Sisters

by Danielle Steel

“I can't remember what. God, I hate to leave,” she said with a sigh as they walked upstairs. It suddenly felt like the old days when they were kids. Candy had put music on, and it was too loud. Tammy was almost waiting for their mother to stick her head out of their bedroom and tell her to turn it down. “It's so weird here without Mom.” She said it in a whisper so her father didn't hear her as they walked past his room.

  “Yes, it is,” Sabrina said. “It's going to be even weirder for Dad.” They both agreed.

  “Do you think he'd ever get remarried?” Tammy asked her. She couldn't imagine it herself, but you never knew.

  “Not in a million years,” Sabrina reassured her. “He was too in love with Mom to ever look at anyone else.”

  “He's still young. I've gone out with men his age.”

  “She'd be a tough act to follow, at any age. She was it for him.” And she had been for all of them too, as a mother.

  “I don't think I could deal with the wicked stepmother thing,” Tammy confessed, and Sabrina laughed.

  “I don't think we'll ever have to. Maybe he should come out to visit you sometime in L.A. Weekends are going to be lonely for him.”

  “That's a nice idea,” Tammy said as she took out her suitcase to pack and Candy wandered in. The three sisters chatted as she packed her things, and it was after midnight when they all went to their rooms. Chris had called Sabrina by then. Their dogs were all asleep on their beds. Their father had gone to bed at ten. All was peaceful in the house, and as Sabrina got into bed, she told herself that if she closed her eyes, she could pretend that her mother was still there. In each of their beds, all three girls were thinking exactly the same thing. And even for an instant, as they drifted off to sleep, it was nice to pretend that nothing had changed, when in fact everything had, and would never be the same again.

  Chapter 11

  Tammy's airport shuttle came at exactly eight o'clock the next morning. She was up, dressed, and ready to leave when it arrived. Candy and their father came downstairs to say goodbye. Candy was wearing a cotton T-shirt and cut-off jeans. The T-shirt showed her breasts, as always, and as she stood outside waving goodbye, with her long blond hair tousled and sexy, every man in the shuttle stared at her with wide eyes.

  She hugged Tammy, and Sabrina and their father did the same, and then Tammy got into the shuttle, with Juanita in her Birkin bag. They hated to see her leave. Two minutes later Candy and Sabrina got into the car to drive into town to see the house. They were in town by nine-thirty, and stopped by Sabrina's apartment, to pick up some more clothes, and mail.

  Candy said she didn't need to go to hers. She seemed to have a limitless supply of see-through T-shirts with her. Sabrina felt as though she'd been gone for years. It felt strange to realize that the last time she had seen her apartment, her mother was alive and Annie wasn't blind. So much had changed in a short time. And she knew a lot more things would change now. Particularly if she moved. She wasn't attached to her apartment, so she didn't care so much about that. But living with Annie and Candy would be a big change for her. She had been on her own since college, nearly thirteen years. Moving in with her sisters would be a step backward in time for her. She would miss her independence. But it was for a good cause. And in a year Sabrina hoped Annie would be adjusted to her situation, and ready to live alone. Candy could then go back to her elegant penthouse, and Sabrina could get another apartment by herself. But for the next year, they all had to be good sports and pitch in to help Annie make the transition to the enormous challenges facing her. Challenges that were huge.

  They left Sabrina's apartment at five minutes before ten, and as she parked her car on East Eighty-fourth Street, Tammy called on her cell phone. She said she was getting on the plane.

  “I just called to say goodbye again.” They were clinging to each other more than ever these days, as though they were trying to make up for the missing link. Their mother's disappearance had badly shaken them all.

  “Have a good flight. We're just about to see the house,” Sabrina said as she turned off the ignition.

  “Tell me how it is.” Tammy suddenly felt left out and wished she were there too.

  “I will. Pick up a cute guy on the plane,” Sabrina encouraged her.

  “I only sit next to priests, elderly women, or children with earaches. I make it a firm rule.”

  “You're sick.” Sabrina laughed.

