Sisters in White

by Melissa Foster

  “What?” Kaylie said, exasperated.

  “You know what. Come on, sit up.”

  “No.”

  “Kaylie.”

  “Why don’t you go hang out with Lacy? God, Danica, couldn’t you have reminded me when I started calling Alexandra Lexi? The names are so close. I can’t believe I didn’t think of it before.”

  “Kaylie, really? That’s ridiculous. Come on. You’re my sister. I want to hang out with you.”

  “So is she; you said it yourself.” Kaylie folded her arms across her chest and turned away just like the stubborn teenager she’d once been.

  Danica took another, softer approach. “Kay, Lacy could never take your place. You know that.”

  “Well, you apparently got to know her really well at some point, because she walked right over to you in the restaurant.”

  Danica dropped her eyes. “We’ve been writing to each other.”

  “And?”

  The hurt in Kaylie’s eyes stabbed at Danica’s heart. “And I’m really sorry. I should have told you, but you were so mad at me when I told you about telling Dad about Lexi and Trevor that I was afraid to.”

  “Afraid? You’re not afraid of anything. Everything you do is well thought out. You probably told Lacy not to tell me, and you had this little conspiracy going behind my back.”

  The ugly trust monster rises again.

  “You know what? I’m gonna go catch up with Blake,” Chaz said as he rose to his feet.

  “Chaz!” If looks could maim, Kaylie’s would have amputated a limb.

  “Kaylie, this is between us. Let him go.” Danica turned to Chaz and said, “I kinda left without explaining anything. Can you please tell them that I’ll be back shortly?”

  “Sure.” He looked at Kaylie.

  “Ugh! Fine. Go ahead.”

  Chaz walked away, then turned back and said, “Danica? Thank you.”

  He nodded in Kaylie’s direction, and Danica understood that he was doing his best, but he wasn’t sure how to handle her when she was like this. Then again, when it came to Kaylie, Danica was often shooting from the hip, too.

  “Kaylie, I made a huge mistake. I should have told you about Lacy, but honestly, I knew that you’d never accept me talking to her, and I kinda wanted to see what she was like before we all got together. I mean, if she was bitchy or mean, or entitled or whatever, I would have made an excuse for her not to come, but she’s not any of those things, and you can see that she idolizes you despite your bitchiness.”

  “Well, she shouldn’t. I’m not her sister.”

  “Jesus, you’re stubborn. Okay, you’re not her sister. That’s totally fine, but you are someone she just met, and even if you treat her like a stranger, you should at least be cordial.”

  Kaylie held her hand out. “Glasses, please.”

  “You’re so frustrating!” Danica said and tossed her the glasses. “Well, I tried. I know this whole thing is weird, and hard, and even kinda icky, but we really need to find a way through this, and no matter what you think, you’re my number one sister and you always will be.”

  Danica found her family leaving the restaurant.

  “There you are!” Lacy said with a wide smile. “Blake said that you were thinking of going into town today. Would you mind if I tagged along?”

  “Actually, I thought we’d all go together. We lined up snorkeling lessons for later this afternoon, too. I’m so sorry. I thought I told you this the last time we talked.”

  “You did, but given the circumstances with...well...I didn’t want to assume,” Lacy said.

  “Don’t be silly. She’ll get over all of this, and I’m looking forward to spending time with you guys.” Danica looked at her father and Madeline. “I hope that wasn’t too presumptuous of me to set this up. Lacy said that you both had talked about wanting to try scuba diving, so I thought this might be a nice introduction to it, without all the risk.”

  Madeline squeezed her father’s hand, and her eyes lit up with anticipation.

  “That sounds perfect,” her father said. He slung an arm casually around Madeline, and she leaned in to him.

  Danica found herself staring at the ease in which they interacted, like they’d been doing it for years. And, she realized with a start, they had been together since Kaylie was at least three. They’d been together longer than he and her mother had been together.

  “Kaylie’s not coming, is she?” Her father’s words fell heavy with disappointment.

  “I don’t know, Dad.”

  “Would you mind if I talked to her?” Lacy asked.

