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I snorted a bark of laughter, wondering which twilight zone I’d meandered into without meaning to.
“I’m serious, Skylar,” she insisted, her green eyes imploring me to believe her. “You were always so carefree, untouched by expectations placed on us by Mom and Dad. You didn’t care about how they drove us toward perfection—you did your own thing. You chose the way your dreams took you every single day while I fought tooth and nail to gain our parents’ approval.”
I stared, dumbstruck.
Nora reached out and pressed up on my once more unhinged jaw.
“Wh…what are you t-talking about?” I sputtered. “I-I simply gave up because I couldn’t compare to you!”
Sadness filled her eyes as she once more clutched her purse. “Do you have any idea what I would have given to be allowed a moment to live in the clouds? How many nights I cried myself to sleep because I couldn’t bear the thought of letting Mom and Dad down? Yes, I’ve been gifted an amazing mind, but the expectations that come with it…” Nora shook her head and swiped at the tear trickling down her cheek. “I have no freedom,” she whispered, breaking my heart. “I’m stuck in a world of my own making with no way to escape.”
I wanted to apologize although I had no reason to do so—nor did I understand why. She’d chosen her path, same as I’d done mine, but courses could always change.
Anyone could fly free if they truly wanted to.
“Switch jobs,” I blurted the first thought to come to mind.
“Huh?” She blinked.
“If you’re miserable working for NASA and under too much pressure, quit. Find something you love, whatever you dreamed about as a kid.”
“I-It’s not that easy.”
I shrugged. “For someone like you, it definitely is. Give your two weeks’ notice. You have enough money in your savings account to travel the world and live a little. Ride the tallest roller coasters. Stand on the shores of every ocean. Visit the Eiffel Tower and that leaning one in Italy. See the pyramids. Take a camel ride. Oh! A gondola through that other Italian city. Kangaroos! You’ve always loved those bouncy little creatures.”
Nora snickered. “They’re hardly little, Skylar.”
I shrugged, grinning from the bubbliness inside me. “I wouldn’t know, but how about you head down under and take a few selfies so I have something to compare them to? Because I’ll probably never get there—and you can have all the freedom in the world. No lovers, no spouse, no responsibilities but finding your happy.”
Nora dropped her purse and threw herself into my arms, causing me to stumble back a step. Sniffles sounded in my ears, and I hugged her for the first time since we were around four years of age and still shared a bed.
My throat swelled shut, and tears stung my eyes as a sense of coming home I hadn’t realized I’d missed so damn much, flooded through me.
“I’ve been so jealous for so long, pitying myself…I’m so sorry,” Nora whispered, hugging me tight.
“I forgive you,” I stated simply since there were no other words she needed to hear.
And it was my truth.
She eventually pulled away, her green eyes bright from the tears. “Is Ashton home? I owe him an apology too.”
I blew out a huge breath. “He’s not right now… it’s a long story. Do you have time to sit for a spell? I have some homemade bread. Gram’s recipe. I even whipped up some coconut muffins of a sort. Can’t promise they’ll be any good. Oh, and coffee! We’ve got lots of coffee.”
“Oh my God, yesss,” she hissed, sounding so much like me that I burst into laughter.
“I missed you, Nora Jane.”
She grabbed my hand. “I’ve missed you too, Skylar Anne.”
“Come on.” I finally pushed the front door shut and tugged her toward the kitchen, thankful to see the floor had dried while we’d blubbered about like little kids. “Let me tell you all about my life the past couple of months.”
“I’m not sure I want to hear all the details…”
I snickered. Nora wasn’t one for sex, so I took pity on her and edited out the juicer bits that would curl her lips down in a grimace. Sharing those parts would have definitely turned me on and made me more anxious for my men to return home.
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Ashton