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Ivy pouted. “I haven’t even had that. I think it’s because Brooks is right. They were all younger or young acting. No one had their own apartment. They had roommates and I was living with Grandma and Grandpa. It’s hard to have a mature relationship that way.”
“Don’t use that as an excuse for your poor choices in men,” Dahlia said. “Heather and Daisy live together.”
“But Luke and Theo didn’t. They had their own place. One of the people has to at least have their own place.”
“I guess you’ve got a point.”
“You never agree with me,” she said. “Why are you?”
“I don’t know, Ivy. Sometimes I just want to wring your neck and then other times I think I’m too hard on you. That maybe I should lighten up. You’re not a child.”
“Yes,” she said. “You should lighten up. I know you all think you’ve got to watch out for me.”
“Why do you think we feel that way?”
She walked over and flopped on the couch next to her sister. She’d been sitting in the chair.
“Because I need help a lot. Or I come across as helpless. I know. I’m trying though.”
“And we all see it,” Dahlia said. “You turned your life around in terms of your career and living on your own. You don’t seem to be wasteful too much with money.”
She smiled and put her head on Dahlia’s shoulder. “I’m living with you, I can’t be. You won’t let me. But it was hard early on.”
“I know. We didn’t have a lot and you come here and you just want to fit in. Sometimes that is material possessions.”
“Yes,” she said. “I think Grandma knew and let it go, but then after a while she felt I needed to learn to budget and grow up.”
“Which is why she was charging you rent.”
“And I saw how much was saved when she gave it back to me. It felt good to have that put away even if I didn’t know I was doing that.”
“I’m glad you saw that,” Dahlia said.
“I still put money away in savings each paycheck. I don’t want to have to rely on my sisters for things anymore.”
“We are family,” Dahlia said. “We help each other out. We’d all be there if Chase or Mark needed anything.”
“I’m sure Mom and Dad are helping Chase out more than they did us. They don’t have any more kids at home.”
“Ivy. Let it go. There you are again, comparing. Or thinking someone is getting something you aren’t. You have to grow up.”
She hated those reminders and wasn’t sure why those words always slipped from her mouth.
“It’s hard,” she said.
“Life is hard.”
“I said that to Brooks last night.”
“Do I want to know why you did?” Dahlia asked.
“I don’t even remember anymore. We were talking about so many things.”
“Back to Brooks. Are you telling everyone what is going on?”
“Poppy has known all along.”
“Why am I not surprised,” Dahlia said.
