Between Sisters

Dad and Bobby strolled into view. Dad wore his summertime uniform: blue overalls and a black T-shirt. A tattered River’s Edge baseball cap shaded his eyes; beneath it, his brown hair was a mass of fuzzy curls.

And Bobby.

He wore a pair of faded jeans and a blue T-shirt that read: Cowboy Up for Coors. In this fading light, his long hair was the color of eighteen-carat gold, rich and warm. He carried their Weed Eater in one hand and a can of gasoline in the other. In the days he’d been here, Bobby had pitched in with the work. He was good at it, though she knew he wouldn’t be happy at River’s Edge forever. Already, he’d mentioned going on the road for a few weeks this summer. The three of them. “The Austins’ road trip” was how he put it. Claire thought it sounded great, traveling from town to town for a while, listening to her new husband sing. She hadn’t broached the idea with her father, but she knew he’d be all for it. As for what would become of the camp next season, they’d have to cross that bridge together when the time came.

Dad and Bobby stopped in front of cabin number five. Dad pointed up toward the eaves and Bobby nodded. A minute later, they were both laughing. Dad put his hand on Bobby’s shoulder. They moved away, toward the laundry room.

“Hey, Mommy. Whatcha lookin’ at?”

Claire turned around. Ali stood at the bottom of the stairs, clutching her Tickle Me Elmo doll. “Hey, Ali Kat. Come over here a minute, will you?” She sat down in the blue-and-white striped chair-and-a-half by the fireplace, putting her feet up on the matching ottoman.

Alison crawled onto her lap, settling comfortably in place. Heart to heart, the way they always sat.

“I was just watching Grandpa talk to Bobby. ”

“Bobby’s gonna teach me to fish. He says I’m old enough to go to the trout farm in Skykomish. ” Alison leaned closer and whispered, “There’s a trick to catching the big ones. He’s gonna teach it to me. An’ he says we can float down the river in inner tubes by August. Even me. Did you ever put a worm on a hook? Yeech. But I’m gonna do it. You’ll see. Bobby said he’d help me if it was too wriggly or snotty. ”

“I’m glad you like him,” Claire said softly, trying not to smile.

“He’s great. ” Alison wiggled around until she was facing Claire. “What’s the matter, Mommy? You look like you’re gonna cry. The worms don’t feel anything. Honest. ”

She stroked Alison’s soft cheek. “You’re my whole world, Ali Kat. You know that, don’t you? No one could ever take your place in my heart. ”

Alison and Elmo kissed Claire. “I know that. ” Alison giggled and scampered out of Claire’s lap. “I gotta go. Grandpa’s taking me to Smitty’s Garage. We’re gonna get the truck fixed. ”

As she watched her daughter run out the front door, heard her yell “Grandpa! Bobby! I’m here!” Claire felt the pressing weight of responsibility again. How did a woman know if she was being selfish, and was that necessarily a bad thing, anyway? Men were selfish all the time and they built multibillion-dollar corporations and rockets that flew to the moon.

But what if the marriage didn’t work?

There it was. The clay beneath it all.

She needed to talk to someone about this. Not her sister, of course. A friend. She dialed Gina’s number.

Gina answered on the first ring. “Hello?”

Claire slumped back into the oversize chair and put her feet up. “It’s me. The Insta-Marry Queen. ”

“Yeah, Claire. That’s you. ”

“Meghann thinks I’m being an idiot. ”

“Since when do we care what she thinks? She’s an attorney, for God’s sake. That’s below invertebrates on the evolutionary chain. ”

Claire’s chest eased. She smiled. “I knew you’d put it in perspective. ”

“That’s what friends are for. Would you like me to sing that?”

“Please, no. I’ve heard you sing. Just tell me I’m not being a selfish bitch who is going to ruin her daughter’s life by marrying a stranger. ”

“Oh, so it’s your mother we’re talking about. ”

“I don’t want to be like her. ” Claire’s voice was suddenly soft.

“I’ve known you since all five of us showed up for the first day of school in the same blue shirt. I remember when you bought cream to make your boobs grow and still believed in sea monkeys. Honey, you’ve never been selfish. And I’ve never seen you this happy. I don’t care that you’ve known him less than two weeks. God has finally given you the gift of love and passion. Don’t return it unopened. ”

“I’m scared. I should have done this when I was young and optimistic. ”

“You are young and optimistic, and of course you’re scared. If you’ll remember, I had to drink two tequila straight shots to marry Rex—and we’d lived together for four years. ” She paused. “I probably shouldn’t have used us as an example. But the point remains. A smart person is afraid of marriage. You made it past the marriage-for-marriage’s-sake years and you haven’t reached the nursing-home-desperation years. You met a man and fell in love. So it happened fast. Big deal. If you’re not ready to marry him, by all means, wait. But don’t wait because your big sister made you question yourself. Follow your heart. ”