Page 61 of Butterfly Sisters

“I was clueless growing up. I’m sorry about that.”

“You’re not gonna get me to give you the cabin if that’s what you’re after,” she said, turning back over. “Especially at seven in the morning.”

“I’m not trying to get the cabin. It’s yours. I’m trying to tell you that I’m sorry. I really am.”

Meredith sat up. “What’s all this about?” She yawned again and then stretched her arms over her head.

“Last night, Mama asked me what I wanted at the end of everything. When my life is coming to its final chapter, what do I want in it? I want a sister.”

Meredith stared at her, blinking and clearly trying to focus.

“But not just any sister. I want an artist sister who’d rather take boat rides than sit on a porch. I want a sister who drinks beers out of a can and sleeps in the woods just because she likes to.”

Meredith looked her over as if she were some new and rare being that had just landed on her bed. “Why wouldyouwant that kind of sister?” she asked.

“Because she can show me the parts of our world—and of myself—that I’d never see otherwise.”

The skin between Meredith’s blue eyes wrinkled. “Aren’t you worried we’d kill each other if we spent too much time together?”

“Not at all.”

“You sure?”

“I’ve never been surer in my life.”

Meredith squinted at her skeptically. “So, you’d let me show you how to sleep in a tent in the woods?”

Leigh chewed her lip, thinking.

Meredith laughed. “You’rethe one who mentioned it.”

“I would for you,” Leigh said finally.

“Done. Tomorrow night then.” Meredith crawled out of bed, evidently calling Leigh’s bluff.

“Wait a minute.” Leigh scrambled after her. “It’s still cold at night. Let’s wait until summer.”

“Okay, fine. We’ll wait until summer. Why don’t we start this new togetherness with a cup of coffee instead?” Meredith grabbed Leigh’s arm and linked hers through it. “I’ll work you up to the camping.”

They walked into the kitchen together where Mama was packing her things for work. She looked up from her lunchbox, curiosity consuming her as Meredith dropped Leigh’s arm and went over to the coffee maker.

“Morning,” Mama said, eyeing them both.

“Morning,” Meredith returned.

“If I go camping,” Leigh said to Meredith’s back, continuing the conversation, “then you have to do something in my world.”

“Camping?” Mama asked, zipping up the lunchbox and setting it next to her handbag by the door.

“Yes,” Meredith answered over her shoulder. “We’re bonding.”

Mama gawked at them disbelievingly, a smile playing at her lips.

“So, you okay with doing something I want to do?” Leigh asked again.

“Like?” Meredith reached into the kitchen cabinets for the mugs, getting two down, setting them onto the counter, and filling them with coffee.

“Like shopping.”