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But my sister belonged in the city with the rest of us. I got why she’d never leave this place. It was the home she and Jack had made together. He haunted these walls and that was exactly how she wanted it. Who was I to judge her for that?
The door opened a crack, and my sister’s stunned expression greeted me.
“What are you doing here?”
“You know. Now are you going to let me in?”
She contemplated for a moment, and I stared at her incredulously. If she’d showed up at my place, I wouldn’t have thought twice.
Finally, she opened the door.
“Where’s the little monster?” I glanced in the living room to find it empty.
“In the kitchen.”
I faced Marlow. “Look, I crossed a line on Sunday. That wasn’t the time or place.”
“And I torched it.” Was this my sister? Because this definitely sounded like some semblance of an apology. “I was pissed at you for bringing up . . .” She looked down. “That didn’t give me the right to lash out at you.”
“I know what it feels like to suffer in silence,” I admitted. “It’s one thing for me to do it and completely different for my big sister to hurt alone.”
That was the crux of it. I couldn’t stand her pain when I understood it far better than most.
She shrank in on herself. “There’s not a thing you can do to make it better.”
I placed my hands on her shoulders. “I know. Doesn’t mean I don’t want to try.”
“What I said . . . I didn’t mean it. If I were you, I wouldn’t forgive me for it.”
“Are you asking me to?” She nodded. “Then we’ll forget about it.”
I took her in my arms, and Marlow clung to me. “I’m sorry.”
“Me too.” I closed my eyes and rested my cheek on top of her head. The distance between us over the years was more my fault than hers. I’d missed my sister. I hoped we could fix that.
“I’ll come to Sunday dinner if you will,” she said, a mischievous smirk on her lips.
“You’re not going to tell Dad, are you?”
“Nope. He’ll like the surprise.”
“HOOOOWW!”
I shoved my finger in my ear and shook my head at my nephew’s shriek. “Is somebody else here?”
I pointed my chin in the direction of the kitchen at the muffled voice.
“Umm . . .”
I grinned. “Patrick hiding in there? I know you like him.” I tugged on her hair and took off.
She grabbed my arm. “Holt. Wait.”
I glanced back at her over my shoulder. “You don’t have to hide it from me.” I winked.
“Holt.”
I ignored her urgency. “Patrick. You dog—” I stopped dead in the doorway to the kitchen.
