I hear Summer giggle, but I am too distracted to look her way as I sweep Terra into my arms and spin her around.
“It’s nice to officially meet you,” I say, giving her a light peck on the forehead. She laughs and places her hands on both of my cheeks, squeezing them together and sending herself into another round of giggles.
Terra has dark hair like her mother, though I can see more of a chocolate brown within the strands, opposed to Juliet’s pure black hair. Her eyes stand out against her dark hair and pale skin, like a beacon of light cutting through the night. They’re a deep blue, the color of the Mediterranean Sea.
“She’s beautiful,” Summer says shyly.
“Thanks,” Juliet responds, giving Summer a tentative smile.
Summer holds out her hand to Juliet, who shakes it without hesitation. “I’m Summer,” she introduces herself. “Which is probably obvious.” A red blush paints Summer’s cheeks as she ducks her head.
Juliet’s eyes soften, and a more genuine smile dances across her lips. “I’ve heard nothing but good things.” Summer stands up straighter at the compliment. “I’m Juliet, and anything Asher has said about me is a dirty, dirty lie.”
Summer chuckles. “I’ve only heard that you’re the best sister ever and make the most amazing cupcakes.”
“Oh,” Juliet says with a smirk, flipping her hair over her shoulder. “In that case, it’s all true.”
Terra wiggles in my arms, demanding to be set down. I let her go, and she quickly skips off into the house. A shriek and a crash echo through the hallway. Juliet shakes her head and laughs.
“Wild child,” I muse fondly.
“Don’t encourage it.” Juliet points a finger at me, trying to look stern but failing miserably since she can’t keep the grin off her face. I can’t help myself—I give her another hug. “I missed you, too,” she whispers, her arms tightening around me. She pulls away, and I can see the shine of unshed tears in her darkbrown eyes. “Come in, come in,” she insists, swiping under her eyes and ushering us past the threshold. “Dinner is just about ready, and I bet you want to set those bags down.”
I let Summer follow my sister while I hoist both our duffels up before trailing behind them.
The inside of the house isn’t much better than the outside: more peeling paint, creaky floorboards, and no air conditioning. The railing on the stairs could be replaced; a few spots on the hallway walls could be patched; and the kitchen looks like it hasn’t been updated since the house was built.
“I’d love to see your bakery if there’s time,” I hear Summer say while Juliet points out different rooms.
“Oh, it’s just a short walk into town!” Juliet responds excitedly. “We can go tomorrow. Then you can be the judge on just how amazing my cupcakes are.”
My shoulders relax as my worry over my sister meeting Summer dissipates.
I set our bags off to the side in the living room while Juliet fusses over Summer, asking if she can get her anything to drink. I take in the space around me and am shocked to see that Juliet has filled the living room with pictures. They sit on the fireplace mantel, side tables, and hang on the walls. There are pictures of Terra, as well as of our family. Pictures of Juliet and me when we were kids, pictures of us when we were young adults. She has our family’s holiday photos proudly displayed out in the open, along with our parents’ wedding photo.
I feel completely baffled. Juliet hasn’t been home in years—hasn’t let anyone visit her until now—but she has photos of her family everywhere.
My gaze meets Juliet’s as she hands Summer a glass of water. Her eyes dart around me before returning to mine. Her lips purse into a stiff smile, and her shoulders lift in the slightestshrug as she just barely shakes her head. As if to say,I don’t know either.
Summer and Juliet continue to make small talk, and Terra runs on clumsy legs into the living room, holding a toy airplane and making raspberries. I stride toward my niece and scoop her into my arms, deciding to put the happy family photos out of my mind.
“Hey, Juliet,”I say, entering the kitchen where she’s whisking something dark red in a bowl. Summer is upstairs with Terra, reading her a bedtime story at the little girl’s insistence. She had held the book out to Summer and screeched when Juliet tried to drag her away.
For someone who wasn’t sure if she wanted children, Summer was really great with kids.
I toe at some hardwood that’s cracked. “What’s up with the house?” I ask, getting back to the reason I’d sought out my sister.
“What do you mean?” she asks before attempting to blow her bangs off her forehead.
I glance around at the outdated kitchen and scratched-up wooden floors. I make my way to the sink to start cleaning some of the dishes from dinner. Another thing I note is that the kitchen has no dishwasher, so when Juliet works late, she has to do all the dishes by hand. “I know you said that you’re renting this place at a steal, and fixing it up, but… it’s a little more than just ‘banged up’, don’t you think?”
She dusts her hands off on her baby-pink apron with cartoon cupcakes printed over it. “Moira lets me rent this place for cheap under the condition that I work on fixing this place up. Which Iamdoing.” Juliet has a proud smile plastered across her face, and she straightens up so that she’s standing taller. A warm feeling spreads through my chest at how happy Juliet seems to be here.
A small chuckle escapes me. “Uh, Juliet, what exactly have you fixed up here?”
She crosses her arms and tries her best to scowl at me, but her lips keep quivering into a smile. “Terra’s room is painted,” she responds indignantly. “And cleaned up the backyard. I’m planning to build a playset for Terra out there.”
I wait for her to continue, but she stops there. “Can I help with anything while I’m here?” I offer after a few seconds of silence.
