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twelve
Pulling out her phone as she stood in the hallway at the daycare after dropping Rebel off, Miranda sighed as she read Tierney’s last text.
Sorry! The phone cut out. Call you soon! Love you!
The phone had cut out in the first two minutes of their call, and when Miranda had attempted to call back, it had gone straight to voicemail. She hadn’t heard from Tierney in days since then. A war waged inside her whether or not to call her back. She didn’t want bad news. But having Rebel in her custody for six weeks now, she was scared what good news would mean.
A gentle brush of fingers against her shoulder caught her attention.
“You seem lost in thought.”
Miranda quirked an eyebrow, her lips pressed into a thin line. “Was I in your way?”
“No.” Tori’s smile was like the sun on her face on a warm day. She craved it.
But ever since their impromptu vodka—not tequila, thank the Lord—night, Miranda had worked hard to remind herself just how far out of bounds Tori was. She couldn’t start a new relationship. Not now, and certainly not with someone searching for something that didn’t exist. It seemed Tori had a similar epiphany as the innuendos and the ease they had cultivated became a thing of the past. Miranda hadn’t seen or heard from her in the short week and a half since that night.
“I was coming to find you actually, or Rebel. I found this under the couch when I was vacuuming, and I think it’s probably Rebel’s.” Tori held up a small toy that might have once been a bear or a dog or some other animal molded into a humanoid shape.
“Her stuffy.” Miranda couldn’t stop the smile as she snagged the toy. It would make getting Rebel to sleep in her own bed that night a cinch. It had been brutal the last few nights, and she’d all but given up on training her to sleep in the toddler bed she’d bought.
“I’m glad it’s back with its rightful owner.”
“Yes, thank you.” Miranda looked into Tori’s baby-blue eyes. Why had they not talked in the last week again? Miranda wasn’t sure she could remember.
“Have you heard from her?”
“Who?” Confused, it took Miranda a second to pull her head out of the clouds. Sadness tightened in her chest. It was strange and yet almost nicer to feel that rather than the anger. “Oh. Tierney. She tried to call the other day, but the signal dropped as soon as it connected. I tried to call back, but I haven’t been able to reach her.”
“I’m sorry.” Tori reached for Miranda’s arm, wrapping her fingers around her wrist in a tender touch. Her warm hand burned through Miranda’s shirt, despite the thick material. “That must be so hard for you.”
She didn’t know what to say to that. How had Tori picked up on her turmoil so easily? “Aili says she’s happy with Rebel’s improvements lately.”
Walking toward the parking lot, Miranda broke Tori’s touch. She had to put some distance between them. But she couldn’t quite remember why.
“Oh that’s fantastic. But I meant hard for you not being able to check if Tierney is okay.”
Miranda hesitated a beat before following Tori outside. She’d known what Tori had meant, and she’d avoided the topic. No one ever thought about how much she loved her sister or how many nights she stayed awake worrying about her. But Tori seemed to always see beyond what others gleaned and picked out the parts that Miranda struggled with the most.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to overstep.” Tori stopped near her car. She must have sensed something.
Why couldn’t Miranda hold anything back anymore? “I’ll try to call her again today. Maybe she’ll be someplace she can answer this time.”
“Sounds like a good idea.” Something flickered across Tori’s gaze, and Miranda wished she could make it vanish. It didn’t look comfortable or good. “I guess I’ll see you around, then. I’m glad I was able to get this back to Rebel.”
“Yes. Thank you, again.” Miranda locked their gazes together. Her heart raced. She didn’t want to go to work. She didn’t want to deal with Tierney and the phone call and what exactly they needed to talk about. It wouldn’t be a pleasant conversation no matter which way it went. Tierney would feel like Miranda was overstepping. Miranda would struggle with lack of responsibility on her sister’s part. It was that vicious cycle all over again.
“Was there something else?” Tori touched her wrist again.
Miranda’s gaze locked on her fingers. Thin. Long. Two fingernails cut much shorter than the others. Even though she hadn’t dated a woman in many years, Miranda knew exactly what that meant. She couldn’t do this. As much as she wanted to, she couldn’t do it.
“No.” Did her voice just waver? What was wrong with her? What happened to the strong woman who knew what she wanted and got what she needed from no one but herself?
“Okay. Just…know you can call if you need something or just want to talk or maybe have some tequila.”
Miranda inwardly groaned at that.
“Or maybe just some more vodka.” Tori’s cheeks had a rosy tinge to them, like she was blushing.
