Page 96 of Patio Lanterns

“Thanks to our neighbours,” she said, rolling her eyes.

“No, it’s thanks to you,” he said. “The Stanhopes, the Koskies… they were all talking about how you managed to rally everyone together at the eleventh hour. What did I tell you? Resourcefulness is your superpower.”

Robin met his appreciative gaze with a smile.

Dove jumped in. “And don’t forget that amazing speech you gave about Mom and Dad, and about Lake Whippoorwill not being for sale,” she added. “I mean, that was one for the ages.”

Lark broke down in tears. “I’m so sorry, Robin. I know I’ve been hard on you. And this whole thing with Rick…” she huffed with disdain, waving a hand in his general direction, “has really thrown me for a loop. But the truth is, I envy you.”

Robin could’ve been knocked over with a feather. “You envy me?”

“I hate to admit it, but even your May-December relationship is something I’m a bit envious of—other than the ridiculous age gap,” Lark scoffed as she sniffled. “But once again, you’re letting your heart lead instead of your head. I’ve always admired that about you.”

“Lark? Are you feeling okay?” Robin asked. “Maybe you should sit down.”

“You’ve never been afraid to go your own way, even if you have no idea where you’ll end up,” Lark continued. “Even if it’s sleeping in a van at a truck stop in the middle of nowhere.”

Robin shrugged. “Only on occasion.”

“I wish I could be more like that instead of needing to know exactly where I’m going, and precisely how long it’ll take to get there. Trust me, it’s not nearly as fun moving only in one straight line.”

Dove leaned on the counter and studied Lark’s face. “Okay, who are you, and what have you done with our sister?”

“Think about it,” Lark said. “As the oldest in the Pecking Order, I had the most responsibility and expectation on my shoulders. Be on your best behaviour. Get good grades. Make Mom and Dad proud. Subconsciously, I was conditioned to be confident, but cautious. Strive to achieve yet mitigate risk along the way. I expect it of myself and from others. That’s probably why I tend to come off as a bit overbearing from time to time.”

“Only from time to time?” Dove lobbed a glance over at Robin, already biting her tongue from the “bit overbearing” part.

“But Robin, you always had much more freedom than Dove and me, and you also got away with far more than we did,” Lark said.

“That’s simply not true,” Robin protested.

Dove shrugged. “Actually, Rob, it kinda is.”

Thanks a lot, Switzerland. “It’s not like I never got shit for anything. Mom and Dad read me the riot act plenty of times, including after my letter to Aidan as you both enjoy recalling rather fondly.”

Lark continued. “I’m just saying, as the youngest, you had the opportunity and the appetite for taking chances. You’ve always embraced risk.”

Robin’s eyebrows fell. “And you’ve always reminded me how foolish that is.”

“Maybe because it pisses me off that you had it figured out before I did,” she said. “Less planning and more living is how to discover what you really want.”

“You have no idea what that means,” Robin said, a ball of emotion rising in her throat. “All I ever wanted was for you to respect that this is my life, and I should get to choose the way I live it.”

Tears began to track down Lark’s cheeks. “And all I’ve been trying to do is to hold things together the way Mom would’ve wanted. But now everything’s falling apart.”

“What are you talking about?” Dove asked.

“Nothing’s falling apart, not even after the huge mess I made last night,” Robin assured Lark. “We’ll keep finding a way to work through stuff like we always have. We got you, sis.”

“And you’ve got us,” Dove said. “We’ve got each other. We’re golden.”

Lark sniffled. “What you guys don’t get is that I’ve been dealing with more than you know. More than I can handle.”

“Like what?” Dove asked.

“Philip and I have separated,” she admitted. “Maybe I was being naïve, but I really never imagined my marriage would become another statistic.”

“Whoa,” Dove exclaimed. Robin feigned shock, acting as if she too was startled by the news that Lark had finally left the asshole who put the Phil in philanderer.

---