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I silently celebrated when I heard a car pull up outside.

I understood why Skye was looking for Mama.

At that point, I wanted her myself. She’d know exactly what to do and say to make Skye and me feel better.

I couldn’t help but wonder if Leah moving out had anything to do with me.

I didn’t see how it could, but I felt like my being back was doing more harm than good, so I automatically assumed that if something bad happened, it involved me in some way.

Whoever drove up knocked on the door. I peeped out again, then looked back at Skye. I opened the door, and Leah walked in. Skye jumped from her seat and ran to her, almost knocking her back out the door.

Skye cried in Leah’s arms. I stood back and watched as my daughter sought comfort from my sister.

The woman who’d played the role of mom to her while I was gone.

I swallowed my tears. It wasn’t the time to be jealous, but I was.

I wanted to comfort her. I should’ve hugged her.

That was what she needed, but I stayed back, too afraid to overstep. I wished this were easier.

“It’s okay,” Leah whispered, tears running down her own cheeks while she rubbed Skye’s back.

Leah’s eyes met mine, and the pain I saw in them was excruciating. Leah finally calmed Skye down while I stood feeling like a complete outsider.

“Are you okay?” I asked Leah when she and Skye pulled apart. I was worried about her. I’d never seen Leah look so broken before. I said Mama was strong, but truthfully, there wasn’t anyone I knew who was stronger than Leah.

“I’m making it.” Leah nodded as she spoke. “I came by to check on Mom. I heard about Ms. Cora.”

“She’s not here,” I told Leah. “But she shouldn’t be gone too long. She went to pick out a burial outfit.”

“Poor Mom,” Leah said, moving farther into the house.

Leah and Skye sat where Skye and I had a few minutes ago. I sat on the side of Dad’s recliner. As much as I wanted to comfort Skye, I could tell it was Leah she really needed.

“Why’d you move out?” Skye asked Leah.

Leah looked at me, probably wishing I wasn’t there for that conversation. Maybe I should’ve excused myself to give them some time alone. I thought of all the food I still had out on the table waiting for me to finish prepping, but I couldn’t leave. I needed to know what was going on.

“I didn’t move out,” Leah corrected. “Did your dad say that I’d moved?” Leah asked.

Skye shook her head. “No. He just said you stayed at the condo, and he didn’t know how long you’d be staying there.”

Leah nodded. “I’m only staying for a couple of days.”

“But why?” Skye whined.

“Your dad and I need some time to think.”

Skye narrowed her eyes. Neither of us bought that answer.

It couldn’t have been easy for Leah to talk about that in front of me, or Skye, for that matter.

I remembered how I used to feel when Quinton and I had our disagreements.

I never wanted Mama or Daddy to know about it, but I always told Leah.

Had she been married to anyone besides Quinton, I’d like to believe she would’ve called and told me too.

I didn’t know how we were going to move forward as sisters when it was so hard for us to talk openly about things as serious as relationships.

Maybe one day she could talk to me about him, and I wouldn’t feel anything other than concern for both of them.

Not that I wasn’t concerned, because I was, but it was concern mixed with uneasiness because it was Quinton.

“You have to stay in the condo to think?” Skye asked. “That doesn’t make sense.” She sounded frustrated with Leah’s answer.

As Skye’s questions continued, I couldn’t help but notice how Leah seemed to deflate right in front of me. Her shoulders dropped, and she clasped her hands together, but not before I caught the slight tremor. I could tell she was trying hard to hold herself together for Skye.

“I’m sick of all of this,” Skye continued. “You and Dad never fight ... ever. Now, suddenly, you need time to think? Well, I’m not buying that at all. Did he cheat on you?” she asked.

“What? No. Your dad wouldn’t do that,” Leah said, averting her gaze away from Skye.

What is Leah not saying? That was my burning question.

Skye crossed her arms and tilted her head. “Did you cheat on him?”

“I’d never cheat on your dad.” Leah’s voice sounded as if it was weighed down by hurt.

But why was she being so vague when it was clear to Skye and me that there was way more that she wasn’t telling us? Or maybe it was that she didn’t want to tell Skye. Leah had to be protecting Skye from something, so I remained silent and didn’t add my own questions to the conversation.

“Then what could be so bad that you need time apart to think? And what exactly are you thinking about? If you still love each other or not?” Skye’s hands were waving all over the place by that point.

Leah looked away.

Skye’s mouth fell open. “That’s it, isn’t it? You don’t know if you’re still in love with each other?” Her words were shaky.

“We still love each other,” Leah said.

“But . . .” Skye needed more.

Leah bit her bottom lip before saying, “It’s complicated.”

“You know what? Forget it. You and Dad act like this is only affecting the two of you. Neither of you are thinking about me and how this makes me feel. As long as I can remember, I’ve had a happy family, but now I don’t know what’s happening.

” Skye grabbed her keys from the coffee table where she placed them when she first sat and ran out the door.

Leah and I both ran behind Skye.

“Skye, wait,” Leah urged.

“Let me try.” I moved past Leah and followed Skye to her car.

“Hey, listen to me.” I was anxious to hear what words of wisdom I had to share because I had no idea what I was about to say to her.

“I know you’re hurting right now, but I promise you that I’m going to find out what’s going on, and I’m going to do whatever I can to make things right, okay? ”

Skye glared at me. “I know what’s going on.

Everything was going fine until you came back.

” She opened her car door, slid in, and slammed it with such force that it seemed to rattle my bones.

I watched as Skye drove away, dragging my heart along with her.

I was rooted in place as the dust settled around me and sadness stirred inside me.