Page 64 of Fighting Gravity

Rosie’s birthday had been months ago. Violet had been at dinner and hadn’t said a single word.

She pulled open the drawstrings. Inside was the beautiful lavender top-handle bag Rosie had been eyeing from the new collection. “How did you know?” she breathed. “More important,how? And why?” As far as she knew, her sister was still unemployable and not in the habit of gift-giving.

Violet sighed. Leaning back into the couch cushions, she said, “Well, where do you want me to start?”

“I’d like to know how you bought me a three hundred-dollar handbag. And why.” Rosie ran her fingers over the dappled leather. She really hoped she wouldn’t be forced to return the bag. She loved it.

“That day I came to your office, it was to get ideas for your birthday. I don’t know you anymore, Rosie.” Violet’s hazel eyes didn’t settle on any one item for long. They flitted around to Rosie’s bookshelves and throw rugs and Bella’s twitching tail. “Then I saw your nice handbag. I had forgotten how much you like purses. You used to get a new one for each season.”

Still do.

“I liked this lavender one right away, but I had no idea how expensive it would be. Took me forever to save the money.”

Rosie had to bite her lip to keep it from quivering. “I love the bag so much. But why did you do that for me? I haven’t been very sisterly recently.”

“Why would you? I betrayed your trust. Giving you a gift is my first step in making up for it.”

Violet had never admitted what she’d done, or apologized. Until she had been in the back of a cop car, busted for trying to sell heroin to an undercover drug enforcement agent, Rosie was pretty sure her younger sister had felt like she was unstoppable.

“Yeah. Why did you steal from us?” Rosie asked softly. “I mean, I get why you did it to me, but to Dad? After everything he’s done for us?”

Violet’s gaze didn’t waver. Rosie felt strangely proud of her for owning the moment. “We act the worst where we feel safest. I knew you two would forgive me eventually, even if no one else would. You were my safe space.”

Rosie nodded against the ache in her throat. She wasn’t wrong. Their dad had taken Violet in as soon as she’d been released from rehab. He hadn’t worried about his reputation in the neighborhood or his job at the university. His daughter had needed him.

Rosie had been less gracious. Violet had stolen from her on the tails of the Chad situation. She had been fired from her job and robbed by her sister in the same week. She hadn’t been able to take her anger and hurt out on Chad, so she’d taken it out on Violet instead. Rosie had refused to go to their dad’s if she was there. She didn’t accompany him when he’d picked Violet up from rehab. Violet had been given a chance to serve as a peer counselor in lieu of more jail time, which had taken several interviews and court appearances that Rosie didn’t help her prepare for. For the first time she wondered who had behaved more badly. “I’m sorry I didn’t act like your safe space when you needed me to be.”

Violet shook her head, playing with the ends of her auburn hair. “I’m glad you stood up for yourself. And I’m sorry I stole from you.”

Rosie nodded. “Apology accepted.” She studied her sister’s silky floral top and unscuffed boots. “You look good, Vi.”

For the first time in what felt like forever, Violet smiled. Her pretty, transformed face tugged at Rosie’s heart. She’d missed her sister. “Thanks. I’m feeling good. I’m hanging out with Karli again.”

Karli had been Vi’s closest friend growing up, a friendship she’d lost along with everything else. Karli had not stood by to watch Vi walk down the wrong path.

“She’s letting me watch her kids,” she continued. “I’m, like, her nanny now. That job is how I was able to buy your purse. We’ve started running in the mornings, too. It’s nice to have healthy friends again, you know?”

“I’m really glad you reconnected.”

“Me, too. Honestly, I think Karli and her kids have helped me heal more than rehab did.” She leaned forward to scratch Bella’s chin. “What about you? Are you seeing anybody or anything?”

The sigh came all the way from her soul. “No. Not anymore.”

“Wanna talk to your little sister about it?”

Her sister’s face was so hopeful that Rosie couldn’t deny her the girl time. So, she spilled. She told Violet about what she and Tate had said and done and felt, including the sex on the jet after she’d been drugged.

“Whoa. Does it count as the mile-high club if the plane’s still on the ground?”

Rosie laughed. “Great question. Elle’s marrying a former astronaut. I’ll ask him next time I see him.”

Violet’s crooked grin faded. “You really don’t want to try again with him? I mean, who could ever top a private symphony performance? And the housing thing? God, Rosie. He might be a saint.”

The symphony had been the best date—possiblynight—of her life so far. “Don’t forget Maisie. And that he was sneaking around my office and wouldn’t tell me why, even though I now know he had good reason. He still kept a secret from me knowing how I feel about secrets.”

“I snuck around your office, too, and not for nefarious reasons. People are inherently good, Rosie. You’ve always believed that.”

“That’s not what I’ve seen, though.”

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