A Family Affair by Harper Bliss

Author:Harper Bliss [Bliss, Harper]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9789464339208
Publisher: Ladylit Publishing
Published: 2022-08-16T23:00:00+00:00

The sun has almost set, and Kate has lit a fire on the deck. She’s keeping a close watch over it, even though it’s not necessary—if I remember correctly, she’s the one who advised Mom to buy this particular kind of firepit because it’s so low-maintenance.

“Maybe I should move here. Work remotely. This place is fucking magical,” she says, when she finally relaxes a bit. It’s been a tense affair since she arrived, both of us trying to pretend that we’re nothing but the most ordinary sisters-in-law. “Unfortunately, my job is not very work-from-home friendly.”

“Neither is mine, although I feel like I work from home all the time, waiting for my agent to call and reading manuscripts for parts I’ll never get.”

“Have you ever thought about quitting? Trying your hand at a different career?” She twirls her glass of red wine between her hands. Beforehand, we set a firm limit on one bottle between us for the night. Neither one of us has finished the first glass, so afraid of what might happen if we take a proper sip.

“Almost every day, but it’s what I want to do,” I say.

“Indulge me.” Her head resting against the high back of the Adirondack chair, she turns to me. “What would you be if you weren’t an actor?”

“Just like most other people in this town, I have a screenplay I’ve been tinkering with for the better part of ten years.”

“Really? I didn’t know that.”

“There’s a lot you don’t know, Kate.”

“Such as?” Her lips curl into a smile.

“Up to a few weeks ago, we never really talked about anything else but the occasional family stuff.”

“True. So what’s it about? Your screenplay?”

“It’s this completely off-the-wall sci-fi caper set in a world where the patriarchy never existed, but as it turns out, the matriarchy ended up destroying the planet as well, but not before discovering there’s another world out there where we can survive.”

“I’d love to read it some time.”

“You don’t have to say that. It’s just a hobby. It’s not meant to be anything other than a means to engage my frequently overactive imagination.”

“Still. I’d love to read it.” She exhales deeply. She blinks slowly. “I’m not going to lie, Stella. Part of me wishes I could just stay here with you forever. Or at least for more than another day. Maybe a week. Or a few months.” She puts down her glass and reaches out her hand. “Simply being with you makes me feel… lighter.”

I gaze at her outstretched hand. I swallow hard. I shouldn’t take it, but I already know I will. Like an out-of-body experience, I watch myself reach toward her. The touch of her fingers against mine is like an electric shock. All the emotions I’ve kept at bay since Monday unleash at once. I run my fingers up her arm.

“I get the feeling I’m about to fail at something spectacularly again,” Kate says. With her hand still in mine, she pushes herself out of the chair. Still seated, it’s as though I’m worshipping at her feet.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.