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“Do you guys mind if I steal my sister for a sec?” Carlie blurted, not bothering to wait for an answer before yanking me out of the living room and toward the kitchen.
Butting in like that wasn’t Carlie’s typical M.O. but it was great to see. She’d always been timid and shy, but during her marriage that natural tendency had multiplied a hundred-fold. Carlie had been lost in more ways than one during those years and I loved seeing the woman emerging from that pain. It had been nearly five years since Carlie’s divorce and many had wondered why she hadn’t moved on.
But I thought I understood. It was bad enough that she no longer trusted men, but worse than that, I was pretty sure she didn’t trust herself.
However, I saw her building that trust, loving herself, and growing each day. She’d gone back to school and was now a pediatric nurse. The kind of nurse I was sure every mother hoped their child’s doctor would have.
Carlie tugged on me until we made it to the bathroom just outside of the kitchen. She pulled me in and locked the door behind us.
“What the heck?” I asked, taking in our surroundings. The fading blue and white striped wallpaper that Mom was forever bugging Dad to change out, the white cabinets, and the sterling steel fixtures. This was the last place I thought we’d end up.
“It’s the Lius,” Carlie said in a stage whisper, not making any sense. My sister was tiny so I would guess she was a lightweight when it came to booze. Had she been drinking? Granted, I doubted that even if she drank she’d do so here. Our dad was a recovering alcoholic, so Mom never allowed a drop in her home. Mom, as I’d overheard from Mrs. Russo when she didn’t realize I was still in the room, had been quite a partier back in the day, so that had been a huge sacrifice for her. But she’d done it willingly when it was Dad’s health on the line.
“You’re going to have to explain with a few more words,” I said when Carlie began to look me up and down, a wild look in her eyes.
“And you wore that?” Carlie asked.
Okay, this was behavior I’d expect from Mom. But Carlie? It was strange, to say the least.
“Did Mom put you up to this?” I asked.
Carlie shook her head. “They’re gorgeous. Totally out of my league. I figured with you along it would even the odds, but you wore that.”
“Carlie,” I said, grabbing my sister gently by the shoulders. We’d all worked very hard on treating Carlie with the utmost care ever since Chuck. She used to flinch at the smallest grazes, but now welcomed the touch of those she loved. This was still a little more hands-on for her, but it felt necessary. Something had to snap her out of whatever this was and I needed her to focus.
“The Lius are here,” Carlie said after a deep breath.
“I caught that,” I said. That was really the only thing I understood right now.
Carlie pulled away from my loose grip and brushed a hand through her bangs, causing them to fly every which way. She noticed immediately in the mirror and turned her attention to fixing her brunette curls. Carlie was in every way my physical opposite. She was under five foot and I was five inches taller. Even though she often ate more than my brothers, she was always on the verge of too thin, and I’d never had a problem developing curves and muscle. She was brunette while I was blond. But we did have the exact same brown eyes. Eerily so.
“The gorgeous Lius,” Carlie explained.
Was that what this was all about? A competition to see which set of sisters were better looking? This didn’t seem like something Carlie would typically be concerned about. Even my mom wouldn’t typically care, but maybe one of the sisters had done something to Carlie? Was this about settling a score?
My mind produced an image of Carlie and me, dueling at dawn against the unknown sisters, and I realized I needed more information stat. My visions were bordering on ludicrous. No, let’s be honest, I’d sailed right past ludicrous into preposterous territory.
“I’m so lost, Carlie. I need about ten more words for every one you’ve given me,” I said as I watched my sister continue to primp her hair. She looked beyond beautiful in a beige long-sleeved dress sprinkled with fall florals. The waist was fitted, almost like a corset, and then flowed to mid-calf. If we were joining any beauty contests, Carlie would have to win them for us.
“Maybe we can get you upstairs before they see you. You could change into some of Mom’s clothes?” Carlie said in a rush.
That had been a lot of words. Still nothing explained the situation.
“I could straighten your hair and . . . ”
A knock sounded at the door.
Carlie jumped back with a little squeak.
What the heck was going on?
“I know you’re doing some crazy girl thing in there, but Amos really has to use the potty,” Alex called through the closed door.
“Use another one,” Carlie commanded.
Yes, Carlie. I loved the way my sister was standing up for herself.
“The twins are in that one,” Alex explained, referencing Jordan’s middle children.
