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“Yes?” I squeaked.
“Do you have something to tell us? You seem a little sketchy all of a sudden,” Emily asked.
I averted my gaze and knew that was one of my tells as well. Shit. They knew I was hiding something. They knew me.
I could tell them about the arrangement with Levi, but that wasn’t just my secret. It involved Levi as well.
“Well… I haven’t told anyone except for Levi, but the job in Austin isn’t working out. They’re closing the reserve. I don’t have a job to return to after the wedding.”
“I knew it!” Grace said. “I knew you were keeping something from us.”
“So this means you and Levi can stay together?” Emily asked.
I bit my lip and felt like I might burst if I didn’t share the next bit of news.
“Not exactly. I actually have a job interview for my dream opportunity. Though I may not get it, there’s a lot of steps involved, it’s still very exciting.”
“Oh, you better tell us all about that!” Emily demanded.
“It’s nothing… I mean, compared to your news with the baby and the wedding and everything.”
“Oh shh, the wedding isn’t new, and the baby…well, I’d rather not get my hopes up after the miscarriage I had early on, and like I said, I’m trying to temper my expectations here. So, tell me about this job!”
“Well… it’s in Tanzania…”
“Is that in Texas?’ Emily asked, cocking her head to the size. “Tanzania, Texas, I believe I’ve heard of that.”
Grace and I both laughed.
“Emily, no, there’s no Tanzania in Texas. I think there might be one in California. Or is that Tarzana?”
“You sure about that? I swear, I think I even drove through it on my way to Houston once–”
“No, it’s in Africa,” I said slowly.
Both sisters said, “Oh,” at the same time.
“That’s pretty far away, Anna.”
“I know, I know, and I may not get it, but… it is a dream of mine. But please, don’t tell Mom or Dad until I know more, okay?”
“Your secret is safe with us,” Emily said, with new tears in her eyes. “Damn pregnancy hormones, I cry at anything these days. But the thought of you being on the other side of the world… Gah. I thought Austin was far away. How does Levi feel about this?”
“We haven’t really talked about it much, but he knows that I was only planning to be here for the summer from the beginning.”
“Long distance with you in Austin is totally different from you being in Africa.”
“I know.” I wanted so badly to reassure my sisters that the arrangement with Levi was fake, but I kept my mouth shut. “Whatever happens, happens.”
“Well, either way, I’m happy if you’re happy,” Grace said, hugging me tightly. “Now I feel like I need to admit to something.”
“Do you have secrets, Grace?” I asked, glad to turn the conversation away from me.
She chuckled. “Oh don’t you know, I’m full of them. Like the other night, I had to tell Nicholas that the meat we were eating was chicken instead of venison since he just watched Bambi.”
“Wow, that’s like FBI level stuff,” Emily teased. “But seriously, can we promise each other something?” She looked directly at me as she spoke.
“Anything,” I replied.
