The Summerville Sisters by Heather Dixon

Author:Heather Dixon [Dixon, Heather]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-01-09T00:00:00+00:00

SEVENTEEN

Over the next week, Claire and Audrey learned how to live with one another. It was a little like having a roommate, Claire supposed, although she had never had one before. She had gone from living with her mother to her first home with Greg. This was different. Neither one of them spoke about the moment when Audrey would leave and go back home. Claire decided that if Audrey wasn’t going to talk about it, she wouldn’t either. She only admitted this to herself, but she didn’t want to break the spell that floated around them. Despite the trauma of the last few days, it was a peaceful kind of feeling as they spent the time getting to know one another, sitting out on the dock chatting, making dinner together. Claire had called Greg to tell him everything she had learned, and he wanted to come over immediately, but Claire told him it would be better if it were just her and Audrey for the time. They were figuring it out together. They were also doing more research into the past, although they hadn’t found anything yet. Nevertheless, Claire had a glowing inside her stomach. It was like they both belonged here, and Claire felt settled. She wondered if this was what it felt like to have a sister in your life as an adult.

One morning, Claire found Audrey standing in the kitchen by the cupboard, pulling a mug down from the shelf.

“Oh,” Audrey said. “Is it okay if I grab some?” She held up her mug with one hand and gestured to the coffee maker with the other.

“Of course.” Claire set down the laundry basket she had been carrying. “You don’t have to keep asking me if it’s okay to do things.” She meant it, and again was surprised at how easily she found Audrey fit here. They were comfortable when they moved past one another in the hallway or sat together in the living room reading.

“Thanks,” Audrey said. “Can I get you some?”

“That would be great. I was going to go down to the dock. Want to come?”

“Sure,” Audrey answered.

Sitting on the dock with coffee was one of Claire’s favorite things to do. If she wasn’t out there with her mother, she used to go with Greg when they were married. She had adjusted quickly to the silence of being alone after Greg, but having Audrey join her reminded her of how nice it was to share a moment like this. A lot of what she did was solitary after Greg moved out. You tended to forget how alone you were when the person you spent all your time with was no longer there. She didn’t want someone else romantically, that thought hadn’t crossed her mind, but she did like company. She did like moments like this.

“What are your plans for the rest of the summer?” Claire asked.

“I don’t really have any.” Audrey glanced sideways at Claire.

Claire folded her legs under her. She took her sweater off and placed it on the arm of her chair.

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.