AllFreeNovel
Share Us
That was the understatement of the century. Love was definitely a cure for loneliness.
I caught the look that my sister and niece exchanged. I didn’t know what Rachel had told Claire to explain why I wasn’t over at their place more often than I was, but I knew she must have said something.
“I’ll wash,” Rachel said, filling the awkward silence that had followed. “I’ll let you dry, since you know where everything goes.”
We moved into the tiny kitchen together. Claire got up and went to the tired old sleeper sofa that would be her bed tonight when she removed the cushions and opened it up.
Rachel and I fell into a rhythm. It wasn’t the first time we’d washed dishes together. But the entire time we worked in the kitchen, I noticed that Claire just sat on the couch and stared into space. My poor niece barely moved.
“She’s been like that since the funeral,” Rachel said softly, glancing at her daughter as she pulled out the sink stopper.
“Is there anything I can do?” I asked, setting down the towel I’d been using to dry. The rest of the dishes were already loaded in the dishwasher.
“You’re doing it already, just being you.”
Rachel turned and walked into me. Expecting it, I opened and then closed my arms around her.
In that moment, I realized there was something about hugging that I’d forgotten. The person who did the hugging got as much out of it as the one who was being hugged. Or at least, it was like that for me. My eyes filled with bittersweet tears.
I squeezed her, murmuring, “I missed you.”
“I missed you too.” Rachel squeezed me back. “Now let me go. I’ll try to talk to Claire.”
“Good luck.” Releasing her, I gestured. “I’ll be in the bedroom to give you privacy, but come get me if you need me.”
I went to my room and gently closed the door. Finding my favorite sleep shirt, I put it on and slipped my favorite fuzzy slippers on my tired feet. I sat on the bed and brought my latest notebook to my lap. Opening it, I picked up a pen, but put it down when Rachel opened the door.
“Any luck?” I asked, setting the pen and notebook on the nightstand.
“Barely.” Rachel sighed. “She only mumbled a few one-word answers to the questions I asked. Which is fine, whatever, she’s a teen. I get that age, but she’s quieter than usual, and she goes so still at times that it frightens me.”
“She’s hurting.”
“I know.” Rachel sighed heavily. “God, how I know.”
I stood and went to her. “I have you.”
“I know you do, and I need you to have me. I’d fly apart otherwise.”
She patted my arm, and I released her. Crossing to her bag that was on the floor in the corner, she unzipped it.
“You can put your things in a drawer,” I told her, not for the first time. “I cleared out room. In the closet too.”
“Thank you. I’ll do that tomorrow.” Withdrawing a pair of pajamas from her bag, she brought them to her chest. “Claire’s not just sad. She’s mad at me too.”
I cocked my head. “Why would she be mad at you?”
“We’ve been at odds for a while.”
“You push her too hard,” I said softly.
“I have my reasons.” She glanced at me, and I saw the worry crease between her pretty blue eyes. Before Daniel’s death, that crease had only appeared infrequently. Now it was more often there than not.
“You want her to have options you never had, except for Daniel.” My voice thickened with regret. “I failed you back then when Mom died. I’m sorry.”
“You didn’t fail me.”
Rachel quickly took off her clothes and put on her pajamas. I climbed into the bed on my side, and she got in on hers. We rolled toward each other without words having to be said.