  “No. Just determined to be an old maid. I think it's my vocation.”

  “One of these days you're going to walk off into the sunset with some major movie star, or Hollywood hunk, and knock us all dead.”

  “From your mouth to God's ears, as they say in L.A.”

  Sabrina and Candy were standing in front of the house by then, the realtor was waiting for them, and Tammy was in her seat on the plane.

  “Gotta go. Call you later. Fly safe. Love you. Bye,” she rattled off, and handed the phone to Candy so she could say goodbye too, as the realtor walked toward them with a smile. She was one of those tall, portly, overly blond women who wore too much perfume and teased her hair. And from the deep rumble of her voice, Sabrina could tell she smoked. She had the keys to the house in her hand. Sabrina introduced her to Candy, once she was off the phone, and the realtor unlocked the door, turned off the alarm, and let them in.

  “We'll see if you like it. I have some other ideas too, downtown, but I think this one would work best.” Sabrina hoped that they'd agree. It would certainly be easy if the first house they saw was it. Finding a place to live was an agony she had never enjoyed. Candy looked a lot more excited than she did and thought it was fun. She wandered through the house, checking out every room, and opening every door.

  The entrance hall was dark, and painted a forest green, which seemed gloomy to Sabrina, but the floor was done in white and green marble squares, and she noticed that there was a pretty antique mirror on the wall, and English hunting prints that gave the entrance a certain British air. The living room was open and sunny and faced south, the library was small and dark and cozy, and had a small, handsome fireplace that looked like it worked. The walls were lined with books, many of which Sabrina had read. Candy looked around and smiled and nodded her approval to Sabrina. Already on the first floor, they liked the feeling of the house. They communicated it to each other with a nod and a smile. It was inviting and warm. The ceilings were high, and there were attractive antique sconces on the walls. There was plenty of light. And even for a tall person like Candy, the scale felt right.

  They walked into the basement to check out the kitchen and dining room after that. The kitchen was modern enough, serviceable, and there was a nice round table in it, big enough for eight or ten to eat at, and it opened out into the garden, which was friendly and unkempt. There were two deck chairs, a patio, and a built-in barbecue that looked well used. Sabrina knew that Chris would like that.

  The dining room was more formal and had dark red lacquer walls. There were good-looking professional touches everywhere, although the house didn't look recently done. But Sabrina liked that about it. It wasn't like walking into a magazine. It was a home, and it wasn't overcrowded. Some of her furniture would fit, and she liked a lot of what they had. She might even put her own things into storage if they took it. The house had a great feeling, and she could see why the owner loved it and wanted it back. It was a great place to live. Candy expressed her excitement in a whisper when the realtor left the room. “I love it!” she said, looking excited.

  “Me too.” Sabrina smiled. So far it was a winner.

  The bedrooms were small, as they'd been warned, but adequate with pretty windows, and good curtains in pastel silks with elegant tassels and tie-backs. There was a king-size bed in every room, which Candy loved, and the others would too, particularly if they had men in their lives. And a king-size bed was a must for Chris, he was so tall. The master bedroom was slightly bigger. The one next to it was a little small, but they didn't need it anyway, and as a guest room it was perfect. The roo
ms for Candy and Annie were nicely decorated and cozy. The bathrooms had baths and showers. The colors in the bedrooms were light and airy, and the bathrooms all had marble tile. Sabrina looked at the realtor in amazement. There was absolutely nothing about the house she didn't like. And she could see that Candy loved it too. It had a great feeling, and “good energy,” as Candy said. And as the realtor had promised, it had charm. Lots of it. It would be perfect for them, and there was nothing complicated that would be hard for Annie. The stairs were straightforward and easy, and it seemed like an easy place to get around, even for someone blind.

  “Bingo!” Sabrina said, grinning. Candy was beaming, and nodding in agreement. She told Sabrina she liked it better than her penthouse. It was friendlier and warmer. Her penthouse was sophisticated and showy, and cold in many ways. It looked like a magazine shoot, not a home. Candy already felt more at ease here. It was the kind of place that made you want to curl up in a big, comfy chair and stick around. It had a wonderful vibe to it. And hopefully it would be a good place for Annie too, once she figured out where things were, which wouldn't take long. It was a small house, with two relatively good-size rooms on every floor.

