sense of peace. Here,
inside the house that she had grown up in, things made sense. And even though
her parents were now gone, she still felt their love all around, in the
beautiful house they had built and, most importantly, in the family that they
had breathed life into. So maybe her future was uncertain now that Ben was
gone, but here in this house, with her sisters, she always had a place to belong.
A few hours later, after the dishes were done and Nina put to bed, the
three sisters all took a seat at the plush suede sectional, each with a glass
of wine in hand. Jolene turned the flat screen television on then promptly
ignored it, turning her attention to Ren. “So what’s he like? This Eric guy?”
Ren sighed. She was never going to get away from the questions.
“How is asking about the new guy going to help her get over the old guy?”
Lisa asked, taking a sip of the merlot. “Ren needs to concentrate on mourning
Ben first, going through the stages of grief. Then she can think about this
Eric guy.”
Jolene tucked her feet under her butt and leaned back into the couch. “So
Lisa, where is Jordan tonight, anyway?”
“He’s watching the game with his friends,” Lisa said. “Jolene, are you
trying to live your life vicariously through ours?”
Jolene smiled like the cat that ate the canary. “Is it that obvious?
Being married with a kid doesn’t exactly scream excitement, if you know what I
mean.”
“I’d trade you lives any day,” Ren said ruefully. Her eyes wandered over
to the image on the television, to some news entertainment show. “My life is
ten ways screwed up.”
Lisa patted Ren’s leg gently. “Just nine ways, sister,” she deadpanned.
“Ben was a great guy, wasn’t he? I wasn’t just imagining it, right?” Ren
looked at her sisters for confirmation. Both nodded.
“Of course he was!” Jolene cried. “Every girl at school had a crush on
him. Lisa included.”
Lisa remained tight-lipped but her face reddened, betraying her thoughts.
“Okay, yes, fine. When you guys first started dating, I had a little bit of a
crush on him.”
Ren smiled. “That wasn’t really a secret, Lisa. He knew.”
Lisa’s face flushed a deeper scarlet as Jolene chuckled.
Ren leaned her head back on the couch and looked up at the ceiling fan.
“God, I miss him.” Tears sprung to her eyes, but she tried to blink them away.
“And the worst part is that I thought I had him back, at least a little piece
of him, but it turns out I was wrong. He’s just gone and I have to face that.
Again.” The tears slid down the side of her face and into her hair. “I’m so
tired of being sad. At least, when I was with Eric, I was happy.”
“But—”
“I know, it wasn’t entirely Eric who was making me happy. It was the
thought that Ben and I were together again.”
“But what if it really was Eric that was making you feel that way?” Lisa
said.
Ren looked up and realized that she shared the same expression of
disbelief with Jolene as they stared at their oldest sister.
“I’m sorry, who are you?” Jolene asked. “I thought you were on Team
Eric Sucks ?”
Lisa shrugged. “Maybe it’s the wine. But I was just wondering if maybe
she actually had real feelings for the guy.”
“I know I do,” Ren said. “But it’s just tangled with my feelings for Ben.
So I need to spend some time unraveling.”
“Well, you have time, sis. Nobody’s telling you that you have to figure
it all out right away.”
Ren wondered if that were really true. Even if Eric thought she was
amazing, he would not wait forever. All of a sudden, her eyes caught a glimpse
of a familiar face on the television. She sat up. “Turn the volume up, Jo.”
All eyes were glued to the television.
“Okay, what are we staring at?” Jolene said a few moments later.
“Shh,” Ren said as goose bumps rose on her arms.
“Carson Kingsley was spotted around town yesterday with his sidekick,
Eric Sorenson. After
inside the house that she had grown up in, things made sense. And even though
her parents were now gone, she still felt their love all around, in the
beautiful house they had built and, most importantly, in the family that they
had breathed life into. So maybe her future was uncertain now that Ben was
gone, but here in this house, with her sisters, she always had a place to belong.
A few hours later, after the dishes were done and Nina put to bed, the
three sisters all took a seat at the plush suede sectional, each with a glass
of wine in hand. Jolene turned the flat screen television on then promptly
ignored it, turning her attention to Ren. “So what’s he like? This Eric guy?”
Ren sighed. She was never going to get away from the questions.
“How is asking about the new guy going to help her get over the old guy?”
Lisa asked, taking a sip of the merlot. “Ren needs to concentrate on mourning
Ben first, going through the stages of grief. Then she can think about this
Eric guy.”
Jolene tucked her feet under her butt and leaned back into the couch. “So
Lisa, where is Jordan tonight, anyway?”
“He’s watching the game with his friends,” Lisa said. “Jolene, are you
trying to live your life vicariously through ours?”
Jolene smiled like the cat that ate the canary. “Is it that obvious?
Being married with a kid doesn’t exactly scream excitement, if you know what I
mean.”
“I’d trade you lives any day,” Ren said ruefully. Her eyes wandered over
to the image on the television, to some news entertainment show. “My life is
ten ways screwed up.”
Lisa patted Ren’s leg gently. “Just nine ways, sister,” she deadpanned.
“Ben was a great guy, wasn’t he? I wasn’t just imagining it, right?” Ren
looked at her sisters for confirmation. Both nodded.
“Of course he was!” Jolene cried. “Every girl at school had a crush on
him. Lisa included.”
Lisa remained tight-lipped but her face reddened, betraying her thoughts.
“Okay, yes, fine. When you guys first started dating, I had a little bit of a
crush on him.”
Ren smiled. “That wasn’t really a secret, Lisa. He knew.”
Lisa’s face flushed a deeper scarlet as Jolene chuckled.
Ren leaned her head back on the couch and looked up at the ceiling fan.
“God, I miss him.” Tears sprung to her eyes, but she tried to blink them away.
“And the worst part is that I thought I had him back, at least a little piece
of him, but it turns out I was wrong. He’s just gone and I have to face that.
Again.” The tears slid down the side of her face and into her hair. “I’m so
tired of being sad. At least, when I was with Eric, I was happy.”
“But—”
“I know, it wasn’t entirely Eric who was making me happy. It was the
thought that Ben and I were together again.”
“But what if it really was Eric that was making you feel that way?” Lisa
said.
Ren looked up and realized that she shared the same expression of
disbelief with Jolene as they stared at their oldest sister.
“I’m sorry, who are you?” Jolene asked. “I thought you were on Team
Eric Sucks ?”
Lisa shrugged. “Maybe it’s the wine. But I was just wondering if maybe
she actually had real feelings for the guy.”
“I know I do,” Ren said. “But it’s just tangled with my feelings for Ben.
So I need to spend some time unraveling.”
“Well, you have time, sis. Nobody’s telling you that you have to figure
it all out right away.”
Ren wondered if that were really true. Even if Eric thought she was
amazing, he would not wait forever. All of a sudden, her eyes caught a glimpse
of a familiar face on the television. She sat up. “Turn the volume up, Jo.”
All eyes were glued to the television.
“Okay, what are we staring at?” Jolene said a few moments later.
“Shh,” Ren said as goose bumps rose on her arms.
“Carson Kingsley was spotted around town yesterday with his sidekick,
Eric Sorenson. After
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