AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Who is it?”
“Oh! Edie! She’s FaceTiming.”
I look at the clock. It’s almost ten o’clock in Hartford.
“Answer it.” I lean against my bright coral chest of drawers and pull on my other sock. Something flutters in my chest because I realize there are only a few reasons my younger sister would call so late.
“Hi Edie!” Aly says.
“Aly! Hi! How are you?” I hear Edie’s voice and what sounds like the clatter of dishes and glassware in the background.
“We’re good. Just another Friday funday. You?”
“I’m good…” She fades off as there’s something distracting her. “Is Faye there?” I go to Aly’s side and take the phone from her.
“Faye!” she says, a wide grin on her face. There’s no doubt that we’re sisters, though she looks like a slimmer, more delicate version of me. We share the same round face, full cheeks, and full lips, but her eyes are bright blue compared to my hazel, and she has Mom’s long, narrow nose compared to my small, round, ski-slope. She looks elegant and refined, and I look like a Christmas elf. My ears are even a little pointy.
“What’s going on? Isn’t it late there?” I can’t tell where she is. It’s dark in the background, but it almost sounds like she’s at a party.
“I just wanted to call and share some exciting news,” she says.
“Okay…”
“Dar got promoted,” she says with a big smile. I frown.
“That’s great. Tell him I said congrats!” It’s good news, but it’s hardly the sort of news she’d call to tell me about on a Friday night.
“He’s so excited. It means he’ll be moving to the main office…”
“In Boston?” I frown. “But I thought you didn’t want to move with him until…” I tilt my head, realizing exactly what she’s calling for.
Edie had always told Dar she wouldn’t move across state lines with him until he was serious about their future. As if she realizes I’ve put it together, she lets out a squeal as she holds up her left hand in front of the screen, flashing a skating rink on an all-important finger.
“Dar proposed?” I inject as much enthusiasm in my voice as possible.
She nods and her high school sweetheart, Darwin Ellersbee, pokes his head into the corner of her screen.
“Hey Faye Ellen,” he says with a cheeky grin. “Welcome to the family!”
“I think I’m supposed to welcomeyouto the family,” I say with a teasing smile.
“Well, we’re all one big happy family now,” he slurs. Clearly, they’ve been celebrating.
“I’m really happy for you. Congratulations!”
“What are you doing on that thing?” I hear Mom’s voice in the background and roll my eyes.
“I’m telling Faye,” Edie says.
“Oh, you’ve got Faye there? Let me see,” she says. Dar stumbles out of the way so that my mother can share the screen with her daughter. They look like two peas in a pod, the same delicate bone structure, slender build, and peaches and cream complexion.
“You missed a wonderful night, Faye Ellen,” she says, reprimanding in her tone. Edie flutters her eyelashes as I grit my teeth in a tight smile.
“Wish I could’ve been there.”
“It was so special. Did she tell you the ring is three carats?”
“She didn’t tell me anything yet, Mom.”