  “What do you say?” Sabrina asked her sister politely. She already knew how she felt about it, and Candy was in full agreement.

  “I say yes! Let's grab it. I can have Zoe here, right?” She never went anywhere without her dog, although she had left her with their father that morning. She was afraid she would be too hot in the car, and she was company for Beulah, who had stayed in the country too. Sabrina hadn't wanted to scare the realtor with a bigger dog. And Beulah got carsick, so she wasn't fun to drive around.

  Sabrina confirmed with the realtor that the owner had no problem with dogs.

  “I checked with him this morning, and he said dogs are fine. He didn't even say small dogs. He just said dogs.” He obviously hadn't specified how many either, which was great news for them too, since he had two of his own. The house had been made to order for them, in every way. Warm, cozy, pretty, comfortable, inviting, and the price was right. His furniture was better than their own, and they could have their dogs. Candy had already decided that she wanted to rent her penthouse furnished, which would make it more appealing to a tenant. She was going to put it on the market that week. Co-ops in her building rented all the time, at astronomical prices, so she would make money on the deal. The rent for the house on East Eighty-fourth Street was relatively cheap.

  “We'll take it,” Sabrina confirmed. “How soon is it available?”

  “August first.” The two girls looked at each other. That was soon, but it was probably just about right. Sabrina still had to get out of her lease, but thought she could, for a small fee. And Annie was getting out of the hospital in a week. She was going to spend a week or two at their dad's. And once Sabrina and Candy got the house ready, they could move in.

  “That works for us,” Sabrina confirmed. They were going to be busy, helping Annie, keeping an eye on their father, and moving in. Sabrina suddenly realized that it was lucky Candy had told her agency that she was taking the month of August off. And the rest of July. Sabrina had to go back to work the following week, and would be swamped, as usual, once she did.

  “I can try and get it for you sooner, if you like,” the realtor offered. “I think he's staying at his beach house, and he leaves for Europe in a couple of weeks.”

  “That might be a good idea,” Sabrina agreed. “We need to move in pretty soon. My sister gets out of the hospital in a week.”

  “Is she sick?” The realtor looked surprised.

  “She was in an accident over the Fourth of July weekend,” Sabrina said solemnly, not wanting to give her the details. “That's how she lost her sight.”

  “Oh, I'm so sorry. When you said she was blind, I didn't realize it was so recent, I thought … The three of you are moving in together?”

  “Until she gets used to things. It's going to be a big adjustment for her.”

  “I can certainly see that,” the woman said sympathetically, and was even more inclined to help. “I'll talk to the owner and see what he says. It's nice of you girls to move in with her,” she said, looking touched. Her early slightly hard edge had softened instantly and disappeared in the face of what they were doing.

  “Of course. We're sisters,” Candy said.

  “Not all sisters are that close,” the agent said. “I haven't seen mine in twenty years.”

  “How sad,” Candy said.

  “What do we have to sign?” Sabrina asked.

  “It's a standard lease, first and last months' rent, and security deposit. I don't think he wants a big security. I'll write it all up and have it sent to your office.”

  “I'm not in this week. I'm in Connecticut at my dad's. I could drive in and pick it up.”

  “I can have it ready for you by tomorrow.”

  “That's fine,” Sabrina confirmed. She wanted to spend a night with Chris anyway, and Candy could hold the fort for one night. “Do you need all our signatures?”

  “Just yours will be fine for now. We can add the others when you're all back in town, if that's easier for you.”

  “It is. I'll get the others to you next week.” They shook hands on the deal, took another walk around the house, and liked it even better the second time. Five minutes later they were back in the car, chortling with glee. They could hardly wait to tell Annie. Sabrina called Chris from the car, and he was happy for them. He said he couldn't wait to see it. And they were going to tell Tammy as soon as she got off the plane.

