Chapter 2
I stood there for a long time, lost in thought, before I finally hauled myself out of bed and shuffled down from my attic room.
My old bedroom was already turned into my little sister’s closet the day she came home from the hospital. I used to watch her from the tiny attic window–this bright, innocent girl playing on the lawn, her laughter echoing through the house. She had no idea what sadness was. I could only hide in the shadows, watching all that happiness from a distance.
I didn’t expect my brother Robert and my sister Yvonne to still be here at this hour.”
As I walked down the stairs, I heard Yvonne’s light, happy laugh. She was waving a tie, grinning. “Robert, let me help you with your tie!”
Robert bent down, letting her try. He watched her with this soft, indulgent smile while she fumbled and made a mess of the knot, the tie hanging crocked. Yvonne took a step back and frowned. “It’s all wonky. Maybe you should just fix it yourself.”
But Robert didn’t untie it. He just ruffled her hair, still smiling. “It’s okay. First time tying a tie, and you already did great. Let’s go. I’ll drive you to school today.” Yvonne practically bounced as she grabbed his hand. As I watched them, a bitter ache twisted in my chest. It took me back to when I was little.
I remembered the first scarf I ever knitted for Robert. I spent days on it, staying up late, my fingers aching–of course it turned out uneven and ugly. I gave it to him, praying for a word of praise, hoping he’d pat my head like he used to.
He didn’t even take it. His face turned cold. “Who knows, maybe this scarf is cursed.”
So I gave it to Lucky, our old family dog, just hoping for someone to be warm. But the next day, I found the scarf in the trash, chopped to pieces, impossible to fix.
I didn’t care about the mess. I fished out every piece from the garbage, washed them, and put them in a box I never opened again.
The front door creaked open just as they were about to leave. I hesitated, then called out, “Robert, Yvonne.“}]
They both looked back, each in their own way. Yvonne’s eyes lit up as she called my name, “Louisa!” so happy to see me.
Robert’s face hardened. He looked like he wanted to say something, but with Yvonne standing there, he kept quiet.
“Can we have dinner together tonight?” I forced the words out, my voice tight. “Just once.”
“Yes!” “No.“Z
Their answers came at the same time–Yvonne’s voice bright, Robert’s cold and final. Yvonne turned to him, confused. “Why not?” Yeah, Robert. Why not?!
He crossed his arms. “You promised James you’d go to the auction with him tonight. Remember?”
“Did I?” Yvonne blinked, then, under Robert’s gaze, her face cleared. “Oh, right.” She looked at me, apologetic. “Sorry, Louisa. I really can’t have dinner with you tonight.”
She hesitated, then perked up. “How about tomorrow? Tomorrow, the whole family can have dinner together.”
Family? I tried to smile, but it felt worse than crying. The bitterness inside me was suffocating.
There wouldn’t be a tomorrow for me.!
Still, I nodded and watched them go.
Just before he stepped outside, Robert shot me a warning look, cold as ice, like his stare could cut right through me.
“Louisa, don’t let me catch you doing anything stupid. If Yvonne gets hurt because of you, we won’t be nice, Stay away from her.”
I watched them walk away, the little bit of hope and excitement I’d felt draining out of me all at once, leaving nothing but cold emptiness behind, as if I’d fallen into a frozen lake.