  Danica shot a look at Chaz, who shook his head. “I’m not sure that’s such a great idea.”

  “I’ll talk to her,” her father said.

  “I’m not sure that’s a good idea right now, either,” Danica admitted.

  “There’s never going to be a good time for this discussion,” he said. He kissed Madeline’s forehead. “I’ll be right back.”

  Madeline grabbed his hand as it slid from her shoulder. “You’re a good man, Don. Don’t you doubt that. Be gentle, but be honest.”

  He nodded, lowered his eyes, and walked out the doors.

  Chapter Five

  “You had to go and sic Dad on me?” Kaylie seethed as they rode the jitney bus into town. Every seat was taken, and even though it was early in the day, the smell of perspiration and suntan lotion was already thick. They sat in the rear of the bus, Chaz and Blake in the seats in front of them, and their father, Madeline, and Lacy were forced to sit in the only other available seats, toward the front of the bus.

  “Calm down. I didn’t sic him on you. He said he wanted to talk to you. What did he say, anyway?” Danica was glad their father was so far away. She’d be mortified if he heard the venom in Kaylie’s voice, though she couldn’t imagine that she’d gone easy on him out by the pool. When they’d returned, her father looked defeated, as if he’d aged ten years during their ten-minute conversation. Kaylie’s face had been stoic as she’d disappeared into the elevator.

  Now she had the same stoic look on her face as she shrugged in response to Danica’s question.

  “You won’t tell me?”

  “I didn’t listen.” Kaylie turned toward the window, her lips pressed tightly together.

  “You’re such a child sometimes,” Danica said. She tapped Chaz on the shoulder. “Swap seats with me?”

  Chaz lifted his mouth into a half smile. “My turn for the silent treatment?”

  Danica held on to the sides of the seats as the bus rumbled over the bumpy roads. She slid in next to Blake, and he reached his arm around her. She settled against his chest and closed her eyes and began to count. One, two, three, four...There really was something calming about counting to ten.

  “Just give her some time,” Blake whispered. “She’ll come around.”

  “I know my sister, and this is just the tip of the iceberg.” She turned in her seat and gave Kaylie an icy stare, which Kaylie expertly ignored. She leaned back against Blake and thought about how quickly the day had changed. She’d been so safe and warm with Blake in the hotel room. She’d felt so loved and happy, and that happiness had seemed so easy. But as she mulled over the events of the morning, she realized that she’d brought this on herself. She should have told Kaylie about connecting with Lacy sooner, but she also knew how painful that would have been. Once again, she had to get herself out from in between Kaylie and everyone else. How did she keep ending up in this middle place? At least their mother would be there tomorrow. Oh God. Mom. If seeing them was this hard for Kaylie, it would be pure torture for their mother.

  Awkward didn’t begin to describe their walk through the town shops. Chaz kept his gaze trained on the sidewalk, and Danica felt like she was walking a tightrope between Kaylie and their father. Only Blake and Lacy tried to pull the others into their attempts at light banter, and even those fell on deaf ears. Tension had sealed everyone’s lips, resulting in an uncomfortable silence. Danica desperately
wanted to get her father alone to hear what had transpired with Kaylie, but every time she hung back, Kaylie dragged her off in another direction. Finally, while Kaylie texted their mother about the kids, Danica was able to corner him outside of a souvenir shop.

  “Dad, how did things go with Kaylie?”

  He shook his head.

  “Oh no, that bad?”

  He turned to her with hurt in his eyes, and it was a look that Danica recalled from the one time she’d ever failed a test. He had that same look of disappointment in his eyes—disappointment in himself, like he had failed as a parent—and it incited the same sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.

  “She wouldn’t even talk to me,” he said.

  “You know Kaylie. This will take her a while to navigate, but give her time. Don’t give up on her.”

  “Give up on her?” Her father took her arm and guided her farther away from the others. “Danica, I would never give up on her, or on you. Is that what you think of me? That I gave up on you?”

