“Dahlia finds my modernization of this classic building appalling,” Marianne said as they stepped out onto the street.
“I’m not your ally for that,” Ruby said. “I’m even more analog than Dahlia.”
“It makes no sense,” Marianne said. “You know you can appreciate all the charm of this small historic town without living in the Dark Ages.”
“I love the Dark Ages,” Ruby said, practically skipping down the street. And of course not tripping.
“You do not love the Dark Ages,” Marianne said, maddeningly sage, as she was wont to be. “You love the idea of a desperately handsome and brooding man wiping your fevered brow while younearlyperish from an illness. Only nearly.”
“True,” Ruby said. “And I do like my men to have all their teeth, so it’s more a vague fantasy than any real yearning.”
“Hmm,” Marianne agreed.
They paused at the end of the sidewalk. “Where are you parked?” Marianne asked.
“Oh, I parked down at the supermarket.”
“I’m parked at the newspaper office,” Dahlia said.
“I’m parked behind The Apothecary. So I have gone in the wrong direction.”
“See you at Mom and Dad’s?”
“Yep,” Ruby said.
But as Dahlia turned to go along with Marianne, Ruby grabbed her arm.
“So,” Ruby said, turning those wide blue eyes on in such a manner that Dahlia knew the following sentence was certain to irritate. “Dad said I could stay in the cottage.”
Dahlia laughed. She couldn’t help herself.
Because hadn’t it always been this way?
She’d had her own room, and then Ruby had appeared. And the town had sent cribs and bassinets and diapers and toys that had overflowed into Dahlia’s space. Not a bit of it for her, and leaving very little space for her on top of it.
“I told him he had to ask you,” Ruby said. “But you know how Dad is. He said you don’t pay rent and blah blah his land. But I don’t want to stay there if it bothers you.”
Dahlia wondered for a full five seconds what would happen if she told Ruby no. If she just said:Nope, not going to work. Find somewhere else to bunk.
But Ruby, for all that she was asking, knew Dahlia wouldn’t do that. And Dahlia, for all that she was annoyed, knew that she wouldn’t either.
“There are two bedrooms inthe shed, Rubes.” She persisted in sayingshedbecause Ruby wouldn’t call it that. “There’s no reason you can’t stay there.”
“Oh, thank you!” Ruby lurched forward and wrapped her arms around Dahlia’s neck, and Dahlia responded with a light pat on her sister’s back. “We can carpool!” she said when they separated.
“We’ll see, Rubes.”
“Okay, that’s good enough. I can’t wait to see what you’ve done with the cottage.”
“Mostly stacked books in there. You’ll need your own desk.”
“I can do that.”
“Okay, see you tonight.”
As Dahlia watched Ruby walk away, her blond hair bouncing behind her, she reflected on the earlier strangeness of walking with her younger sister. It was the kind of thing she was used to, but it hit her harder because it had been months since Ruby had been in town.
Ruby had come back all sun and smiles, and as usual, everyone responded to that. But what kept sticking for Dahlia was the way no one ever seemed... Curious about Ruby.