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“Hey Callie, the kids and I thought we’d come out and see how everyone’s holding up. You doing okay?” Elaine’s voice threatened to break the dam on my tears altogether.
Clenching my jaw, I tried to put on a brave face as I turned to face my older sister. “Hey, Elaine…” I failed miserably as my voice broke the moment I took in her puffy eyes and red face.
In an instant, she was in the stall and wrapping me in her arms. I could feel the semi-hard bump of her pregnancy against my stomach, and for some reason, it made me cry harder. I couldn’t lose my mom.
“Hey, it will be okay Callie. Mom’s strong, she’s the strongest one of us all, and we’ve just gotta believe in her. She’s not going anywhere.”
I nodded, wiped the snot dripping from my nose on my sleeve like a two year old, and followed my sister to the house. I could feel Pizazz’s annoyance at being left alone again, but I tuned her out, not wanting to accidently give something away in my state of emotions. At the porch, Elaine’s two kids came rushing out, squealing in delight as they looped their arms around my thighs and yelled my name. I wiped my tears, not wanting to upset them, and I hefted the younger of the two, Caleb, into my arms.
“Oh, man, you’ve gotten heavy, Caleb! I mean, you’re only two, right?” my question was answered with shrieks of laughter.
Caleb shook his head matter-of-factly, holding up a hand, he displayed all fingers except his thumb as he informed me, “No, Aunty Callie, I’m f.o.w.r.” I smiled at the way he enunciated each letter for me as though I were the child.
“Oh, my. Forgive me. How could I forget? I’m getting old. It’s the only explanation. Four. Wow.” Turning to smile down at Kaylee, I asked, “And you must be six then, right?”
Kaylee, all blue eyes and bouncing gold curls, surveyed me with a look of disappointment. Planting her little fists on her hips, she informed me, “I’m SEVEN, aunt Calamity.”
I winced at the use of my real name. Looking at Elaine, we shared a conspiratorial smile. “I think I’m in trouble now. I must be getting too old to even remember my own niece and nephews ages. Whatever will I do?”
Kaylee took my hand, patted it gently, and said, “Don’t worry, we’ll take care of you. A nice cup of tea should do the trick. That’s what mama always does when her and daddy fight.” As she led me into the house, I couldn’t help frowning, but when I glanced at Elaine, she’d turned her back to me.
After an hour playing tea party with my sister’s kids, I was ready for a break. Excusing myself as sweetly as possible, I hurried into the kitchen where I found Elaine brewing real tea. “Goodness, your kids are terrific, but that little Kaylee, whew, she’ll be a typhoon one day.”
Elaine laughed softly. “She sure will. She’s got no interest in animals, interestingly enough, but you hand her a math problem, and she’ll solve it in no time.”
I chuckled but studied my sister. Kaylee’s remark about my sister and her husband fighting was eating a hole in me. Sitting down at the old table, I took the cup of tea Elaine offered, and studied the scratches and stains in the oak as she finished her own cup. The table had been in my family as long as I could remember, and I realized how oddly comforting it was, to sit at a table I’d known since birth. Elaine seated herself across from me, and I broached the subject as gently as I could.
“How are things with you and Peter? How do you like living in the city? Albuquerque is pretty big right?”
Elaine looked into her cup, slowly swishing the liquid around in it. “It’s nice, we have a really nice home, the kids go to great schools…”
“But…?” I asked the question that seemed to linger unsaid.
“Oh, nothing. I suppose I just miss the country, that’s all. I grew up here, where life is simple, quiet, and family is the most important thing, so it’s different in the city.” Lifting her pale blue eyes, Elaine laughed. “I guess I don’t have to tell you that, though, do I? New York, I never thought you of all people would end up there. Tell me, Calamity, did you chase your demons away there?”
I frowned. She didn’t want to answer my question about Peter, so she asked me the one thing she knew I didn’t want to talk about. Touché. “I’d love to say yes, but I don’t know that I did. Are you and Peter all right?”
Elaine smiled, but I could tell it was fake. “Oh, yes, that comment from Savanna, don’t worry about it. Couples fight sometimes, it’s no big deal.”
Studying my sister, I realized how much she had changed, some ways were more obvious than others. It was the subtler differences that concerned me. She had more gray hairs peppering her blond, less laugh lines beside her eyes, and I couldn’t help noticing that the luster seemed to have left her eyes. With my concern for her growing, and her apparent lack of interest in talking about it, I decided to take matters into my own hands. There was one way I knew I would get the answers I sought.
“So, Elaine, I was thinking I could come stay with you guys a few days. Cody can handle things here at the ranch. I would love to see your home and spend some more time with the kids.”
For a second, I thought my sister would refuse me, but then, she replaced the mask on her face, the one she seemed to have perfected, smiled demurely, and nodded. “That sounds nice.”
13
My sister’s home was so far removed from my parent’s home, that for a second, I felt as if I’d stepped into another universe. I was shocked to see all the white in her house, especially since she had children. The massive three story house looked far too modern for my taste, and although I liked windows, this house took it to the extreme. Floor to ceiling windows decorated nearly every wall, and I wondered how my sister had any privacy from her neighbors at all. The floor was sparkling white ceramic tile, and all the walls were white as well. In the kitchen, more white, surprise surprise. I ran a finger over the immaculate white marble countertops and lifted a brow at her.
Elaine blushed slightly and shrugged. “Peter likes white. He thinks it makes things look more…perfect.”
Apparently, Peter was obsessed. I didn’t voice the thought aloud, for my sister’s sake, but instead, plastered a smile on my face. “It’s really nice. Very fancy.”
Elaine laughed and I headed toward the window. Outside, their yard was small, and I frowned at the display of prickly cactus and the apparent dessert theme of the yard. Off to one side, there was a little white fence which enclosed a small sandy area where a playhouse and swing set stood. I blinked, thinking,geez, they have to box off the kids’ area…but who was I to judge. At least they made sure the kids wouldn’t run into the cactus spines.
“Nice yard. Very…desert-like.” I sounded lame, and when I glanced at my sister, I immediately regretted my tone. Her face was ashen, and her shoulders slumped.
“Peter wanted to keep the yard in theme with all the neighbors and the desert around the city. I had to talk him into giving the kids a little piece of the yard.”
