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.“I’ll see you tomorrow.” He walked out of the arena, not sure where he was heading, or why.As he crossed the large expanse of lawn that led to the dining hall and dorms, he saw Etta and Alyson getting in Etta’s car, leaving.“If you don’t want to work in the kitchen, Jenna said they could use you in the stable.She thought you might like to work down there, with the horses,” Etta said as she parked the car under her carport at the side of the house.Alyson nodded but didn’t know what to say.She could have said that she knew that Jason had decided to work at the camp, in the stable.She could even tell her grandmother that she didn’t need the help of matchmakers.Instead, she followed Etta up the sidewalk that was cracked in places, with grass and dandelions growing up in the broken areas.The kitten, banished from the house after it was caught sharpening its claws on an antique stool, ran from the shed, mewing for food.More to comfort herself than the cat, Alyson scooped up the kitten and held it close.It purred loudly, working tiny claws in her shoulder as it snuggled close.The back door opened and Andie walked out, her short hair catching in the light breeze.“There’s cat puke in my room.”“Hi to you, too.” Etta shot a look back at Alyson and the kitten.“You get to clean that up.”“I will.”Andie smiled a little.“I made chocolate chip cookies.”Etta shook her head.“I’m going to sit in my room with a book and the ceiling fan on.You two enjoy the cookies.”Alyson followed her sister into the house.The cookies were on a tray and there was a pitcher of iced tea.“I thought the two of you would be ready for a break.”Andie was considerate.It was crazy to learn this stuff about her sister now, when Alyson should have always known.They should have had a lifetime of knowing these things about one another.They walked down the hall to the front door and onto the wide front porch with its lavender-painted wicker furniture.The sweet scent of roses and other flowers drifted on the breeze.But there wasn’t much of a breeze.Andie sat down on the wicker chaise lounge and drew her knees up.Her feet were bare and she had a flower tattoo on her ankle.Alyson looked around, at the wicker chairs and the porch swing.She picked the porch swing, facing her sister.She reached for a cookie and set her glass of tea on the table.Jason drove by, his truck pulling an empty horse trailer that rattled on the paved road.“Wonder where he’s going,” Andie mused as she lifted the glass to take a sip.And then she glanced at Alyson.“Why does the sight of Jason Bradshaw make you turn that lovely shade of pink?”“It doesn’t.” Alyson didn’t want to talk about Jason.She wanted to talk about two sisters who had lost so much of their lives together.“You can stop looking at me with the big, sad eyes.” Andie held her tea glass and stared out at the road.“I’m not looking at you.” Alyson sighed.“Okay, I am.You know, I don’t remember you.I didn’t have pictures.No one mentioned you to me.”“So you’re saying that I had it better because I was aware that my sister was taken by our mother and I was left here.”“Was here such a bad place?”“No, here was a great place.The idea that I wasn’t good enough for our mother, that I wasn’t smart enough or talented enough, that can kind of wound a kid and make her feel a little inferior.”“I know, and I’m sorry.But you have to understand, that wasn’t my fault.”“No, Alyson, being a brilliant child prodigy wasn’t your fault.”Alyson stood up, her insides trembling.She’d never been so mad in her life.She stood there staring at her sister, and Andie staring back.“Child prodigy, Andie.I was a child with a gift.And now I’m just another piano player.I have no skills.I have no life.I played the piano.I graduated early.I’ve never been to a prom or a homecoming.Now I have to figure out where I belong.”“Figure it out.You’re an adult.No one is going to tell you who you need to be.”But for twenty-eight years people had told her who to be, so finding herself now didn’t seem like such an easy thing to do.“You make it sound easy.But you’ve always known who you were.”“Yeah, I guess I did.” Andie picked up another chocolate chip cookie.“But I think you know who you are.You must be a Forester, because you got mad and left.”Alyson smiled at that and she sat back down.“Yes, but I planned it for over a week.”“Yeah, I would have just jumped in the truck and left.”“I’m glad you’re my sister.” Alyson didn’t say it too softly, because Andie obviously didn’t do soft.“Yeah, about that.I’m okay with having you back, and I’ve missed having a sister.But what set you off? What suddenly sent you running?”“We have a half sister named Laura, and a month ago she eloped with the man I thought I was going to marry.”“Ouch.”“Yeah, ouch.Too bad I don’t miss him.”They both laughed, and it felt good to have that moment between the two of them, a moment that signified something, maybe healing.“There are photo albums.” Alyson loved those photo albums.She’d looked at them several times already, but not from Andie’s perspective.“Would you look at them with me?”“And take a trip down memory lane?” Pain hid within the sarcasm in Andie’s tone.“At least tell me something about our dad.” Alyson swallowed.“Isn’t there something you want to know about my life, about our mother, or your half sisters?”“Soon, but not yet.It isn’t easy, knowing the reason she left me.I’ve always known and I’ve always had that resentment.”Alyson smiled.“She didn’t get an easy out, Andie.She didn’t trade you for a perfect child, or perfect children.I’m dyslexic, too.It drove her crazy, trying to force me to learn the way my sisters learned.And they drove her crazy with bids for attention that you won’t believe.”Andie smiled.“Okay, let’s share.”“What was he like?” Alyson had to start there, with her father.“Always lonely
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