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Excuses, excuses.
Everest didn’t live in the bay area peninsula, but rather, he lived further into the centre of Vancouver Island, north of Port Alberni.
Six years ago, Frank, Everest, Juniper, and I moved away from one commune, and into one that was a little better. A little less typical, if you will, as they only provided housing, however, Frank was taught and trained to work, and mainly helped in minor construction projects, as did my brothers, and I was enrolled in school, a bit of a joke since it turned out I was the dumbest kid in my class. We all managed odd jobs for a couple of years, until Frank got sick.
Without hesitation, I immediately offered up my kidney. Being the first volunteer, it was a huge surprise to have matched, and I told my father I’d give it to him on the condition that I be allowed to branch out and do my own thing when he was healed. At the time, he had agreed. With his blessing.
Juniper jumped ship as soon as Frank got sick, swearing nature was supposed to do its thing and any attempts to change the course of a path were wrong. Whatever. His leaving didn’t bother me since there was no love lost between us, not since heaccidentallytried to kill me when I was a teen.
Everest stuck around though. Through thick and thin. He didn’t always agree with Frank or me, but he supported us both.
However, two years later when I felt I was ready to leave, Frank and I had a nasty fight where he called me a traitor for wanting to find out who I was and claimed I was turning my back on the family and all he had done for me. Years of battling led to a giant explosion between us. I was nineteen, and I knew I wanted more from life than what I was living, so I packed up and left, leaving behind a note. With a sleeping bag and a tent, I ventured far away on foot, living off the land, until I stumbled into Cheshire Bay, eventually finding a job with Sylvia, who helped me in more ways than I could ever repay.
“Aspen, are you still there?”
“Yeah.” I had no fight left, it always extinguished rapidly and fell back onto my rough-to the-touch couch. “You know, you really should be the one to reach out to her. You’re the one that never holds a grudge.” I held the phone close, listening for any clue he was going to accept the challenge.
“I think the news would be best delivered by you. You were always great at delivering bad news.” Leave it to my big brother to bring up the past.
“When did she leave? Like twelve years ago?”
“From what Jun has been able to figure out, more like fifteen.”
Juniper had been welcomed back to the big commune, but that offer was never extended to Everest, Frank, or me. We were shunned forever.
“You’re just proving my point. She’s likely forgotten where she came from, and I guarantee she likely doesn’t even know she has a little sister, let alone twin brothers.”
“Dad says if nothing else, he wants the chance to see her one last time. You’re his only hope.”
I growled. “I hate this, you know. I hate how this is sitting on my shoulders.”
“I know you do.”
My intensity for the monumental task before me only created more sparks of anger. “You knew if you told me, that it was a done deal, and I’d find the way to make the connection and tell her. And I hate that you used that against me.”
“You’ve never let me down. I don’t expect you’ll do it with this either.”
“I hate you.”
He laughed. “I love you too.” There was a long pause. “I wasn’t going to say this, but I can’t help myself. You need to see Dad. It’s your chance to make amends. If he turns a corner and heads down that end of the road, you don’t want your last words to him to be angry ones.”
It wasn’t a question, just a statement to hang in the air. I didn’t even know how to respond.
“Look, my minutes are running out. I’ll call again in a couple of days and see if anything’s changed. The clock’s ticking. I know you won’t disappoint me.”
The call ended before I could even tell him I missed him.
Chapter Nine
I was pouring my regular customer a cup of coffee to go along with her scone when the overhead bells chimed, and Landon cautiously entered the bakery. His gaze darted around until he connected with me.
I handed her the order and stepped back from the counter. Since I was the only worker up front, as Sylvia was dipping a fresh batch of donuts with caramel glaze, I made sure I kept a sizeable distance from him.
“Can I help you?” I put on a fake yet friendly smile. Long gone was the fun, flirtatious back and forth we used to have.
He surveyed the display cases. “I’m searching for something.”
“Anything specific?” As hard as it was, I kept my tongue in check but there may have been a touch of sauciness in my words.
