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Satisfied, Sofie picked up her chatter where she’d left off, telling Archer about her two guinea pigs and the new house they’d moved into a little while ago. The small apartment they’d lived in when they first moved back to San Diego had only had two rooms. Everleigh had been relieved when they’d found a farmhouse on a few acres.
After a while, Archer’s shoulders relaxed, and he didn’t sit on the stool like he was about to take a test. He even asked Sofie questions, something she soaked up.
Watching them, I ached for the boy I used to know. He’d have loved having a niece. Would have been the best uncle. It was hard to reconcile that person with the broody giant currently sitting in the kitchen with us.
But I caught glimpses of the caring and funny boy I used to know. Maybe he needed time. I hoped for his sake and Everleigh’s that he’d be able to get past whatever was holding him back. It would be a shame for him to miss out on spending time with his family.
Giving them more time together, I excused myself to take a shower and get dressed. Archer only nodded at me, and Sofie promised to do the same after she’d told Archer all about her friend Clara, who only lived a few streets over and went to the same school as her.
My shower was brief, and I didn’t pay much attention to what I put on. I wasn’t planning on going anywhere today, so I ended up wearing comfortable jean shorts that I’d had for years and a loose shirt. I made my way back downstairs, picking up Sofie’s things along the way.
Everleigh would be here soon to pick Sofie up. We needed to find everything she’d scattered around the house and get her dressed.
To my surprise, Archer and Sofie were still sitting in the kitchen. And Archer was doing the talking.
“And sometimes I jump out of a plane. Or have to swim really long distances.”
Sofie was listening with rapt attention, her eyes wide, her cheeks flushed. “But aren’t you scared of the sharks?”
“Not really.”
The unspoken “There’s usually worse things to worry about when out in the middle of the ocean” went unnoticed by Sofie.
Archer spotted me standing in the entrance to the kitchen and stood up. “I need to get back to work.” Squeezing Sofie’s shoulder, he stepped back. “Thanks for having lunch with me. I’ll see you around, okay?”
Smiling wide at him, she nodded so hard her wet hair flew around her head. “I’ll be back soon, so you can show me how to hold my breath for a long, long time. And how to swim really, really fast.”
“Okay, squid, we’ll do that.”
He nodded at me on his way out, looking less tense than he had in a while. Maybe I should invite Sofie over more often if that was the path to getting him to let go of all the weight that seemed to press in on him.
When Everleigh picked Sofie up, her attention was everywhere but on us, searching the entry hall for her brother.
Nudging her shoulder with mine, I shot her an apologetic smile. “He disappeared about an hour ago.”
Her face fell, and she visibly slumped. “Why doesn’t he want to talk to me? I’m his sister. We used to be so close, and now, nothing. We’re strangers.”
Being this close to Archer but having no connection to him anymore was something I knew all too well. I also knew the crushing disappointment she was currently feeling, since it matched my own.
“He’ll come around.”
Maybe.
Her desperate eyes met mine, tears shining in them. “I know what he went through must have been horrible. But why can’t he see that I just want to help him? If only he’d talk to me.”
Swallowing the lump in my throat, I gave her a tight smile. “Give it time. At least you know he’s in excellent hands working for Gunner.”
When her strained face lifted to mine, I knew the glimmer in her eyes meant she was up to something. “Will you talk to him? He’s always listened to you.”
Sensing my reluctance, she took my hands. “Please. You have to help me. I don’t know what to do anymore, but I can’t just give up. He’s my brother.”
Gritting my teeth, I gave in. “Of course I’ll talk to him. But no promises. We haven’t seen each other in a long time. And you know how stubborn he is.”
“I always thought it would be the three of us for our whole lives.”
Pulling her in for a hug, I beat back my own tears. I wished it was still the three of us against the world. But reality had smacked some sense into me long ago.
“It is what it is. No sense worrying about something you can’t change.”