  Their father was out when they got home, although he had taken several weeks off from work. Sabrina made lunch, which Candy didn't eat, and she scolded her for it.

  “You're not working right now. You don't need to starve.”

  “I'm not starving. I'm just not hungry. It's the heat.”

  “You didn't have breakfast either.” Candy looked annoyed, and got up to make some calls on her cell phone. She didn't like anyone keeping track of what she ate, or didn't. It was a sensitive subject with her, and had been for years. She even got mad at their mom whenever she used to mention it. She had started starving at seventeen, when her modeling career took off.

  They went to see Annie at the hospital at two, and when they got there, she was asleep. She stirred when she heard them walk into the room.

  “It's us,” Sabrina said, smiling at her, which Annie couldn't see, but she could hear the excitement in her voice.

  “I know it's you. I can smell your perfume, and I can hear the bracelets on Candy's arm.” Sabrina didn't comment, but in subtle ways Annie was already instinctively adjusting to her disability, which seemed like a good thing, if you could call it that. Her hearing and other senses seemed to be getting more acute.

  “We have a surprise for you,” Candy chortled with a grin.

  “That's nice,” Annie said, looking glum. “Lately the surprises haven't been so good.” They would all agree with her on that. But they were hoping that hearing about the house would cheer her up. “What have you been up to?”

  “We just got back from the city,” Sabrina explained. “We went right after Tammy left. She said to give you a kiss. So, kiss.” Annie smiled, and waited for the rest. “We went to see a house.”

  “A house?” She looked suddenly panicked. “Is Dad moving to the city?” She didn't want everything to change so soon. She loved her parents' house, and staying there when she came to visit. She didn't want him to sell it, and hoped he wouldn't.

  “Of course not,” Sabrina went on. “We went to look at a house for us.”

  “Are you and Chris getting married, or moving in together?” She looked confused, and Sabrina laughed. Finding the perfect house for them on the first shot had been a major victory.

  “Nope. Not now anyway. This is a house for you, me, and Candy. For a year, while you get organized, and … well … used to things.” She tried to be delicate about it. “And a year from now, you can figure out what yo
u want to do. You can get rid of us if you want. Or we can rent another place. This one's only available for a year anyway. It's really cute. On East Eighty-fourth Street.”

  “What am I going to do there?” She looked mournful and hopeless as she said it.

  “Go to school, maybe. Whatever you need to do this year to get independent.” Sabrina was trying to be upbeat about the changes she'd have to make. They weren't even fully aware of what they were yet. They were waiting for her treatment plan for when she'd be released.

  “I was independent, up to a week ago. Now I'm going to be like a two-year-old, if that.”

  “No, you're not. We want to be your roommates, Annie, not your jailers. You can come and go as you please.”

  “And how do you think I'm going to do that? With a white stick?” she said, as tears filled her eyes. “I don't know how to use one.” As she said it, all three of them thought of the people they had seen trying to cross the street in heavy traffic, and needing assistance. “I'd rather be dead. Maybe I'll just stay at Dad's.” It sounded like the kiss of death to them. Even their dad would be going back to work in a few weeks, and she'd be alone at the house all day, unable to escape.

  “You'll die of boredom out here. You'll be much better off in the city, with us.” She could at least take cabs to get around.

  “No, I won't. I'll be a burden to you. Forever probably. Why don't you just put me in an institution somewhere and forget me?”

  “I might have liked that when I was fifteen and you were seven. But I think it's a little late for that. Come on, Annie. Let's try and make the best of this. It would be fun living together. Candy is going to rent the penthouse for a year, and I'll get out of my lease. And Tammy can come and visit for long weekends. Look at the opportunity. We keep talking about how much we miss being together. This is probably the only chance we'll ever have to do it. For a year. One year. And then we all grow up forever.”

  Annie shook her head as she lay in the hospital bed, looking morbid. “I want to go back to Italy. I've been trying to get hold of Charlie. He can stay with me at my place. I don't want to live here.”