When I used to come home, I’d stop by my mom’s place, but…” She trailed off, shielding her eyes with her hand. “I’m sorry. Tonight’s supposed to be a lovely evening, and here I am, losing it all over again.”
Bridget was the first to respond, placing her hand on Cassidy’s the way I’d done so many times before. “It’s hard,”
she agreed, offering Cassidy a partial smile when she met her gaze. “I’d say it gets easier but look at this one. She’s still a mess.”
Cassidy choked back a tiny laugh, then gave me an apologetic smile.
“It gets easier,” I said, smiling the slightest bit, “but some days are worse than others.” I paused a moment, wondering if I should bring up Laura again and if Cassidy losing her mother felt the same way. In the end, I decided against it. It wasn’t my place to ask, and with Bridget around, I didn’t want to make Cassidy more uncomfortable than she already was.
Cassidy took a deep breath, wiping her eyes with a tissue once the hostess returned to take our order. After she’d gone, the three of us fell into silence, my sister playing with the corner of a napkin and Cassidy’s mind miles away. I’ve never liked awkward silences, so after coughing to move the air from my lungs, I spoke.
“Do they allow pets on the bus?” I asked Cassidy, resulting in a confused look from both her and my sister. “You never mentioned if you have any pets or not, so I was wondering if it’s because you can’t have them or if it’s just because life’s too busy.”
She passed me a warm smile, clearly thankful for the new topic. “I thought about getting a dog once, but it wouldn’t have been fair to either one of us. We’re always moving around.
Most of the time, the world outside the van is crowded and uncomfortably loud. I wouldn’t have a yard for it to play in, and I honestly don’t want to have to worry about it whenever I’m on stage. That isn’t to say it wouldn’t be nice to get one someday, but not until after I’ve bought a place of my own and can be there on a regular basis.”
I nodded at that. “That makes sense.”
“What about a cat?” my sister asked. “They aren’t as sensitive and you wouldn’t have to worry about leaving it alone as much.”
“I’m allergic.” Cassidy wrinkled her nose. “We used to have one when I was a kid, but then I broke out in a rash and, well, the rest of the story is what you’d expect. Some cats are worse than others. Coby was terrible. He’d wrapped his paws around me when I picked him up, then rub his face all over my neck
and cheeks, causing me to break out in hives. It’s a real shame because I really liked him. He was the most affectionate cat I’ve ever known.”
“A fish, then,” my sister decided, continuing down her list of possible animals.
“She’s going to keep going until you cave in,” I warned.
“She did the same thing with my parents when she wanted to get a pet.”
Cassidy’s eyes lit up. “What did you guys end up with?”
“A turtle,” Bridget said with disgust. “Dad found it on the sidewalk. He brought it in and asked us to take care of it. The thing smelled horrible.”
“That’s because it was a turtle and you can’t give them a bath like you would with a dog,” I pointed out, laughing when she stuck her tongue out at me.
Our food arrived then, stopping my sister from saying anything else. As the three of us dug into our food, I couldn’t help smiling at how well the three of us got along with one another. Bridget was more of a people-person than I’d ever been, but it was usually forced.
Not with Cassidy. Even as Cassidy talked about her upcoming tour and schedule, Bridget treated her more like a friend than the fangirl she truly was. No doubt I’d get a call from her before bed, just so she could gush over Cassidy.
It was nice, not only to have a night out but to spend time with my sister. She was right. It’d been way too long since we’d had a night out together, and while Cassidy may have been our reason for doing so, I knew then it’d be something we’d have to continue. If not for me, then for her.
“I was thinking we could walk around town after dinner,”
Cassidy said between bites, taking a sip of water once she’d finished.
“I actually need to head back home soon and check on a guy I’ve been talking to,” Bridget said, keeping her head down so I couldn’t see her face. “But Evie’s free. Aren’t you, Evie?”
Here we go. I knew it wouldn’t take long for my sister to try and hook us up again.
I blew out a breath and hoped the heat on my cheeks wasn’t as noticeable to them as it was for me. “I could go for a walk,”
I said, wincing when my voice wavered at the end. “Are you sure you don’t need to get back?” The last thing I wanted was for her manager to get on my case again, or worse. I could only imagine how charming he must’ve been to Cassidy once she got back.
“Not until tomorrow morning.” She flashed me a wicked grin, causing me to choke on my food enough for my sister to laugh at my expense.
Sipping my water, I took a handful of uneasy breaths, waiting for my heart rate return to this side of normal before saying anything else. “I’d be more than happy to join you.”