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“Yes.” Very.
“And he just happens to have enough cash to sail around the world, and you’re just ‘helping’ him? Helping him what? Take his clothes off?”
“Maddie!”
“I’m just saying. It’s one man after another. When are you ever going to get serious? Settle down? First, a married man and now a sailor?”
Laura felt the hard sting of her sister’s judgment. Why couldn’t Maddie just let her be? Let her live her own life without her running commentary? You’re not our mother, she wanted to shout. You don’t get to tell me what to do with my life.
But Maddie wasn’t finished. “And you need to stop blowing through your retirement savings. Not to mention, you head to the Caribbean during hurricane season. I mean, are you crazy? If you’d just think for once.”
Now Laura’s blood was boiling. She was so very tired of Maddie telling her what to do. So done with it.
“Maddie, it’s not hurricane season yet, it’s…” But her sister didn’t give her the chance to explain.
“You need to grow up, Laura. Be an adult.”
“I am being an adult, Maddie. Just because you’re stuck in a…” Laura almost said loveless marriage, but she bit her tongue. That was too low a blow, even when prodded.
“Stuck in a what?” Maddie challenged.
“Never mind.”
“No. Finish the thought, Laura.” Maddie’s voice was taut on the line. Laura squeezed the phone against her ear.
“A marriage to a man who clearly makes you miserable,” Laura managed.
“Marriage isn’t always fun, Laura. Life isn’t always fun. Adults have responsibilities, and not all of us can just run away when things get rough. I’ve got the kids to think about.” Maddie’s voice sounded flat.
Anger bubbled in Laura’s chest. She was so tired of Maddie wearing responsibility like an albatross around her neck. It was a choice she made every day to subject herself to the misery. Laura had made a different life choice. She didn’t want to slog through the bad job and awful relationship she was supposed to just suck up and endure.
“And what are you teaching my niece and nephew, Maddie? That in life, you’re stuck with all your past mistakes? That life is supposed to be one miserable slog until death? Well, I’m choosing a different path for me. One that I hope will make me happy.” Laura thought of Mark. After all, she never would have met Mark if she hadn’t taken the rash step of giving herself a time-out. “I’m not being irresponsible. I’m staying true to me and to what I need.”
“I can’t believe you just said that to me. After all I’ve done for you. Since Mom.” The hurt in Maddie’s voice was real. Laura hated to hear it, but she couldn’t quite bring herself to regret what she’d said.
“I never asked you to do any of that, Maddie. Maybe you need to look after yourself. Stop being the martyr for everyone else. No one is asking you to be.” Laura wasn’t finished, but she heard the click of the line going dead.
Maddie had hung up.
Laura sighed, staring at the phone. She’d never stood up to her sister like that before, never, not once. Ever since they were kids, Maddie always got her way, and Laura always went along. Older sister bossing younger sister around, but Laura was tired of that. This time, she wasn’t going to let Maddie rule her life. She was her own person, and she was tired of letting other people tell her what to do.
Maddie had been mad at Laura before, and usually, Laura would call her back, apologize, grovel a little, and Maddie would bestow her forgiveness. Not this time. Laura wasn’t going to be the first one to blink. She wasn’t sorry about telling Maddie to butt out and to maybe stop lording her own unhappiness over everyone else. Nobody was asking her to be unhappy. That’s her choice.
Laura brushed off her sister’s call.
Why think about the future? Live in the moment. Forget about tomorrow.
And right now, the moment called for her to find a dress worthy of a nice dinner out on the island. And for her to make that stop at the convenience store. She’d not let passion rule her tonight.
* * *
MARK RANG HER doorbell exactly at seven, wearing khakis and a button-down shirt, looking freshly showered and shaved. He swept his eyes over her outfit—a white linen strapless sundress—and gave a slow nod of approval. She wore a dash of red lipstick and a bit of mascara, and her hair was finger-dried in delicate, easy waves. She’d picked cork wedge sandals and felt a little bit taller, though Mark still towered above her.
“You look gorgeous,” he said, his dark eyes lighting up with appreciation.
