Taryn pinched the bridge of her nose. “Momma…”
Her mother ignored her. “I’m just saying. I’ve never heard your sister mention a new man. He can’t have been around that long and already…sleeping over.”
Taryn groaned. “Momma, I’m not a teenager. I know him. He’s not dangerous. It was just a friendly thing. I’m not dating him.”
Her mother glanced over with a cocked brow. “And what is this young man’s name?”
“Sh—” Taryn caught herself, almost choking to keep the name from slipping out. “Lucas. He’s a trainer at a gym I joined.”
Her mother’s brows crawled higher. “A trainer? Honey, you are a doctor.”
Taryn took a page from her mother’s book and looked toward Nia’s headstone. “Girl, do you hear your mother? She’s become a snob.”
Her mother pursed her lips. “I’ve become someone who doesn’t want her daughter being used.”
Taryn snorted and picked at the grass. “Mom, I’m a professor, not an MD. No one is after me for my money. There’s not that much of it. And I have even less now because I’m on unpaid leave.”
Her mother stiffened. “Unpaid leave? What are you talking about?”
Taryn explained what had happened and about the fund-raiser and video campaign. The irritated look on her mother’s face slowly morphed into a smile.
“You’re going to put the program in schools yourself?” she asked, beaming.
Taryn shrugged and let the grass shavings fall from her fingertips. ?
??If I can raise enough money.”
Her mother clasped her hands together at her chest and then looked to the grave. “Nia, did you hear that, sweetie? Your big sister is not giving up. The board said no, and she’s not taking it. She’s going to make sure your program gets in schools. She’s never going to give up on you.” Her mother looked back to Taryn, taking her hands in hers, eyes glistening. “I’m not sure I’ve ever been prouder of you.”
Taryn forced a smile, but her chest felt like an elephant had sat on it. “Thanks, Momma.”
“Emmett!” her mom called out. “Did you hear what our baby is doing?”
As her parents surrounded her, hugging her in front of Nia’s headstone, Taryn felt like she’d drifted out of her body and was watching from a perch in one of those trees. This was her life. This was what she’d told Shaw she needed to get back to. But suddenly, it didn’t feel like hers at all.
When her parents decided it was time to leave, Taryn told them to go ahead without her, that she wanted some alone time. Her mother beamed at that and left her to it.
Taryn waited for them to depart and then knelt down, rubbing her fingers over her sister’s birth date as if to memorize it anew. She wasn’t sure if she believed in an afterlife, but she hoped one did exist. “I’m sorry I forgot your birthday this morning, baby girl. I’m so sorry.” Her voice caught and she had to take a second to breathe through it. “I wish you were here so I could tease you about getting old. I’d take you out and get you drunk. You’d probably end up dancing on a table. I’d end up singing. We’d embarrass ourselves completely. We’d have a time.”
The wind gusted, sweeping Taryn’s hair away from her face, and a small bird landed off to her right. He hopped around, pecking the ground, almost looking as if he were dancing. Taryn smiled through fresh tears.
“I wish you were here so badly, I can barely stand it,” she confessed. “I want my sister back. I want to hear your secrets and tell you mine. I want you to be the first to hear that I fell in love.” She sniffled. “And totally messed it up. You’d be giving me quite a lecture right now.” She sat back on her knees, feeling heavy and tired. “I want to talk about who you’re dating and if you want kids. I want you to fight with me over who gets to host Christmas. I want to stand behind you at your wedding and have you stand behind me at mine. Not that I’ll ever get married at this rate.”
The bird squawked. Opinionated little sucker.
“I know we used to fight sometimes and that I was jealous of you that night, but I swear, I’d do anything in the world to have you back to argue with. I don’t want to be an only child. I was never meant to be without you. I have no idea what I’m doing here.”
Tears made slow tracks down her face, and the bird moved closer, seemingly curious about this unusual creature who was making strange noises. But when he hopped next to her hand, which was splayed in the grass, and jumped on top of her fingers, Taryn didn’t move.
She blinked through her tears, and the little brown bird stared at her with serious eyes. In that moment, she didn’t know how, but she knew her sister was there with her. Hearing her. Telling her not to give up.
Taryn’s tears stopped, and she stayed still as stone until the little bird hopped away. A sense of peace came over her, and she felt that burn in her gut renew. As much as it had hurt, she’d made the right decision this morning. She didn’t need to veer off the path again. “I’ve got you, Nia. I’m still fighting. Don’t worry.”
Chapter
Twenty-Four
TWO WEEKS LATER