Sisters of Heart and Snow by Margaret Dilloway

Author:Margaret Dilloway
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 2015-03-17T04:00:00+00:00

DAD,

I KNOW WE’VE HAD OUR DIFFERENCES, BUT I’M ASKING YOU TO PUT THEM ASIDE FOR A MINUTE. OUR DAUGHTER QUINCY [I have to write “daughter Quincy” because I’m not sure he’s aware that I have a daughter, much less her name] IS GETTING MARRIED IN MID-MAY. SHE WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO ATTEND THE WEDDING AND THE FESTIVITIES SURROUNDING.

THANKS,

RACHEL

“How’s that?” I show my sister.

She shrugs. “Kind of impersonal, but whatever.”

“I don’t know him, Drew. I can’t be chummy. Are you chummy with him?”

She sighs. She’s not. She knows she’s not. “Okay. Read mine.”

Dear Hatsuko,

We don’t know each other, but we might have someone in common. Hikari Sato. She is our mother. Recently, she fell ill, but she gave us the samurai book you sent. Can you tell us where it came from and how our mother came to have it?

It would be most appreciated.

Sincerely,

Drew and Rachel Snow

“I’m Perrotti.” I hand it back to her.

“That just complicates it.” Drew folds it carefully.

“Don’t you think you should put in a stamped self-addressed envelope? And have the letter translated into Japanese?”

“First you don’t want to do it. Now you’re micromanaging.” Drew sighs noisily. “Fine. I’ll ask Joseph to translate it and I’ll include an SASE. It’ll cost more. Why’d you bother with the airmail paper?”

I shrug. “I didn’t think of the other things.”

“But you said them like you had and you were telling me I was wrong.”

“Sorry.” I hadn’t meant to put it like that. Only my sister would scrutinize the meta-meanings of my word choices so intensely. Once she’d asked, after playing a song, how it was. I was busy doing homework and just said, “Okay.” She’d pouted and wept for hours.

Drew waves her hand in front of her face. “Never mind. Let me tell you something good.” She folds up the letter and speaks brightly. “Did you know that your local library was harboring a very hot single Englishman?”

“Alan?” I think of him. He’s always wearing a sweater vest of some kind. I hadn’t paid much attention. “He waived a fine for me once. Seems nice.”

“Don’t you think he’s hot?” Drew’s disappointed.

I try to remember what his face looked like. “Um. I guess. He wasn’t horribly ugly or anything.”

“Oh my God, Rachel.” Drew throws her hands up. “He’s the hottest man in a thirty-mile radius.” She puts her hand on my arm. “Single man. I’m not counting Tom or anything.”

“Okay, okay.” I cross my arms. “What about him?”

“I’m going out with him.” Drew draws her shoulders up.

I clear my throat, thinking of how Drew’s got to go back to her own home sometime. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

“It’s just for fun.”

I kick my feet out in front of me, sending the blanket flying up.

“What?” Drew turns to me. “Say it. I know you’re thinking something.”

“At a certain age,” I begin, trying to choose my words carefully. I want the best for my sister. I don’t want her to wander around getting into go-nowhere relationships for her whole life. I trail off.

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