But despite all of those shoulds, Anne wasn’t entirely comfortable with her descent into obscurity. Being well and truly middle aged took some getting used to… and it didn’t help that her almost-twin was still turning heads.
Maybe Oakley was right, she thought wryly. Maybe she just needed Pilates.
They rushed back to the house that afternoon so that Anne was there to greet the next group of guests. Once all the kids were fed, Oakley opted to allow a sleepover in grandma’s room rather than driving back in the dark. The kids all crowded ontoGrandma’s bed with bowls of popcorn and settled in for a movie night.
Anne went down to the kitchen to do some prep work for breakfast the next day.
“You should stay over more often,” she said when Oakley joined her downstairs. “The kids love it. Mom does too.”
Oakley nodded, but the corners of her mouth twitched downward.
“What?” Anne pressed.
“It’s just difficult. Logistically. With my work schedule and all of their activities and the drive. They go back to school soon, and it’s going to be tough to get down here at all.”
“Something’s gotta give. You do too much.”
“I can handle it.”
“But what about family time? They’re only little once.”
“Right, and I’m going to pack as many good things into their childhood as I can.” The cheer that Oakley forced into her voice sounded brittle.
“They need downtime too. So do you.”
Oakley tossed her yellow hair impatiently. Still damp from the beach and then the shower, it wasn’t up in her usual ponytail. Between that and her crumpled linen shirt, she looked less polished than usual. Softer.
But when she spoke again, there was nothing soft in her voice.
“I’ll run to town for some Thai food while you do that.” She gestured vaguely at the pineapple that Anne was slicing. “Any requests?”
“All the usual stuff,” Anne said with a shrug. If Oakley didn’t want to have a real conversation, she wouldn’t push. She wanted to, but she knew her sister well enough to let it go for now.
Pete came down a few minutes later with Rikki on his shoulder. The mongoose pup was getting big; sooner or later,they would have to figure out their long-term plans for the animal he’d rescued.
Anne sighed and set that problem aside for another day.
“Hi.” Pete climbed onto a stool at the kitchen island.
“Hey. Why aren’t you watching a movie with your cousins?”
“I’ve seen that one before. Anyway, Grandma won’t let Rikki on her bed.” He looked very solemn, so Anne swallowed the laugh that rose in her throat.
Pete opened a bag of cat treats and offered one to Rikki. He sat there quietly for a time while Anne worked, and then his face brightened with an idea.
“Hey Mom, would you help me send a picture of Rikki to dad?”
Anne smiled at him, but it felt unconvincing, even to her. It had been a long time since her ex-husband responded to any of their son’s messages. Maybe Pete thought that a mongoose on his shoulder would do the trick.
“Sure, buddy.” She rinsed her hands and snapped a picture with her phone, then sent it to Colin.
“Let me see!”
Anne handed her phone over, and he grinned at the picture. Then he scrolled through the long string of messages he had sent with no response save the occasional thumbs-up reaction, and his smile faded away.
“Why doesn’t he ever reply?” Pete asked in a small voice.
“I don’t know, sweetheart.” Anne fished around for an explanation. “He gets distracted easily. Maybe he just forgets.”