  “Dad, no. That’s not what I meant.” Is it? No sooner had she gotten the words out of her mouth than she knew the damage had already been done. Her father was already walking away, his head hung low, his thin shoulders curled forward. In his dress pants and short-sleeved button-down shirt, he looked much older than his fifty-eight years. And that, even more than the disappointment, tugged at Danica’s heart. Time was slipping by like sand whisked away in the wind; each year they missed seeing each other was another year lost.

  Her father disappeared into the back of the shop and Kaylie came into view. She felt Blake sidle up to her.

  “Sweetness, I saw a little alcove over there that we can slip into for a quick make-out session.” Blake’s eyes were lit with mischief.

  She was too busy watching Kaylie stalk Lacy to respond.

  Chapter Six

  “What did Mom say about my favorite niece and nephew?” Danica walked with Kaylie into a small boutique next door while the others lingered behind.

  “They’re excited to see us tomorrow. Lexi didn’t sleep well last night. Mom said she got up and was just fidgety, so she finally put her in bed with Trevor, and she fell right to sleep.” Kaylie watched the others approach. “I just hate letting them sleep together.”

  “A few nights won’t hurt. Besides, I remember you climbing in bed with me when we were little.”

  Kaylie’s eyes remained trained on Lacy. “Yeah, it’s just that Lexi needs to learn to self-soothe.”

  “You sound a little like a therapist. Ferberizing?” Danica teased. It had been a few months since Kaylie stopped seeing Dr. Marsden, a therapist who had helped her to deal with her anger issues surrounding their mother and her careening career while she was pregnant, and now Danica wondered if she might do well talking with her again—about their father and Lacy.

  Lacy passed with a smile and went into the store.

  Kaylie followed. “I read everything I can on kids; you know that. I don’t want to screw them up.”

  That’s my in! “Then maybe you should read about dealing with divorced parents.”

  Kaylie rolled her eyes, and while she pretended to lift and inspect a shirt, Danica knew she was really watching Lacy’s every move. Lacy moved easily from counter to counter. She turned, looking past them to her mother, and waved her over. Danica watched as Lacy put her hand on her mother’s shoulder and spoke animatedly into her ear, while pointing at something inside the glass cabinet. Madeline put her hand to her chest, then leaned closer to inspect whatever they were looking at. Their father came up behind Lacy, and Kaylie’s body went rigid. Madeline pointed into the cabinet, and he touched Lacy’s shoulder. As Danica watched the scene unfold, she remembered what it had been like to be the center of her father’s attention for so many years and was surprised that she felt a twinge of longing.

  He withdrew his wallet and handed it to Madeline, at which point Kaylie suddenly stormed deeper into the store, glancing quickly at the cabinet that held their attention, then stalked to a corner and rifled through a bin of purses.

  “She’s really having a hard time.”

  Danica startled at Chaz’s deep voice. “Yeah, she is.” He watched Kaylie with a worried look in his eye. “I’m sorry that I invited them. I probably should have left well enough alone, huh?”

  “No.” Chaz shook his head. “I don’t think so. Lex and Trev are his grandchildren, too, and if we can mend this broken fence, I’d love for them to know him, and Madeline, who, by the way, seems lovely, despite...”

  “Yeah, she does.” Danica blew out a breath. “Look at Kaylie staring at Lacy. I know she’s jealous, but I’m not sure what to do about it.”

  Chaz turned his back to his wife and leaned against the table where they stood. “I’m even more lost than you. Seems everything I say leads to a fight, and it doesn’t help that she misses Lex and Trev something awful.”

  “She does? I guess that’s good that she misses them, as long as all of this doesn’t come between you two.”

  “Between us? No, we’re fine. Don’t get me wrong. This is tough, and Kaylie’s emotions are all over the place right now, but we’ll be fine.”

  “She’s having a hard time...She’s distracted by the whole Dad, Lacy, Madeline situation.” Danica worried about Chaz. She knew that Kaylie would lash out at anyone in her path when she was upset; no matter how much she’d changed, everyone needed an outlet. And Chaz was an easy target; he was so loving and gentle.

  “It’s everything, not just them, but they’re a big part of it. I feel bad for her,” Chaz admitted. “I know it doesn’t seem like it, but she’s trying. She just goes about it differently. She has to deal with the muck and mire before allowing herself to release it all.”

