“We don’t need to talk about it,” Gemma said. She gave her sister a reassuring smile. “And I’m happy you joined me. There’s no sense enjoying such a beautiful view alone.”
“No,” Ellie said a little sadly. “It’s probably my favorite thing about this house.”
“Same here,” Gemma said.
“Is Hope here?” Ellie asked.
Gemma shook her head. “She’s out with Evan and the girls. They left this morning, so I’m surprised they aren’t back yet.”
“I don’t think Hope was expecting him,” Ellie said. “She seemed more flustered than usual at dinner last night, and then they disappeared. Do you think…do you think it had anything to do with that man she brought to the party?”
Gemma sighed. She didn’t think it was her place to share what Hope had revealed, especially not with Evan being here.
“Hope’s a big girl. If anyone can figure out her life, it’s Hope.” After all, what chance was there for her if Hope’s life fell apart?
“Unlike me,” Ellie said, frowning at the table.
Gemma looked at her. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I mean, that my life is a mess. It always was. It still is. Dad was right about me.”
“Don’t say that,” Gemma said firmly. She leaned forward in her chair, stared at Ellie until she was forced to look up at her. “Look at all you’ve accomplished. You have your own art studio. You sell your paintings all over town.”
“I barely make any money. It’s just pocket change. I’m living off that trust. Without this house…”
Gemma grew quiet. “Is that why you’re so against selling it? You know you’d get a third of the sale price. You could go anywhere, and put down a deposit.”
Ellie shook her head. “It’s not about the money. It’s that…Well, you have your apartment in the city. Hope has her mansion in the suburbs. And I have…this. I don’t have anything else of my own other than the studio, and I’m barely keeping the lights on over there. You’re right that I let this house go. It’s old. Repairs are expensive, especially when materials have to come in from the mainland. But I’ve tried my best,” Ellie said, and suddenly her eyes teared up.
Gemma reached out and took her hand. “Of course you did. And this house is a third my responsibility too. Hope and I should have sent money for repairs. We just didn’t know…”
Ellie angrily brushed at a tear. “I didn’t want to tell you guys what was going on here. I just figured you’d think what Dad always does. That I’m irresponsible, that I make poor choices.”
“Don’t listen to what Dad says,” Gemma said, but she knew that this was easier said than done. “And if anyone makes poor choices, it’s me.”
“You? But you have a career, one that you are earning a living wage from. And you can always go back to advertising.”
“But I don’t want to,” Gemma said. “And I’m scared that will happen if I can’t make a success of my writing.”
Ellie cracked a smile. “We were warned…”
“You followed your heart, Ellie, and that is a very brave thing to do.”
“Oh, I followed my heart all right,” Ellie grumbled. “And now…Now I guess you could say that it’s broken.”
Gemma nodded. The expression on Ellie’s face at the party had been obvious to everyone there, even, she feared, Simon’s fiancée.
“You may not want to hear this, but I don’t think Simon was the right guy for you. He balanced you out, maybe, and you have good memories with him, but he didn’t want what you wanted, and you need to find someone who does.”
“Dad approved of Simon,” Ellie said a little begrudgingly.
“Maybe that’s why you liked him,” Gemma said, giving her a knowing grin. “Or maybe you liked that Simon was a little bit like Dad, in the conventional sense, only unlike Dad, he supported you.”
“Forget my comment about advertising. You could find a job as a therapist,” Ellie said ruefully, but she was smiling. “Maybe that’s true. I don’t know what made Simon so appealing. Maybe I’ll never know. I just know how I felt when I was with him.”
Gemma considered this. “I can’t make sense of my love life either. Or lack thereof.”
The sisters were quiet for a moment until Ellie said, “Dad probably wouldn’t approve of Leo.”
Despite herself, Gemma laughed. “Probably not. But, it doesn’t matter anyway. Leo isn’t looking for a relationship.”
Ellie raised an eyebrow. “Are you?”
Gemma nodded slowly as she gathered her thoughts. “I didn’t think I was. I wasn’t sure I ever would be, after Sean. But meeting Leo made me realize that I can have feelings for someone again. And that’s…scary.”
“But what’s the alternative?” Ellie asked. “To never try at all? Although, that’s sort of what I’ve been doing all these years. Until Simon came back.”
“At least you can say that you tried. You followed your heart, Ellie. You did everything you set out to do.”
“You both did,” said a voice behind them.
Gemma turned to see Hope standing in the doorway, looking weary. “I didn’t realize you all were back.” Normally, the girls made their presence known.
“Just me,” Hope said, coming to join them. “I walked home, slipped in the back door. Evan’s still in town with the girls.”
“Everything okay?” Gemma asked.
Hope shrugged. “Yes. No. It’s like you said. You did everything you set out to do. Both of you. You always wanted to be a painter, and you are, Ellie. And you, Gemma, you were miserable at that advertising agency and you always wanted to be a writer, and look at you. Published. Under contract. You were able to quit that job you never liked.”
“Only because of Gran,” Gemma said, giving Ellie an apologetic smile. “She helped all of us out, Ellie. We’re all better off because of how much she supported us, then…and now.”
“She was a wonderful woman,” Ellie said as her eyes filled with tears.
Not wanting to go down a dark path, Gemma veered things back to steadier ground.
“Besides, I may have to find another job I don’t like if I don’t pull off this book in time,” she said.
“But you will, Gemma,” Hope said, with a smile. “I always knew you would. And I think deep down you knew it too.”
Gemma thought about that for a moment. It was true, she supposed, that even in her panic, and even in her sleepless nights, she knew that she would get the job done. She’d finish the book. She’d find a way. It was the one thing in her control when the rest of the world was not.
“But you got everything that you wanted,” Ellie said to Hope. “You always got good grades. You went to the best college. You married Evan, for Pete’s sake.”
A strange look came over Hope’s face. “I’m not saying I’m not grateful for everything I have, I…I never had dreams like the two of you did. I never wanted something, specifically. I guess that all I ever wanted was Dad’s approval.” She laughed softly, shaking her head. “Sounds pretty lame, doesn’t it?”