“Great!”
We hung up, and I quickly threw on some comfortable clothes. I doubted I’d be able to find a high-class boutique in Ennis. Plus, I really wanted a day out with my big sister. We hadn’t seen each other since we had dinner with our parents. It was a great reunion, but it didn’t give us a chance to really talk about anything.
I drove into the city, calling Bethany on the way. The route to Bethany’s house was a familiar one. She and Bryan moved into their neighborhood the week after college. They’d been there for almost thirteen years now.
As I pulled into the driveway, I remembered all the times I escaped to this house when I was younger. In high school, I would spend weekends with Bethany and Bryan just to have a break from my mom and dad. Then, in college, I used to bring my laundry over once a month. They never complained. If anything, they were both just happy to see me.
“Sister!” Bethany squealed when I let myself in the front door. “You’re here!”
“I am,” I said. She hugged me quickly and then ushered me inside.
Layla was sitting on the living room floor. A woman I assumed was the babysitter was sitting beside her, showing her different pictures in a book.
“There’s my girl,” I said. I scooped Layla into my arms and kissed her temple. She giggled and squirmed to get away.
“Put me down, Aunt Juwee!” She squealed playfully and kicked off me.
I laughed and set her back down. She was at the age of rambunctious behavior. Being held was for babies, and, as Layla liked to say, she was “a big dirl!”
“You ready to go?” Bethany asked. She grabbed her purse off the couch and threw it over her shoulder.
I smiled. “Yup. See you later, Layla Bug.”
“Bye, bye!” Layla waved at us as we slipped out the front door.
“New babysitter?” I asked as we climbed into my car.
Bethany nodded, a nervous expression crossing her face. She did her best to be a laid-back mother, but I knew it was hard for her.
“She has great references,” Bethany said. “But who knows?”
“You’re a worrier,” I said. “Just like Mom.”
“Do not compare me to our mother,” Bethany said severely. “I am nothing like she was.”
“If you say so.” I laughed.
Bethany scowled at me, but her mood quickly brightened as we drove closer to the city. There were a few shops downtown that I wanted to check out. I wasn’t sure how nice the party was going to be. Knowing Michael, it would be high-class to the utmost degree. That last thing I wanted was to be underdressed.
“What are we looking for exactly?” Bethany asked as we stepped into the first shop.
“I need a dress for this weekend,” I said. “I’m going to a holiday party at the Four Seasons, so I need something really nice.”
“Whoa,” Bethany said. She raised her eyebrows in surprise. “Four Seasons? Fancy.”
“Not really,” I said with a shrug. “It’s just a company Christmas party.”
“For your new job?” she asked.
“No…” I trailed off, not sure how to explain things.
Bethany looked at me quizzically. I didn’t know how much I wanted to tell her just yet. Things between Michael and me were still new.
“Spill,” she said flatly. She put her hands on her hips and stared me down the way only a big sister could. “Now.”
I sighed and started flipping through the sales rack. I barely saw the dresses that slipped through my fingers, but it was a useful distraction until I could figure out the best way to explain.
“His name is Michael,” I finally said. “We met at this little café in Ennis. He’s really nice.”