Page 77 of Fire and Rain
She felt something made of paper and pulled out a white legal-sized envelope. On the front in Justin’s neat handwriting was one name.
Sean.
“What’s that?”
“Something for Sean. I guess Justin didn’t get the chance to give it to him.”
“Are you going to open it?”
Eden shook her head. “It’s for Sean. I’ll let him open it.”
Anya looked disappointed “Girl, you have more self-control than I do.”
“Weallknow that.” Natasha secured a box with tape.
Eden wanted them to understand. “Justin knew Sean longer than he knew me. They had their own relationship, and I respect that. They were like brothers. I can’t open something that Justin meant for Sean.”
She set the envelope on her dresser and got back to work, clearing out the closet and sorting through everything she’d found there. By late afternoon, a dozen boxes and as many bags cluttered the living room and porch.
“I need to get home and make dinner.” Natasha glanced at the time on her phone. “Chris should be home soon. St. Mary’s drop-off site is closing in a half an hour. I’m going to load as much of this into my SUV as I can and drive it down. Willow, Summer, can you help me carry boxes out?”
“Thanks so much for your help, Tasha.” Eden gave her sister a hug.
“My brave little sister. You really are brave, Eden. I was happy to help.”
They packed Natasha’s SUV as full as they possibly could, and she set out, leaving Maverick to cry for his cousins.
Eden scooped him up. “You’ll see Summer and Willow again, Mavie.”
Anya surveyed the mess. “You know what you should do?”
“I feel certain you’re about to tell me.”
“Rearrange the bedroom furniture. Give the place a whole new look.”
“I don’t know. That seems like a lot.” It had been a long day and an emotionally draining one, too. “I think I’ll just order pizza and get the place put back together.”
“Forget pizza. Katie’s on her way with sushi—and a few other things.”
That sounded mysterious.
“You’ve been plotting behind my back.”
“You know it.”
Eden made Maverick a simple supper of mac and cheese with salmon for extra protein. He had missed his afternoon nap and was cranky. “Here you go, Mavie.”
Katie arrived ten minutes later, carrying in the food and a large shopping bag from Target. “Hey, Maverick! Aren’t you a cute little macaroni mess?”
While Eden set the table and took the sushi out of the bags, Anya filled Katie in on everything they’d done and then took her back to see the bedroom. Eden didn’t think much of it until they returned and Katie informed her that she and Anya would rearrange the furniture if Eden felt too tired.
“I mean, come on.” Katie sat, picked up her chopsticks. “It’s a new start, a new beginning. Why not go all the way? You won’t have to lift a finger. Anya and I will do it all.”
Anya looked up from her California roll. “We will?”
Buoyed by her sisters’ enthusiasm and humor, Eden tried to relax and just enjoy their company. After they’d eaten, they all walked back to the bedroom, where Katie and Anya got to work, carrying everything out into the hallway, then vacuuming and putting the furniture into place one piece at a time.
Eden, whose job it was to offer feedback and snuggle Maverick, found herself laughing at her sisters’ unintentional antics. Anya did a face plant on the mattress while trying to lift it from the bed. Katie found a spider in one corner and let out an earsplitting scream. Then the two of them got stuck in the doorway trying to decide who should go first while carrying out her chest of drawers.
