Jane had been on pins and needles waiting for her sister to arrive.
She’d straightened the living room, dusted the foyer, and was now standing in the doorway picking away at the silver-foiled chocolate candy kisses that sat in the crystal ball on the table.
Her eyes drifted to the missing spindle on the stairs, the peeling paint on the old crown moldings, and the water stain in the upper corner on the wallpaper.
When had all this deterioration happened? Over the years, things had fallen into disrepair little by little, and she hadn’t noticed. She didn't want Andie to think that she'd let the family business become run-down. Of course, it didn't help that Brenda had pointed out a bad Yelp review stating the inn was in bad shape earlier that afternoon.
Think positive.
She had a lot to look forward to. Mike was going to work on the website, and she was sure he would get that done quickly. Chandler Vanbeck was checking in tomorrow, so at least they'd have two guests and the place wouldn't be totally empty.
Maxi was coming to help plan how to decorate for the weddings, and she’d submitted the application. Things were on an upswing.
Finally, a blue Volkswagen Jetta rental pulled up in front of the inn. Jane swiped at her mouth to remove any chocolate and smoothed her white linen shirt as she watched her sister get out of the car.
Strange feelings of warmth mixed with betrayal bubbled up. Jane could hardly blame her sister for leaving to pursue her dream career in New York, but she could've come back more frequently and at least shown a mild interest in the family business.
Still, her career must have agreed with her because Andie looked fabulous. She was wearing a sky-blue silk top over black capris with beaded black flip-flops on her feet. The sun hadn't quite set yet, and her large sunglasses and sleek dark hair that fell below her shoulders made her look like she should be featured in a magazine. Was her hair that color naturally? Jane touched her own pixie cut self-consciously. She’d let her hair go silver, but maybe she should have dyed it? She was the younger sister but felt like she looked like an old lady compared to Andie.
Jane took a deep breath and rushed outside to greet her sister.
Andie felt a surprising rush of emotion as she looked up at the big old house that had been so much a part of her life when she was younger. Even though she hadn’t spent much time here in recent decades, it still felt familiar.
The old place was looking a little more dilapidated than when she’d seen it a year ago, but Andie didn’t see any of that. All she saw was the porch she and her sister, Jane, had played on as kids, the garden her mother had lovingly tended, and the gorgeous cobalt-blue Atlantic Ocean beyond the building.
As she stepped out of the car, the salty sea smell hit her, and the sound of the waves calmed her. She immediately felt like a weight had been lifted. She was home.
Jane came rushing out of the front door. She looked good. She’d cut her hair, and it suited her. The casual shorts and linen shirt would make some people look dumpy, but not Jane. Jane looked classy.
Feelings of guilt replaced all those cozy feelings of home when she saw the look of strain on her sister’s face. She should’ve been here to help more often.
They exchanged an awkward hug, and Andie resisted the urge to hold Jane close and apologize. Once, when they were younger, she would’ve known the right thing to say, but now she barely knew her little sister.
“Did you have a good flight?” Jane asked.
“Great. No turbulence.” Andie popped open the trunk and hefted out her suitcase. “The place looks great.”
Jane’s forehead creased, and she turned to look at Tides. “Thanks.”
Andie closed the trunk then stood there. “So, tell me the truth, sis. How is Mom?”
Jane shrugged. “She has her good days and her bad days. But she’s getting very good care at Tall Pines. It’s really the best place for her. I tried to keep her here at home as long as I could.”
Andie felt terrible. Jane had struggled to keep their mom at home, and she could only imagine what that had been like. “It does sound like the best place. Are we going to see her tonight?”
Jane grabbed the suitcase and lugged it up the steps before Andie could stop her. “No, she has a routine over there. They eat dinner in twenty minutes, and then after that she’s usually tired and goes to bed. I thought it was better not to disrupt that, so I figured we’d go early tomorrow morning.” Jane turned to look at her. “I have some muffins and tea in the kitchen. I thought maybe you’d be hungry after traveling.”
Andie smiled. She was starving. “That sounds great.”
Andie followed Jane through the inn, taking note of the peeling paint and stained wallpaper. She didn’t say a word, though. “How are things going here?”
“Great. I’ve got some ideas to bring in new business. You know, kind of modernize the place. Mom let things go a little bit, but I’m on top of it.”
Andie sensed that her sister wasn’t telling her the whole truth. She should’ve come back to help before this, but she’d been too wrapped up in her career and her stupid affair with Doug. Her sister had had a lot to handle here, but Jane had never let on how bad things had gotten. She’d never asked Andie for anything. Had she been such a bad sister over the years that Jane didn’t even feel comfortable reaching out to her for help anymore?
“Sit down at the table and tell me how things are going with you.” Jane poured the tea into dainty cups that Andie remembered their grandmother serving them tea in. A plate with hand-painted forget-me-nots sat in the middle of the table, loaded with pastries. Andie chose an almond croissant.
“Things are going pretty much the same.” Andie bit into the buttery, flaky croissant. “This is delicious.”
“My friend Claire makes them at her bakery. You remember Claire, don’t you?”
“Oh yeah, of course.”
They chatted for an hour, getting caught up. Jane told her about helping their mom and how she was planning to host weddings and events to bring in more money. It sounded like Jane did have things under control, and that eased Andie’s guilt a bit.
It was dark when Jane showed her to her room. It was the room she had slept in as a kid when they would stay here with their grandparents in the off-season, when the inn didn’t have many guests. The floral wallpaper and creaky wooden floors brought a rush of cozy memories. The room was on the east side facing the ocean, and a bright crescent moon was high in the sky, sending golden light onto the flickering waves. She pulled out her phone expecting a text from Doug, but there was nothing.
Andie cracked the window open, letting in the scent of the ocean and listening to the surf. She sat on the edge of the bed and took it all in, a peaceful feeling of calm coming over her. Should she be more upset that Doug had let her go without even saying goodbye and hadn’t texted her? Maybe she wasn’t as attached to him as she’d thought.
She put her clothes away and crawled between the crisp linen sheets that still smelled of Grandma’s detergent. Much to her surprise, she immediately fell into a deep sleep.