The Christmas Sisters

Beth was standing there, her hair tangled and her face free of makeup.

“What’s wrong?” She stifled a yawn. “For the first time ever, the k

ids sleep late and I get woken by my sister.”

“Stop whining. This is a crisis.”

“And I’m here. I answered your SOS. I just wish you’d chosen to have your crisis at a more civilized time.”

“It’s not my crisis. Get in the car.” Posy sprang behind the wheel and Hannah slid in behind her. Beth climbed in next to her and had hardly closed the door before Posy pressed her foot to the floor.

The car screeched out of the drive, bumping over potholes and skidding.

“We’re going to die,” Beth said, “and I can’t die without saying sorry to Hannah.” She twisted in her seat. “I really didn’t mean to yell at you about the whole Santa thing. I feel terrible about it.”

“It’s okay,” Hannah said, and Beth shook her head.

“It’s not okay. I’ve been thinking about it all night. I really am sorry. You are sweet with the girls, and they’re loving spending time with you. And Posy is right that they need to learn they can’t have everything they want and I need to relax more and learn to handle them not being happy the whole time. I’m trying—I really am, but I’m a work in progress. If we survive this car ride, I swear I’m going to try harder.”

“If we survive?” Posy shifted gears and Beth groaned.

“I’m doing it again, aren’t I? Catastrophizing?”

“You’re doing it again.”

“I’m not that brave, that’s all. I’m the sister who liked to play with dolls, not knives. And on that subject, I’d rather not arrive at the airport with blood smeared on my face. It’s not a good look. Could someone at least tell me why I’m risking my life? And it had better be good.”

A moment before, Posy had been exhausted, but now she felt energized. “We are chasing love. More specifically, we are going to catch Adam before he gets on that plane.”

“Why didn’t you say so right away?” Beth brightened. “That’s so romantic. I love it.” She reached back and squeezed Hannah’s leg. “It’s like the movies. We all need makeup. Good thing I carry an emergency supply kit, just in case.”

Posy grinned. “Because a makeup catastrophe is the worst catastrophe of all.” She glanced at the tubes and bottles that appeared on her sister’s lap. “My emergency supply kit includes dressings, sutures, a tourniquet—”

“We encounter different types of emergencies.” Beth applied her makeup with the speed of a pro. “Try to hold the car steady.”

Posy contemplated swerving to be annoying but decided it wasn’t worth having to deal with the fallout. “I don’t know why you’re bothering. You’re not the one declaring your love to a man.”

“I’m an extra. Extras get hair and makeup, too.” She clutched the door as Posy sped along the road. “And when the paramedics come to cut me out of the car, I want to look my best. Do you want to borrow my lipstick, Hannah? A little blush? You look as if you’ve been sucked dry by a vampire.”

“Unlike you, I can’t do my makeup in a moving car.”

“Give me a time check. How long do we have?” Posy glanced in her mirror at Hannah, who was pale and tense. Beth was right; she needed color in her cheeks.

“I’ve checked the departures and there’s a flight leaving in an hour. I’m guessing he’ll be on that one. I’m not even sure I want to do this. I don’t even know what to say.”

“You’re going to tell him the truth. You’re going to tell him you love him. You’re going to tell him you’re pregnant.” Posy swung round a corner and Beth grabbed the door to steady herself.

“I’m excited about this, by the way. I like the idea of being an aunty. I get to have all the very best bits of having a baby without the exhausting stuff.”

“Shut up,” Posy said, “or the next time I swing round a corner I’m opening the car door.”

“All I’m saying is that it’s going to be wonderful. This is thrilling news.”

Hannah closed her eyes. “Terrifying is my word of choice.”

“We all need to be braver.” Posy gripped the wheel as the tires slewed from under her. “Okay, hold on there, I’ve got this—no one panic.”

“It’s a bit late for that.” Beth reached back and handed Hannah her makeup. “You’re the bravest person I know. I couldn’t walk into a room with all those scary CEOs and tell them what to do, and yet you do it all the time. You open a spreadsheet and those numbers mean something to you. They’d give me a panic attack. And you can talk to anyone because you are so well-read you are never stuck for conversation. I know it’s not the same thing and you’ll probably laugh at me, but I was terrified going to meet Corinna that day. I felt like a fraud. So I have a trick I use whenever I’m scared.”