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“He’s not a member. Well, he is, but he’s not. Ugh, it’s complicated.” The door to the veterinary practice opened and Aria was so thankful for the reprieve when it came to her friend. She smiled only to be a little surprised to see her sister, Isabella, step through the door.
“Wow,” Lidia said.
Isabella smiled.
“Hello.”
“Did you get a pet?” Lidia asked.
Isabella frowned. “A pet?”
“You know, this is a veterinary practice?”
“Doyouhave a pet here?” Isabella asked.
“No, I don’t need one. I have a long-standing friendship with the receptionist.”
“And I have a close relationship called ‘sister,’” Isabella said.
“What’s going on?” Aria asked. Her sister never, ever came to see her. Not during the day, not at work, never.
“I was … I was wondering, I’m going shopping this weekend. I need some new clothes. This baby is growing fast, and I was hoping you’d like to come,” Isabella said.
“You’re inviting me shopping?”
Isabella nodded.
Aria turned to Lidia with a frown.
Lidia pinched herself. “Nope, we’re not dreaming.”
“What about Mom?” Aria asked.
“I haven’t invited her. I just wanted it to be the two of us.”
“I’m sorry about what Grant did at dinner—”
“Don’t be,” Isabella said. “He was amazing. Do you even know why Michael insisted on us going to a restaurant?”
Aria shook her head but decided to take a guess anyway. “He didn’t want to taste Mom’s food.”
“That was a big problem for him, but he was so tired of her constantly going on about diets. He didn’t want me to follow her strict regime. I’m pregnant and we want to enjoy that, but he also hated the way she treated you.” Isabella rubbed at her temple. “I have never been so ashamed in my life. I never stood up to her. Never told her to shut up. All those dinners. Even after we left home, I never told her enough was enough. Michael couldn’t stand it. He hated having a full plate and seeing you only allowed to eat vegetables and then with limited gravy as well. That’s why he arranged the restaurant and Grant, well, he put us all to shame.”
“Has Mom been in touch?”
“Yes,” Isabella said. “She wanted to form an intervention to remove the criminal from your life. I told her no. I told her I’d never seen you so happy before. You are happy, aren’t you?”
“Yes.”
“I told her no. I won’t come between you and Grant.”
Aria was a little taken aback by this. “And now you want to go shopping with me?”
“Yes. You and I have never gotten to hang out, like sisters. I’d like that. I don’t know what it was that Grant did, but he opened my eyes. I want to have a relationship with my sister. Not one where I stare at her over the table, hoping I have the guts one day to stand up for her. Mom has been wrong for so long. I hate the wedding photos and I refuse to put them up. Mom has tried to force me to decorate my house. Enough is enough.”
“Mom hasn’t even visited me in my house,” Aria said.
“That’s because she’s pissed off that you got the house. She was hoping I’d get it, but I’m so pleased our grandparents did what they did.”