  She did know that about her sister. She was glad to hear that Chaz understood it, too.

  “She’s such a good mother, too. The kids are her world. Believe it or not, with all that showiness that she gives about wanting time away, she can hardly stand to be separated from them. I asked her if she wanted me to fly your mom and the kids out early, but she wanted this time alone as a couple as much as I did, no matter how much we miss the babies.”

  It hurt to watch Kaylie struggling just to make it through the day. “She wouldn’t be any good with them the way she is now anyway. She’s too sidetracked with Lacy. Do you think I should cancel the snorkeling? I know Kaylie was looking forward to it, but given the situation, maybe it’s best?”

  Lacy broke away from her parents and headed toward Kaylie.

  “I think I’d better get over there.” Danica headed in their direction before Chaz could answer.

  Kaylie’s eyes didn’t waver from the purse she gripped in her hands. Lacy’s lips moved quickly as she reached out to touch the purse with a hopeful smile. Kaylie turned abruptly out of her reach.

  “Kaylie, wow, that’s a gorgeous purse. Is it leather?” Danica planted herself between the two of them. She watched Lacy’s contemplative eyes swim over Kaylie, like she was figuring out the best way to get close to her. Danica cringed when Lacy reached out to touch the purse again with a hopeful gaze. Sisters shared; they touched; they laughed. It was obvious that Lacy wanted that, and just as clear that Kaylie would just as soon kick her to the curb.

  “I think it is.” Lacy brushed the soft leather with her fingers. “That really goes well with your hair, Kaylie. What is that color? Tawny? Is that what you’d call it?”

  Kaylie grasped the bag so tight her knuckles were white.

  Danica put her hand on Kaylie’s shoulder in an effort to calm her sister’s nerves. “Kay, can I see it?”

  Kaylie reluctantly released the bag. She seemed to pull from whatever state she’d succumbed to, and her feigned smile told Danica that she had enough control to avoid losing her cool.

  “You know, this would go well with your hair, too, Lacy.” Danica handed the bag to Lacy, feeling very much like a playground attendant. Share nicely, girls.

  “Honey, if we�
�re going to make the snorkeling class, shouldn’t we get back to the hotel?”

  Her father’s use of the endearment surprised her. Unsure if he was talking to her or Lacy, she didn’t answer. Then she realized he could only have been speaking to her—she’d scheduled the event.

  “Uh, yeah, we should, actually. Geez, where did the time go?” Danica waited for Lacy and her father to head out of the store. “Kaylie, are you all right? Chaz and Blake are waiting up front.”

  “Yeah. Did you see the way he just handed his wallet over to her? What is she, a little princess or something?”

  There was no mistaking the green-eyed monster that had hold of Kaylie’s heart. “She is his daughter, too. He used to do the same thing for us.”

  Kaylie turned her determined blue eyes on Danica. “Did he? I don’t remember.” She stalked out of the store, hooking her arm possessively into Chaz’s on the way out.

  Chapter Seven

  They stood at the water’s edge, the sand warm and sensual beneath their bare feet. Danica listened intently to the safety procedures and precautions and memorized every word about breathing techniques. The snorkeling instructors were two of the most incredibly sculpted men Danica had ever set eyes on. They weren’t thick and manly like Blake and Chaz, but as they stood confidently before the group in their matching swim trunks (sporting the hotel logo across the left leg) their sun-drenched skin glistened in the sun. They looked as if they’d just walked out of a fashion magazine. Lacy’s eyes were glued to the dark-haired, older one, while Kaylie was doing her best to compete with Lacy’s itsy-bitsy aqua-blue bikini. Kaylie’s red and yellow two-piece rode low along her sleek hip bones. To anyone else, she looked like a twenty-something girl enjoying a carefree summer, but Danica saw the glint of competition in her eyes, the slight jut of her right hip, and the extra-deep curve of her spine as she cast her breasts higher, her shoulders pulled back in a proud, confident stance.

  “We’ll need a volunteer to show the others how this is done,” the older instructor said.