Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 96850 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 484(@200wpm)___ 387(@250wpm)___ 323(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96850 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 484(@200wpm)___ 387(@250wpm)___ 323(@300wpm)
* * *
When Eve walked out onto the Pages’ front porch, her knees had almost buckled from the relief of knowing her sister wasn’t only alive and well, but visibly healthy. Hair in a ponytail, face free of the pinched misery that had been there the last time they were together. This was the sister who lived in Eve’s memories as a preteen, before addiction sank its claws into Ruth.
Ruth Keller was direct, a little guarded, but a good, loyal person who’d gone through those early stages of life with the same stigma as Eve. Instead of pushing everyone away and driving herself to prove something, the way Eve had, Ruth chose numbness. And then the numbness became normal until it almost killed her.
This time, she’d chosen her kids. Eve couldn’t be prouder of the willpower that must have taken. Couldn’t be prouder they shared that same stubbornness. After Ruth asked about the kids and Eve assured her sister they were happy, healthy, and full of beans, they sat in silence for a full five minutes before Ruth began to talk.
“I went through with the six-week treatment program,” said her sister now, her voice clear. Confident. They sat side by side on the front steps of the Page house, both of them looking at the ground, neither one of them comfortable with the multitude of emotions that came with this kind of reunion. “I can’t even describe what it feels like not to have that burden anymore. How clearheaded I feel, like I just broke out of a nightmare.”
“I’m glad, Ruth,” Eve whispered. “I’m so glad. Good for you. I’m proud of you.”
Her sister lifted her hand, hesitated, then reached over to hold Eve’s.
All Eve could do was stare at their clasped hands, wondering if they’d ever done that before. If so, the displays of affection must have been when she was really little, because she had no memory of them.
“Eve.”
“Yes?”
“I’m the one who is proud of you.” Ruth let that statement hang between them. “We were never very close and I regret that, but that didn’t stop you from stepping up for me at a moment’s notice. I’ll never be able to thank you enough.”
Oh god, she was going to take Lark and Landon.
Eve could see it coming.
The overwhelming wave of sorrow made her feel so guilty, but she couldn’t control it. Not now. Not with everything else going on.
“There’s a place down in North Carolina . . .” started her sister, prompting Eve to make a harsh, involuntary sound. Ruth only squeezed her hand tighter, as if she understood what her return was costing Eve. “It’s housing for single mothers like me. They help care for the kids, help women get on their feet and find a job—and there’s built-in treatment.” She blew out a breath. “I need to go, Eve. I want this. I don’t want to mess up again, and this is the best way to ensure that doesn’t happen. Best way to make sure I can be with my kids. Clean.”
Eve nodded vigorously. “I understand. I do.”
“They’re going to miss you, but we will visit. Or you’ll visit us.” Ruth used their joined hands to turn Eve’s face, so they were eye to eye. “The goal is to end up back in Cumberland. I want them to grow up near their famous aunt.”
A little jolt took place in Eve’s belly. “You saw the news.”
“I did.” Ruth studied her. “I also got your voicemail from the day you married Madden. I guess I wasn’t surprised when you admitted to loving him.” Her attention dropped to Eve’s abdomen, her scar tingling beneath the scrutiny. “You wouldn’t have sacrificed so much for him unless you did.”
It hadn’t felt like a sacrifice. More like a blessing to reach into the depths of her feelings for Madden and find an offering. To replace the words she couldn’t say out loud. “Yes. I do love him very much.”
“Do I sense a but coming?”
“No buts. Our love is just a complicated business.”
Ruth nodded, remaining quiet for a few extra beats. “Listen, Eve. You’re in the middle of something hard and I don’t want to add to it, but the timing . . . it’s just timing. I was going to take a few days to visit with the kids, make my way back to them slowly, and give you a chance to say a long goodbye.” She paused. “But I thought it might be for the best if we kept the twins out of the media limelight you’ve got on you right now. These people seem kind of aggressive. The last thing I want is to have that limelight include me. You don’t need that on top of everything else.”
If that didn’t prove they were sisters cut from the same cloth, Eve didn’t know what did. She wanted to feel resentment toward the legions of people clicking on harmful articles and the slander artists embellishing the truth, but she didn’t have the energy. Her ability to fight had all but flatlined in the relief of seeing her sister healthy. In the sadness of knowing her time with Lark and Landon was over. But she needed to make one thing clear.