Page 12 of Big & Lily

He storms back to his car, as Lily, arms still full of dachshund, crumples onto the fieldstone steps at my front door. He speeds offway too fast for this sleepy neighborhood, putting a theatrical end to the scene. I quickly slide in next to Lily, our thighs pressing together, and wrap my arms around her and the dog. Ruth rummages through her gym bag and pulls out a half-empty water bottle. She takes a swig, wipes the mouthpiece on the hem of her T-shirt, and hands it to Lily as if it’s a shot of tequila that’ll calm her nerves. Sweet Tim, not sure where he is supposed to be in the aftermath of all that mayhem, wrangles as many bags and suitcases as he can fit under his arms and mumbles, “I’ll just take these inside.”

My sister’s head is bent as she sobs into Marigold’s neck.

Lily stays like this, with me holding onto her for dear life until Marigold starts to squirm. “Mom,” I say, “do you think you could take the dog in the backyard?”

My mom knows I’m giving her an out. These types of moments are not her strong suit. Want someone’s ass kicked? Call Ruth. Need a shoulder to cry on? Not so much. “Come on, Goldie,” she says, wrapping the dog’s leash around her hand. “Let’s go for a tinkle.”

The pair waddle off, and I loosen my grip on Lily, push her hair away from her face, and force her to meet my eyes. I give her my most concerned, maternal, sisterly, empathetic face and say, “That guy... what adouchenheimer.”

Lily snort-laughs and a little snot flies out of her nose, which makes her snort again. “Yes,” she admits. “Douchenheimer extraordinaire.”

“Lord Douchenheimer.”

“King Douchenheimer.”

“Ladies and gentlemen, God save the King Douche—”

“Okay, okay.” She laughs. “Stop. I don’t want to be in a good mood. I want to be sad and furious and miserable.”

“Yes, sweetie,” I say, kissing the top of her head. “You can be all that.”

“Oh jeez. Mom. What did she say when you told her?”

Now is not the time to admit I shirked my sisterly responsibility. Besides, my mother got enough of the story in living color. “Suffice to say he should stay away from Ruth if he values his testicles.”

Lily twists her lips and leans her head on my shoulder. “Excellent,” she says before a long groan. “Oh, Big, what am I going to do?”

It’s a problem that doesn’t need an answer today. “Let’s start with going inside. I’ll make you a coffee, and you can unpack. I’ll bet I can sweet-talk Cameron into staying on the couch while you’re here. You can have his room. He’d do it in a flash for his favorite aunt.”

“He won’t need to; won’t be here that long. I’m leaving for Alaska soon. I can couch it until then. Oh, and it’s okay if Marigold stays here, right? She loves the kids.”

There is every reason for my sister not to skip town right now. Any decent lawyer—at least the ones I see onSuits—would tell her to stay put, would say she’d be abdicating her home and her business, even custody of Marigold if it comes to that. Sheshouldstay and fight. But, after what I just witnessed—the cruelty of it, her belongings stuffed into bags and suitcases and dragged onto my front steps. The defeated expression on the face of a woman whose beauty and charm and je ne sais quoi (and, to be honest, the support of her guardian angel, me) have kept her from ever having to go into an ugly battle. Suddenly,shoulddoesn’t seem like it has a place here.

“Sure, she can stay here. Tiger will survive a week under my bed.” I lay my hand on my sister’s knee. “Maybe I was wrong. Some time away could do you a world of good. Go hug some trees. What do they call it? Commune with nature. We can figure out the next steps when you get home.”

Lily’s eyes widen, and she throws her arms around my neck. “No way. Really? Yay, we’re going to Alaska!”

My heart breaks a little over the relief on my sister’s face. She’s nine again, begging me to take her with me on a day out with my friends. “Sweetie, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean... I can’t just up and go—”

“No, Big! You have to come. I need you!” Then she changes the focus of her pitch. “You said it would be good for me. Well, it’ll be good for you too. Think about it. You need this as much as I do. All you do all day is wait hand and foot on everyone else—”

“I don’t wait on—”

Lily doesn’t want to hear it; she’s on a roll. “When was the last time you went on an adventure?”

“An adventure?” I laugh. “Have you seen me? I’m more built for mall walking, and even then, I’m not so sure. That Peloton you convinced me to buy during the pandemic is a clothing rack. I’m out of breath in the line at the coffee shop. I was wearing gym clothes and never making it to the actual gym before it became a fashion phenomenon. Adventure? They’d find my stiff, dead body frozen to the trail like those idiots who try to climb Mount Everest.”

“Oh for Christ’s sake, don’t be so dramatic, that’s my game. Besides, it’s not like that at all. I told you, this is a guided trip. They lead you around and take you places and do everything for you. It’s like full-on glamping, you don’t have to do anything. It’s basically one step up from a cruise.”

“A cruise does sound appealing. And I’ve heard Alaska is beautiful... but wait, no. What am I saying? I can’t up and leave with a week’s notice. I’ve got a life, a busy, busy life, and—”

“I didn’t want to have to say this, Bridget...” Okay, here come the big guns. She’s using my actual name—she means business. “I’ve been thinking about it, and honestly, I said I could, but I can’t go alone. I’m too messed up; who knows what I’ll do? I could get lost in the woods, eaten by a bear, screw some Grizzly Adams trapper and end up living in a cabin with no running water. I can’t be left to my own devices. You’ve got to come with me. I need my big sister. You need to save me from myself. You’re the one person in the world I can count on. I mean it, Big. If you don’t come to Alaska with me, I might never come back.”

Chapter Six

“I’m the world’s worst sister.”

The one person I would ever confide something like that to puts his Clive Cussler novel upside down on his lap, readjusts the pillow propped up behind him, and lets out a long, patient breath through his nose.