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“Even so, life is precarious. I’ve been lucky to have you to take care of me, but I’m better off learning how to take care of myself and Mama. I’ll figure something out. I have one more year of high school, and then we’ll see. Luca’s wife, Cat, has started college. She’s been trying to get us to continue our education, even after we get married. She can guide me.”
I let out a deep sigh, a tinge of nostalgia to it.
“I see that I’m leaving a sister behind who’s a full-fledged adult, and an intelligent and resourceful one, at that,” I acknowledged.
“And don’t worry about Mama. She’s my responsibility from now on. I’ll tell her you went on a trip, for starters. It will give me a couple of weeks to come up with something else. If you work things out with Clara, it will help me craft a story with a happy ending for her.”
“Oh, you’re a storyteller now, I see,” I joked.
“I’m a woman of many talents,” she shot back.
I looked deep into her eyes, eyes which suddenly looked older and wiser than their years. Did my sister have experiences I didn’t know about? Had I missed entire aspects of her life and character while I treated her like a little girl? Did she have secrets? The thought worried me. She wouldn’t be taking this so well if she hadn’t had difficult experiences, but I was running out of time to probe into her soul.
“God, I hope you’ll be okay.”
She held my gaze steadily and promised, “I will be okay.”
I nodded once.
“Then I should go.…”
“Yes, before Mama comes back.”
“Clara could reject me.” I spoke low, the admission almost too much for me.
She kissed me on the cheek. “Don’t underestimate her like you did me, Tatum. You’re a warrior, and she’s your warrior queen. Go get your queen.”
