Page 22 of Poinsettia Lane

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“Hey Ad, perfect timing, I could use a break.” Everly answers the video call and aims the camera toward her desk, showing Addison the plethora of paperwork stacked in organized piles all across it.

“Wow, what’s going on?” Addison asks.

“Just reviewing end of year reports and comparing our prospective numbers for this year. How have you been?” Everly relaxes into her chair as her sister’s bubbly voice rambles about how nice the weather has been, how they desperately need rain but she’s enjoying the endless sunshine, about her trip to the beach with friends the other day, and her thoughts about some changes she’s considering at work.

Everly is thankful that her sister is more talkative and social than she is, it makes it a lot easier to chat with her most of the time. Everly’s learning that she just has to listen and give the appropriate responses, easy enough to do, until Addison turns it back to her.

“So you never told me, how did it go at the garden center the other day?” Addison asks, because of course she does. She’s also learning that her sister is very thoughtful, and although her head is often in the clouds, she doesn’t forget anything once she deems it important to someone she cares about.

“It… went," Everly says with a heavy sigh, rolling her eyes to the ceiling. “I mean it ended up good, but I’m just such a doofus sometimes. I don’t know why I always endup embarrassing myself.”

“You’re just you. You might be a bit of a dork sometimes, but that’s not a bad thing and you don’t have to be embarrassed about it. It’s cute, it makes you unique. It’s one of the things I love about you.”

“Thanks.” Everly twists her lips to the side, she doesn’t know what else to say to that.

She isn’t one for expressions of love or affection, not really having any practice with it for eight years, and although she appreciates hearing it from her sister, that doesn’t make it any easier for her to figure out how to reply. Addison fills the awkward pause as usual, demanding Everly to tell her everything. Everly shares it all: the tropical plant mishap, the tour, her blunder with the whole landscaping debacle, the cart filling up, Asim passing her his number, how he so considerately loaded up her car, and finally, the follow up phone call. It actually feels good to get it all out, and she’s eager to hear her sister’s take on the situation.

“I am so jealous.” Addison states.

“Wait, what?” Everly is completely thrown. “What in the world are you jealous of? Did you hear what I said?”

“Yes, I heard.” A very annoyed huff comes from the other end, and Everly grins at the memories it brings up. With the bubbly, social side her sister had growing up, Addison was at times an angsty, opinionated handful when she was a teen.

“Okay, so what then?”

“You’re so… you," Addison says again, then pauses and Everly assumes she’s trying to get her thoughts in order. “I’m jealous of how forthright you are and I wish I could put myself out there like that. I feel like I’m always wearing a mask, but you’re actually being yourself.”

Everly has to laugh. If only Addison had the behind the scenes of how it actually went.

“Believe me, I’m also jealous of that version of me," Everly says. “I normally feel like I’m wearing a mask too. It took me ages to work up the courage to take it off, so to speak, and honestly, this whole being outgoing and being myself thing is pretty new. I’m not actually that confident, but I’m trying to be.”

She wonders how much she should share with hersister, then catches herself, and takes a second to reflect on how much she wants to share. In no time at all, Everly realizes she wants to share everything.

“I’ve actually been seeing a therapist and it’s really helpful. Lately we’ve been working on figuring out who I am on the inside, and bringing that person to the outside.”

“I didn’t realize you were going to therapy," Addison sounds surprised. “That’s really cool. I’ve thought about giving it a try, but. I don’t know. I guess it seems kind of intimidating.” She nervously laughs out the last sentence, averting her eyes from the phone

Everly pauses, reflecting on how to move forward. She doesn’t want to mess up what is turning into a very real moment for them.

“I’m happy to talk to you about my experience. Carrie, my therapist, is the best. She’s also kind of the worst sometimes, but in a good way.”

Addison laughs more genuinely at this, and Everly smiles along with her.

“For real though, no one is perfect, so I think everyone can benefit from therapy. It doesn’t mean something is wrong with you. It just means you’re willing to improve yourself.”

Addison nods, “true.”

She gets lost in her thoughts for a moment, eyes unfocused beyond the screen.

“I’d like to hear more, if you’re open to talking about it.” Addison’s voice is tentative but Everly meets it with a smile.

“Of course. I’m happy to.”

Everly reflects on her time in therapy and shares more of her experiences with Addison, answering some of her questions and talking more about what it has been like for her.

After their call ends, Everly sits back in her chair and swivels around to look out the windows over the landscape, admiring the meandering river as it sparkles with sunlight. She replays their conversation with a small smile on her lips. Their connection is growing, becoming almost tangible, and that alone is enough to make any day brighter.

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