It’s Mr. Sun. He… he had some trouble, they think maybe with his heart. His granddaughter sent it.” She looked up, her trembling lower lip caught between her teeth. “He died, Vivi.”
“Does she say that he…” Vivian swallowed. “Did he say anything about our mother before…” She couldn’t bring herself to finish the sentence.
Florence shook her head slowly. “She says he went to bed and didn’t wake up. But she sent…” She handed the letter to Vivian and bent to retrieve the envelope from the floor.
It was only a few lines, a note written in kindness by someone who didn’t have any reason to remember them. But at the very end was asingle line that made Vivian’s heart skip a beat.After we spoke, I remembered seeing this with some of my grandfather’s papers. I thought you should have it, in case my guess about it is correct.
“She sent a photograph,” Florence said quietly. She stared at it for a long moment, then handed it to Vivian.
