Page 4 of It’s Me, but Different

“I swear I had nothing to do with this, though I'm very happy to see you again,” I admit with a sigh.

“I had no idea you'd be here. If I had known…”

“You wouldn't have come, I know,” I murmur, finishing the sentence for her.

“Probably not,” she admits, nervously rubbing her hands again. “It's been a long time, and the kids need a vacation where they can simply… breathe and forget about what happened with their father. I didn't mean to intrude on your world.”

“You're not intruding on anything. If I'm honest, I'm really glad you came. It's not the time, but I know I treated you terribly, and…”

“No, Sloane, it's not the time to remember those things. You hurt me terribly, but it's better to leave it in the past,” she cuts me off, raising a hand.

“Listen, if you want an instructor to teach the kids, I'm definitely your girl. If you prefer someone else, I understand, really.”

“Thank you. We can try; it seems the kids had an excellent time with you,” she confesses while playing distractedly with her hair.

“This is awkward, isn't it?”

“Yes, a little,” she admits, letting out a nervous giggle. “Now I should…”

“Yes, sorry, the kids. River is probably making them try all the hotel's sweets.”

While I watch her walk away toward the cafeteria, I receive a message from my older sister.

Harper: Anika and River told me about Esme. Julie is also participating, so I can't protest about the VIP client treatment they've given them for an almost free price.

I can't help but smile. Harper always thinking about money. Though deep down, she's giving me the green light to roll out the red carpet. Ski lessons, spa sessions, everything we have.

When I return to the hotel, Ivy gestures for me to come over.

“You look like you've seen a ghost,” my twin sister jokes.

“Esme is here,” I confess, dropping into an armchair next to her.

“River told me. How are you handling it?”

I stretch my arms above my head while organizing my thoughts.

“I'm okay, I guess. Somewhat confused, not knowing what to do. Eleven years, and… boom! She's right in front of me with two kids.”

“I heard River and Anika spent a lot of time planning this. They wanted to return the favor for getting them together.”

“Actually, I tried everything to keep Anika away from River,” I admit, shrugging.

“And later you went to San Francisco to try to get them to work things out, so that counts. What I didn't expect was for Julie to participate too, even signing the offer herself. As serious as she seems, she's already letting those two influence her. Well, tell me, what's your plan?”

“My plan? Teach the twins to ski. Be polite. See if Esme wants to talk about the past at some point so I can apologize, or if she prefers to pretend it never happened.”

“Maybe you should tell her how you feel?” she suggests, raising her eyebrows.

A nervous laugh escapes me.

“And what exactly do I feel? I haven't seen her in over a decade. She got married, had kids, and lost her husband two years ago. She's been through a whole lifetime. Meanwhile, I'm still here, with my medal hidden behind a display case, with a screwed-up knee and a bunch of 'what ifs.' Basically, I'm still stuck in the past while she's moved on.”

Ivy places a hand on my shoulder and squeezes.

“Don't put yourself down. You help run this place and the rest of the family's ski schools, and you've matured a lot since then. You're no longer that selfish and somewhat conceited athlete who put her Olympic dream above everything else. Maybe you're exactly what Esme needs right now.”

“Somewhat conceited?”