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It had been four weeks since her bike chain broke, since she missed talking with Nash for the first time in two years, since her conversation with Jim. She continued with therapy but no longer felt like she was getting anything from the experience, mostly because she refused to talk about the things bothering her.
Right now, she wanted to be angry. Anger was the only energizing response to grief, so she preferred it over sadness. It helped her throw things into boxes and angrily tape them shut. It helped her scrub the kitchen floor and purge closets without thinking too hard. Anger was preferable to curling up in the fetal position and letting the world cave-in.
As she closed the shed door and turned back to the house, she stilled at the sight of a small blue car pulling up at the curb. “Shit.”
She moved away from the shed to avoid drawing any suspicions and waited at the back door. Perrin appeared a moment later holding a caddy of coffee.
“I thought I saw you.”
“Hey.”
Perrin glanced at the shed. “Were you going somewhere?”
“No, just putting some things away. Want to come in?” Her sister hadn’t been around since she started painting and purging. She hoped she didn’t make too much out of nothing.
“Sure. I have something I want to ask you.”
Maggie led her into the kitchen and grabbed the sugar bowl and creamer from the fridge. Perrin loved her coffee extra sweet. She said it was the way they drank it in Europe, but Maggie didn’t know.
“The house looks different. Did you move stuff?”
Maggie shrugged. “I’ve just been decluttering.”
Rather than sit, Perrin walked down the hall. Maggie shut her eyes just as her sister gasped.
“Oh, my God. You got a new couch!” Perrin returned to the kitchen. “Your living room looks amazing. When did you do that?”
She shrugged. “Two months ago.”
Perrin’s gaze dropped. “I didn’t realize how long it’s been since I visited.”
“That’s okay. It’s not like you missed anything.”
She sat at the table. “Maggie, I think it’s great that you remodeled.”
“It’s just a new couch and some paint.”
“It’s huge.” She took her hand. “I’m proud of you.”
Maggie pulled her hand back and lifted her cup so it remained occupied. Leaning back in her chair, she asked, “What did you have to ask me?”
Her sister hesitated. “Well, I know you’ve been upset with me.”
She frowned. “I’m not upset with you.”
“It’s okay. Really. I was avoiding you and you needed some space.”
She’d been avoiding her? Maggie supposed it had been a long time between visits. “I wasn’t mad at you, Perrin. I just figured you were busy.”
“Well, I was. Bran and I took a trip to Jersey to visit his parents, and when we were there, we started looking at houses.”
“In New Jersey? Isn’t it really expensive to live there?” And why was she looking at houses with Bran?
“It is, but it’s beautiful. Especially down the shore where his parents live. Bran recently got a promotion at work, and one of the benefits is that he can now work from home, so he doesn’t have to commute every day.”
“I’m sorry, you said you had a question for me?”
She smiled and folded her hands on her lap. “Maggie, he asked me to marry him and I said yes.”
For a second, her heart stopped beating. “What?”
A smile stretched across Perrin’s face, and she couldn’t recall the last time she saw her sister so happy. Maybe she’d been masking her happiness so not to rub it in.
“He did it on the beach. It was so romantic. We were walking along, admiring the pretty houses and talking about the possibility of him moving there, when he dropped down on one knee and pulled out a ring. I nearly crapped my pants I was so surprised.”
Surprised didn’t begin to explain it. “But you just started dating.” She barely knew the guy.
Perrin frowned. “Maggie, we’ve been dating for two and a half years.”
Right, because they got together just before Nash died. “Oh.”
She leaned forward, folding her hands on the table and Maggie saw the ring. It was enormous and lustrous, catching the sunlight and sending prisms across the wall. “We don’t want a long engagement. We’re thinking a July wedding.”
Her eyes bulged. “This July? That’s two months away.”
“I know, but both our families are small. We could have the ceremony at the church and book a hall for the reception. He wants to move fast so we can focus on the house. Bran put a bid on a stunning Victorian on the beach of Avalon.”
“You already picked out a house?”
“I told you, he moves fast.”
“I’d say.”
She smiled, as if that was one of his best qualities. “Maggie, I wanted to ask if you’d be my maid of honor. I know you hate anything social anymore, but the wedding will be small. Just us and a few close friends and family. Please say yes. You’re my best friend, and I can’t imagine anyone else standing by my side when I say I do.”
