Kristy nods again to Beast’s question, and some of the sparkle disappears from his eyes when I don’t mirror everyone’s enthusiasm. But I don’t know how to suddenly play house with people who always kept me at arm’s length.
“I told you, Zane, Beast most likely ripped our rooms apart and turned them into some pink or purple shit,” Zach jabbers, breaking some of the tension.
“I sure wanted to, bugger. You never kept your room clean anyway. I’d love to fix up that monstrosity you left behind. Heck! There are still posters of half-naked girls on the walls. I don’t even want to step inside that shithole.” Ash squeezes his eyes closed as if he can still see all those posters.
Their playful banter reduces the stress. My clenched chest relaxes a little.
“But Sophia didn’t let me touch your haven.” Ash shakes his head in mock defeat.
“That’s good. I’d like to spend some nights here, you know.” Zach pays no regard to Ash’s words.
“Have I not tolerated you enough? Is that lavish hotel of yours lacking rooms for you to stay in?”
“No, and no. But what I don’t have there is you. How can I annoy you if we aren’t together?”
“You piece of shit.”
I jump in my seat as, out of the blue, Ash throws his cloth napkin at Zach’s face.
Their encounter earns a laugh from Charlie, and this time, I can’t hide my smile.
For the first time in the evening, we all look like that perfect family portrait, and I like it.
* * *
“Girls, will you join me?” Ash asks Kristy and me as we sip our coffee after a hearty dinner. The guys have already moved to the patio pool table. But I don’t miss Zander intermittently looking our way.
I give Kristy a subtle nod when she glances in my direction for confirmation. Ash leads us into the house while Sophia stays back, playing with Charlie. I don’t know if she’s nervous or just wants to give us some alone time with…our father.
Kristy has made it very clear to Sophia that she isn’t going to forgive her anytime soon. I, on the other hand, have done nothing but avoid her since that morning.
Ash leads us to the left wing on the first floor. “The right wing is where the boys’ rooms are.”
I remember when Zane gave me a small tour of that part of the house. But everything looks different today.
“This left wing used to be for guest rooms, but this last month, your mom and I renovated it. Take a look.” He opens a door, and I hesitantly step in after Kristy.
The room is painted purple. One of the walls is lined with cute pictures of a baby girl elephant. There’s a throw pillow with a similar picture and Kristy written on it.
Kristy gasps next to me. “Oh my God.”
“I don’t know if you remember, but the ground floor is where we had the main bedroom and your room.” Ash’s gaze moves from Kristy to the purple-painted walls as he grabs the back of his neck.
It feels weird that a man as big as him is walking on eggshells around us.
“I wanted to set up rooms for both of you in case you ever wanted to come home. I mean…here. I was going for a more sophisticated, grown-up setup, but your mom suggested you girls would like a piece of your missed childhood.”
A painful expression dawns on his face, and I realize it’s not only us who lost that part of our lives, but he also missed out.
With a sad smile, he continues. “So, I asked the designers to get all the decorations from the ground floor to recreate your rooms. But other than that, the furniture is new and sturdy.” He grips the frame of the queen-sized bed. I notice that even though the décor is childish, the furniture is all adult, including a vanity and a larger dresser.
Kristy picks up the pillow with her name written on it and looks at Ash questioningly.
“You don’t remember?” He perches beside her on the bed and takes the pillow from her hand. “We went to the zoo, and there was a newborn baby elephant named Kristy. You were so enamored by her that you wanted to bring her home.”
Kristy giggles, and my lips curl up in a smile. If anyone could take home an elephant from the zoo, it would definitely be my sister.
“You even made me talk to the mahout, and he was able to convince you that she was still a baby and couldn’t live without her mother. But when we were back in the car, you started wailing and thrashing. The next day, I got you this pillow and the posters, and we decorated your room. You wouldn’t go to sleep without it.” He clears his throat. “Sophia told me that she…named you Kristy so you still had some part of your early childhood.”