Page 34 of Persephone's Curse
“I never really considered…”
“That this would affect the rest of her life? That Evelyn would sacrifice everything just so she could stay in the attic of our brownstone forever?”
“I guess… no. No. I did not consider that.”
“I’m worried about her, Bernie,” I said. “She’s not acting like herself. She’s acting so strange and heartbroken andlost.”
“I didn’t realize, I thought it was just…”
“A phase?”
“No, you’re right… Evelyn doesn’t go throughphases.”
“So what do we do?”
“Whatcanwe do?”
“Can we do anything?”
“I’ll think about it,” Bernadette said. “I guess I have to think about it…”
“Are you feeling like…”
“A horrible sister?”
“Me, too.”
“We’re not, though,” Bernie insisted. “At least, I don’t think we are. This is just… a weird situation. Who could have predicted this?”
“Clara, maybe.”
“But she didn’t.”
“She didn’t.”
“Fuck.”
“Indeed.”
For a moment we were quiet. I closed my eyes and let the sounds of the café block out any other thoughts. A man with an unnecessarily loud voice ordered a dirty chai latte. A woman sneezed. A baby whined. A table full of young girls giggled to themselves. The old-fashioned register made a satisfyingclink. The world went on around us. Wasn’t it weird how everything didn’t just stop when you wanted it to? Just give me abreak,for the love of—
“Are you almost done?” Bernadette said, reaching over and nudging my hand. “Let’s go shopping. It’s too hot in here. I’m going to claw my own skin off.”
“Yeah,” I said, and finished the rest of my hot chocolate in one long sip. “Ditto.”
We walked to Bernadette’s new favorite vintage store, a sprawling space that stretched back and back and back, going on forever, an entire wall just filled with different pairs of jeans.
I saw a gray tweed skirt and thought of Evelyn. Evelyn who stillhadn’t texted me back. Evelyn who hated me right now. Evelyn who was miserable and sad and in love.
I hated fighting with my sisters, especially the long, silent fights, the fights that felt like an empty chasm had grown up between us.
I pulled out my phone and texted her.
I miss you
Part of me wanted to say something ruder, something likestop being a little baby; you would have gone in my place in a heartbeat. But rudeness never worked with Evelyn.
I stared at the screen for a moment but she didn’t type back, so I put my phone in my pocket again.
