She jumps down and wipes her hands on her apron. "I'm gonna go check on the goods, see if we need to make anymore." She walks toward me and to the door. "Nice meeting you, Ellie's brother."
"So, what brings you to my domain?" Ellie startscleaning up a little, taking care of the mixing bowls, cupcake pans, and parchment paper strewn everywhere.
Walking toward the counter on the opposite side of her, I brace my hands on top and rock back and forth. "Just wanted to stop by, see how you're doing."
"You visited yesterday. Not much has changed."
"Oh. That's cool," I mutter, looking around the big kitchen.
A big fancy double-burner stove takes up most of the wall behind her. Double-stacked ovens and large cooling racks are placed on the other side of the wall to the right of the ovens. Everything is neatly organized except for the counter.
It's an impressive kitchen. One you would see in a movie with fancy equipment. Except there are no white coats and or people screaming,“Yes, chef.”
"Why did you really come here?" She sweeps up flour from the floor.
I hate that she can read me like a book. I know she knows that Riley and I have been ignoring each other. She hasn’t asked why, and I don’t expect her to. She’s the type of person who waits to be told rather than dragging it out of someone.
"What? I can't visit my favorite sister?"
"Your only sister." The bristle of the broom makes noise against the tiles with every stroke. The chatter of customers echoes from behind the door. "She isn't here."
"Who?" I continue rocking back and forth on the counter.
"Oh, please." She stops sweeping. "Something happened between you two again. I don't know what, but it has to be bad if you both are avoiding each other."
"Nothing happened. We don't even hang out." I distractmyself and start to walk around the kitchen, looking at everything like I haven't seen it all before.
"Then why aren't you around anytime everyone hangs out?"
"I'm busy." I look at one of the giant mixers. The large bowl can fit two Ellies in there.
"Right. So, the text you sent me earlier asking if Riley would be here having nothing to do with you ignoring her?" She gestures toward me in a circle.
I scoff. "No."
"Okay," she says, huffing. "Well, you’re coming out with us tonight, right? To celebrate the opening."
"Oh yeah. What’s the plan again?"
"We're going to have dinner and then go to the nightclub we all love so much," she says sarcastically.
I narrow my eyes. "Who convinced you to add that to your day?"
“Who do you think? Beau, of course. The party animal he is.” Ellie wipes at her face and a line of flour covers her cheek. "I don’t care, really. I can leave any time I want. I’ll have a couple of drinks, and then I’ll go home with Rowan. I know Riley could really use it, though."
"Is she okay?" I force out, patiently waiting to hear what she’s been up to.
She puts both her hands on top of the broom handle and rests her chin on them. "She’s kind of keeping to herself, and I’m not pushing her to tell me anything she doesn’t want to. She shows up to work and still goes out, which is a good sign."
“Is she helping you with the wedding… stuff? Whatever that entails.”
“Of course. She’s made it her mission to take offas much stress as possible, which means adding all of that on top of everything else she’s dealing with.”
"Is dad still walking you down the aisle?" I ask cautiously.
This is a sensitive topic for all of us, but especially for Ellie. She's come to accept that he won't get the surgery. If he can walk her down the aisle, then it's fine. He'll most likely be in a wheelchair due to his energy being nonexistent. I'm not looking forward to seeing him like that on my sister's wedding day, but I would rather see him alive.
"Yeah." She starts to sweep again.
