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“Yup. And it worked.”
They were both smiling but still neither of them moved. It was as if they were on opposite sides of the Grand Canyon, reaching out to each other. But both were afraid to fall in and get hurt.
“I’ve missed you,” Autumn said. “Like my soul has a Summer-sized hole in it, and no matter what I do, or how I try and distract myself, it won’t heal.”
“Me too.”
“Did you know that we’ve gone nine days, six hours and fifty-two minutes without talking. That the longest we’ve ever gone without speaking to each other.”
“I know. It feels like a part of me is missing too. I’ve had all these amazing things happen and I haven’t had anyone to talk to them about,” Summer said. “And it sounds like you have too.”
Autumn hopped on the island counter and crossed her legs like she was a little kid. She patted the tile next to her for Summer to join. So she did.
They sat like that, knee to knee, silently staring at each other and looking for any differences. Any new scars, pimples—residual anger. There was none. They were still the mirror image of each other. And something so right filled Summer’s chest.
Completeness.
“I heard you landed a mega author,” Autumn said.
“I did. Sloan Chase,” Summer said with pride. “Wes helped some, but I used our family history to win her over.”
“I’m not shocked. You’ve always been great at connecting with people.”
“No, that’s you. I have my nose in a book.”
“But when you look up there is this genuine quality to you that makes people want to be near you. You’re like a warm summer’s day.”
“Ha ha,” Summer deadpanned.
“Seriously, why else would Mom and Dad have called you Summer?”
“Because I was born on the last day of summer and you were born on the first day of autumn.”
“There you go, holding that big-sister thing over me again,” Autumn teased and Summer laughed, a real, from-the-belly laugh. Autumn joined in, and before they knew it, they were forehead to forehead, their hearts synced.
As it should be.
“I heard you went wedding-dress shopping,” Summer said, trying to hide the hurt she’d felt when her dad told her. The hurt she still felt.
“I did, but the second I walked into the store I walked right back out. It wasn’t the same without you by my side.”
Summer’s eyes blurred with emotion. “Really?”
“And I’m not having my wedding in Mystic. I’m having it in Paris under the Eiffel Tower. Randy is flying everyone out.”
“You didn’t have to change your mind because of me.” Even though she was touched that she had.
Autumn took Summer’s hands. “It wasn’t my wedding. It’s yours. And I only wanted it because I wanted the day to be perfect and you are the queen of romance. So who better to plan the perfect wedding?”
“That’s why you wanted to get married in Mystic?”
“I wanted to be like my older sister who believes in love and destiny and magic. I wanted to be like you. But let’s face it, I need a glamorous affair for my big day. Something nobody else has done. The event of all events.”
Summer didn’t bother to tell her that when it came to the Eiffel Tower, many had come and gone before her, because all that mattered in her sister’s mind was that she’d found her perfect venue.
“Do you know what your color theme will be?” Summer asked.
Autumn shook her head. “I couldn’t pick that out without my romance guru by my side.”