Page 103 of The Rest is History

Pippin is always sad when we visit Faye, and she gets lost in her head. So, conversations aren’t plentiful. Sometimes, we talk about how our family fell apart. How different things could’ve been if our mother hadn’t died and our father hadn’t left us. I might’ve finished high school and gone to college and maybe become a professional at something. Maybe a teacher, like Asher. Or an accountant, like Reece. I sure wouldn’t have been a logger.

We arrive at the facility and go through the regular inspection, and then we sit at the glass window, waiting for Faye.

She comes through the door after three minutes.

Pippin starts to cry immediately. Faye, too. She covers her face with her hands and her shoulders shake.

Pippin and I talk a big talk when it’s just the two of us but standing in front of our sister – my little sister and Pippin’s twin – all we can think of are the days when they played together, and I watched over them. When I saved up for months so I could take them shopping at the thrift store for ‘new’ clothes. Sharing the little food we had because we knew we could never let the other starve.

We may not be able to touch Faye, hug her, for the next ten years. All we may have is this glass window and a telephone. I wipe the tears in my eyes away as I watch two sisters cry over all the unfairness of the past. The mistakes that were made, which have to be paid for now.

Pippin unwraps Ezra and holds him toward Faye. Faye leans closer into the glass, crying harder.

The lump in my throat is hard to get rid of. Faye always protected Pippin, and now she isn’t even able to hold her baby.

It’ll be a month before they see each other again so I leave them alone to talk. It’s about thirty minutes before I go back inside.

Pippin takes Ezra to the side to feed him, and I pick up the phone to talk to my sister.

“How are you, Faye?” I ask. My eyes fill with tears. Every time. No matter how many times I come here, I cannot hold back the tears.

“I’m good, Sawyer. How are you?”

“Yeah, I’m getting along.”

“And Asher? How’s Asher?”

“He’s good. He went back to school last week. They won their first game.”

“They’re gonna win another championship this year. I just know it.”

“Most likely. At least, I hope so.”

“I’ll be rooting for him.”

“I know. I’ll tell him.”

Now that the formalities are over, I inspect her face. “You sure you’re okay?”

“Yeah. I keep to myself in here. You know that. Don’t get into any trouble. Read a lot.”

“What are you reading these days?”

She laughs. “I think I finished the entire Martina Cole selection.”

“And your medication? You’re getting it on time and everything?”

“Yeah. Had some bad days. Really low levels, but I’m managing okay.”

“Not like Mom?”

“No. Not like Mom.”

“Mom didn’t manage her Diabetes type one well. You’ll be okay as long as you take your meds.”

“Yeah. I’m being good. I’m not getting out of here anytime soon, Sawyer. This is home now. I’m making the best of it. I won’t skip meds or break any of the rules.”

“Good,” I say.

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