the steering wheel. “Until yesterday, I really had no idea if he would be or not. I was just hoping for the best. But after they talked for a few minutes, he couldn’t keep his eyes off of her.”
Liz sighed. “I don’t know about this.”
“Liz,” Gretchen began, “she finally took off her ring.”
Gretchen was met by a moment of silence. She knew that this, more than anything else she may hav0"> she mae said, would grab Liz’s attention. No need to tell her that she’d taken off the ring so that her rubber gloves would fit. That wasn’t important. What was important was that Sarah had not put the ring back on.
“Okay,” Liz finally said. “I miss her like crazy already but I think she needs this change. She was miserable here. Aaron’s family—”
“They’re horrible,” Gretchen finished for her. “Or at least Brynn is.”
“You’ve never told Sarah that I told you about the things Brynn did, have you?”
“No. You know how stubborn she is,” Gretchen said with a sigh. “She values her privacy and she hates that people worry about her. It’s clear that she didn’t want to worry me or our parents with it. But I’m glad you told me.”
“So what do you plan on doing next?” Liz wanted to know.
* * * * *
Sarah had thought she would never get to sleep last night. But in what seemed like the next moment, the doorbell rang.
She blinked a few times, quickly realizing that sunlight was streaming through her curtains. So, she had fallen asleep after all. The gritty ringing of the old doorbell grated through the house once again. She quickly threw her legs over the bed as she glanced at the clock. It was nearly nine. She couldn’t believe she’d slept so long. Then again, it had been early morning by the time she’d managed to doze off.
Her bare feet padded across the creaky hardwood floor of her bedroom, down the hall and down the staircase. Just before she reached the door, an impatient pounding erupted from the other side.
“Coming!” Sarah called. She pushed the curtain aside as she reached the door.
She was met with Gretchen’s smiling face, framed by the window that comprised the upper half of the door. She held up a tray—with what Sarah assumed was coffee—and a white bag from the bakery that Sarah hoped contained cheese Danishes.
“Don’t tell me I woke you up,” Gretchen warily said as she stepped inside.
Sarah shrugged. “I had a hard time getting to sleep last night. So yeah, I’m just getting up.”
Gretchen was instantly alert. “Why the trouble sleeping? What’s wrong?”
Ignoring her questioning, Sarah reached for the coffee. “Thanks, I’m guessing this is for me.”
Gretchen nodded as she followed Sarah to the table. “It is. Mom also sent Danishes and a few of those fried cinnapan fried mon rolls you like so well.” She placed the pastry bag on the table and then quickly went to the cupboard while Sarah took a seat.
“I wasn’t expecting you today,” Sarah said.
“I know.” Gretchen placed two plates on the table while Sarah pulled the pastries out of the bag. “I was supposed to work but the new girl got the schedule mixed up. She showed up this morning too. She said she could really use the hours so we decided to split the shift. I’d rather not deal with the morning rush but she said she didn’t mind. I have to go back in a little bit.” She smiled sweetly at Sarah. “I had some time to kill so I thought I’d come see how my favorite sister is doing. I knew you wouldn’t turn me away if I brought your favorite breakfast.”
This earned Gretchen a small smile. “I would never turn you away and you know it,” Sarah said. “But sugary food is always a bonus as far as I’m concerned.”
Gretchen slid into the seat next to Sarah’s.
For a few moments, the two of them ate in silence.
Sarah sleepily sipped at her coffee, willing the caffeine to kick in. She wasn’t used to her sister being the chipper one in the morning.
Liz sighed. “I don’t know about this.”
“Liz,” Gretchen began, “she finally took off her ring.”
Gretchen was met by a moment of silence. She knew that this, more than anything else she may hav0"> she mae said, would grab Liz’s attention. No need to tell her that she’d taken off the ring so that her rubber gloves would fit. That wasn’t important. What was important was that Sarah had not put the ring back on.
“Okay,” Liz finally said. “I miss her like crazy already but I think she needs this change. She was miserable here. Aaron’s family—”
“They’re horrible,” Gretchen finished for her. “Or at least Brynn is.”
“You’ve never told Sarah that I told you about the things Brynn did, have you?”
“No. You know how stubborn she is,” Gretchen said with a sigh. “She values her privacy and she hates that people worry about her. It’s clear that she didn’t want to worry me or our parents with it. But I’m glad you told me.”
“So what do you plan on doing next?” Liz wanted to know.
* * * * *
Sarah had thought she would never get to sleep last night. But in what seemed like the next moment, the doorbell rang.
She blinked a few times, quickly realizing that sunlight was streaming through her curtains. So, she had fallen asleep after all. The gritty ringing of the old doorbell grated through the house once again. She quickly threw her legs over the bed as she glanced at the clock. It was nearly nine. She couldn’t believe she’d slept so long. Then again, it had been early morning by the time she’d managed to doze off.
Her bare feet padded across the creaky hardwood floor of her bedroom, down the hall and down the staircase. Just before she reached the door, an impatient pounding erupted from the other side.
“Coming!” Sarah called. She pushed the curtain aside as she reached the door.
She was met with Gretchen’s smiling face, framed by the window that comprised the upper half of the door. She held up a tray—with what Sarah assumed was coffee—and a white bag from the bakery that Sarah hoped contained cheese Danishes.
“Don’t tell me I woke you up,” Gretchen warily said as she stepped inside.
Sarah shrugged. “I had a hard time getting to sleep last night. So yeah, I’m just getting up.”
Gretchen was instantly alert. “Why the trouble sleeping? What’s wrong?”
Ignoring her questioning, Sarah reached for the coffee. “Thanks, I’m guessing this is for me.”
Gretchen nodded as she followed Sarah to the table. “It is. Mom also sent Danishes and a few of those fried cinnapan fried mon rolls you like so well.” She placed the pastry bag on the table and then quickly went to the cupboard while Sarah took a seat.
“I wasn’t expecting you today,” Sarah said.
“I know.” Gretchen placed two plates on the table while Sarah pulled the pastries out of the bag. “I was supposed to work but the new girl got the schedule mixed up. She showed up this morning too. She said she could really use the hours so we decided to split the shift. I’d rather not deal with the morning rush but she said she didn’t mind. I have to go back in a little bit.” She smiled sweetly at Sarah. “I had some time to kill so I thought I’d come see how my favorite sister is doing. I knew you wouldn’t turn me away if I brought your favorite breakfast.”
This earned Gretchen a small smile. “I would never turn you away and you know it,” Sarah said. “But sugary food is always a bonus as far as I’m concerned.”
Gretchen slid into the seat next to Sarah’s.
For a few moments, the two of them ate in silence.
Sarah sleepily sipped at her coffee, willing the caffeine to kick in. She wasn’t used to her sister being the chipper one in the morning.
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