She glanced over at her sister, who was laughing at the movie, the light from the television reflected on her face.
Maybe this hadn’t been such a hot idea. Maybe she should have done this research on her own and met with Shar by herself. Let Shar think she had no idea what had happened to her sister. But that was dishonest, and Frankie didn’t want to go that route. It felt like a bad way to start things off.
She decided not to answer Shar right away. Instead, she’d spend tomorrow morning researching the area and finding a place for them to meet. Not here. There was no way she’d invite Shar here.
Harper wouldn’t go for it and Frankie knew it was a bad idea.
She’d find a nearby park or maybe a little restaurant. They could have coffee and pie and just chat. Meeting at a neutral location seemed like the best plan. And if things didn’t go well, Frankie and Harper could leave and never look back. The only contact Shar would have was Frankie’s email and if Frankie needed to, she could block Shar.
Of course, that wasn’t the outcome she was hoping for. She was hoping that Shar would give them the truth about what happened, some kind of reasonable explanation. And that, ultimately, they’d be able to bring her back into their lives.
She knew it was a long shot, but it was definitely a possibility.
She also couldn’t help but wonder if there were other siblings. Obviously, Harper didn’t care. She’d said as much. But Harper didn’t have children of her own, and Frankie knew that her son and daughter would be interested in knowing if they had more family. She certainly was.
Her kids were a big part of why she was doing this. To give them some history. Their own history.
“Hey, you paying attention or are you lost in your own little artistic world?”
Frankie shut down her email program and looked up. “Sorry. Got caught up in some emails. I haven’t even started the logos.”
Harper rolled her eyes good-naturedly. “And your champagne is getting warm.”
“Can’t have that.” Frankie picked up her glass and took a sip. It really was good. Having money actually did buy happiness, at least in small amounts. She set the glass down and closed the laptop, watching the movie for a bit before turning on her tablet. She took her pen in hand and did a few preliminary sketches.
Lucas’s initials of LP paired nicely together. She configured them in several ways and incorporated a few different elements, like a fork and a knife in one and another with fruits and veggies.
She’d work a little, watch a stretch of the movie, then come back and refine her designs some more. She did some in black and white, a few others in color, and the one she liked best, with the knife and fork, she created with a metallic effect so that the letters looked like burnished silver.
That was her favorite so far. But logos weren’t her thing. Lucas might not like any of these.
She really wanted to help him out. Not only because she liked him, but this might be a whole new source of revenue for her. She’d never thought about doing logos, but it was definitely a service she could offer.
At last, satisfied with what she’d done, she set her tablet aside and focused on the movie. She’d look at everything again in the morning and try to come up with a few more ideas for him. She already knew a good night’s sleep would help her creative mind. It always did.
Tomorrow, she’d get Harper’s opinion on them, too. If she was so good at giving unbiased, truthful advice to celebrities, maybe she could give some to her sister.
They polished off the rest of the champagne, then paused the movie so Harper could make dinner. They ate that while they finished the movie, then watched an episode of a home decorating show. When that was done, they decided to go to bed. Frankie gathered up her things and went upstairs.
As she was getting ready for bed, her daughter, Willa, texted.
Do you ever feel like there’s no purpose to what you’re doing?
Frankie sat on the bed.Sure, who doesn’t? Maybe you need a break. You work awfully hard.
I don’t have a choice. Getting a PhD is hard work.
That’s for sure. But you’re not at school right now so what’s got you thinking about this?
There was no immediate answer, so Frankie got up and brushed her teeth. When she came back, Willa had responded.
Is it too late to call? Too much to text.
I’ll call you right now. Frankie climbed under the covers and tapped Willa’s name in her contact list.
Willa picked up before Frankie even heard it ring on her side. “Hi, Mom. Thanks for calling.”
“Of course, honey. What’s going on? What’s got you feeling this way? Did something happen?”
