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“Can I come in?”
“Sure.”
The door clicks open. “Well, now I know why you’ve slept all afternoon. It’s pitch black in here. No wonder you’re sleeping the day away.” She flicks the light on.
I throw my arm over my eyes, the brightness too much for my sleepy state. “I just wanted to sleep.”
“I guessed that, so I let you. I came to find you before, but Hudson said you’d come in here and hadn’t seen you again. He mentioned you were pretty upset.”
The bed dips, and I shuffle over to give her some room. Rubbing my eyes, I sit up, and I’m finally able to take in my old room. Running my fingers over the bed covers, there’s no dust. It’s all clean. The dresser is spotless, with photographs in place that I’d left behind. The floor is now tidy. When I left, I was in a hurry and just packed what I could at the time, throwing discarded items on the floor. Dark blue curtains hang over the window. It’s exactly how I remember it.
As if reading my thoughts, Sybil says, “I’d wash the sheets and clean in here often in the hopes that you’d come home one day. And look at that… you’re here.” She smiles, her chocolate eyes crinkling at the corners and that single dimple in her cheek.
“Thanks for that. After seeing the library, I wasn’t sure what to expect in here.”
“Dad won’t let any of us go in there. I’ve snuck in a couple of times to try to clean up, but it’s as though he has a sixth sense about someone being in that room, and the moment I start dusting, he’s in the doorway. His glare is enough for me to hightail it out of there. Dad’s just a grumpy old man now,” she jokes, and it brings a smile to my face.
“I’ll clean it up after I settle in.” Speaking of settling in, I need to ring Isla and see how Olive is going.
“I wanted to come say hey and to let you know that dinner is ready. Mabel is home now as well. She wants to see you, so I told her I’d check if you were awake.”
I yawn and ask, “Is she mad at me as well?”
“I don’t know. If she is, she didn’t show it.” Sybil gets up and says, “Get ready and come down for dinner.”
I nod, and she leaves. A family dinner is waiting downstairs for me. Will Dad be there? Is it going to end with someone in tears?
After sorting myself and getting somewhat freshened up, I make my way down. Voices filter through the house, and when I begin my descent down the stairs, I pause. They’re discussing me.
“Sybil, you kept in contact with her?” There’s an accusation in Mabel’s words.
“Yeah, I did. None of you did, did you?” She sounds angry and accusing.
“Sybil, did she tell you anything about what was going on?” Hudson asks. I stay stock-still, not wanting the stairs to creak as I move. They were always an alarm of some kind when I was growing up.
“She told me everything was going good,” Sybil replies.
“She’s not good. From what I saw this afternoon, she’s far from it, Syb. I’ve never witnessed her in that kind of state,” Hudson says.
“I don’t know what to tell you guys. Perhaps she’s been keeping things from me. We have to be there for her,” Sybil says.
“Yeah, right. She hasn’t been there for me, so why should I be there for her?” Tally’s still angry. My face flushes with heat. I should’ve been there for them. It’s partly my fault, the rift between myself and my siblings.
“Tally, you can’t be like that. There’s a lot of hurt within these walls, not only for us but for her as well. And with Dad being a jerk, she’s going to have a hard time getting through to him,” Sybil says softly. Her words cause a lump to form in my throat.
“I don’t care. She abandoned us. Why should we care about what she’s going through?” Tally asks. I guess my apology didn’t work, but I won’t stop trying with her.
“Get over yourself, Tally,” Sybil snaps, and I’ve heard enough.
I make enough noise as I walk downstairs to alert them to my presence. I enter the open dining and kitchen area. All eyes are on me, each set a weight holding me in place. My siblings and I are under the same roof once again.
“Dee, I’m so glad you’re home.” Mabel rushes to me from where she stood near the table and wraps me in her arms. She may be tiny, but she sure can squeeze tight when hugging. She has beauty like an open rose but the bite of a thorn on a bush.
“Good to see you too,” I manage to say as she nearly cuts off my airway. Mabel realizes and releases me.
“Come on. Let’s have some food,” she says and gestures to the pre-set table. A feast is laid out—salads, cooked beef, and something that looks like marinated chicken.
“Wow, thank you to whoever prepared this.” I take in everyone in the room, and their eyes drift to Tally. “Thanks, Tally.”
