Abbi snorts in disbelief. “And then you moved here. To dance.”
A sly smile graces my lips. “That went down about as well as an uncontrolled demolition. I started dancing when I was four, and both my parents put it down to me simply copying my eldest sister, so they left me to it. Needless to say, they weren’t happy when I was still dancing at twelve while my eight year old brother was banging in the goals for a local kids football team.”
“Foot – oh, soccer. Never mind.” Abbi smiles. “Did they help you move here?”
Now it’s my turn to snort. “No. They didn’t help – at all. I walked straight into an apprenticeship when I left school and saved almost every penny since. I paid for it all myself. I’ve spoken to my mum once since I landed, my brother twice, and I haven’t spoken to my father and sisters at all.”
“Wow. I couldn’t imagine not speaking to my parents for that long.”
I shrug, turning to the chopping board and grabbing a courgette. “It’s just how it is. My family isn’t exactly tight-knit. In fact, the only reason I spoke to my mum was because she’s coming here next week to close a deal to do with her shoes.”
“Well, that’s good. You’ll spend some time together, right?”
“If one meal the night she arrives counts as spending time together. Apparently that’s the only time she can “fit me in” – and even then she wasn’t happy I wouldn’t miss dance to see her.”
Abbi’s silent as I finish preparing the rest of the things for dinner, and I can feel her eyes on my back. I spin round to face her.
“I guess it’s true what they say,” she says softly. “Money really doesn’t buy you happiness.”
“I’m not gonna lie. It made me happy as a kid – I mean, who wouldn’t want the coolest trainers and the newest toys? Then I grew up and those things stopped making me happy. They were just that – things. I realized while money could buy me everything I needed, it wouldn’t get me anything I wanted because I just wanted real happiness. The things that give you real happiness are priceless.”
Her eyes linger on mine for a long second.
“So…” I break the silence. “This won’t be ready for a while. Do you want to start on the dance while I clear up?”
“I can help-”
“No, you’re a guest. I’ll do this.”
“Okay. In the front room?”
“Comfy sofa or wooden chair. Your choice.”
“Yeah… The sofa works great.” She smiles and stands, heading towards the front room. She pauses by my bookcase and touches a finger to a frame there. “She’s pretty. Who is it?”
“My sister, Tori.”
“I thought you had five brothers and sisters? Why is there just a picture of her?” She sighs. “I’m sorry. That was kinda nosy, huh?”
I glance over at her and smile sadly. “There’s a picture of me and the others on the windowsill, but I was closest to Tori.”
“Was?” She goes silent for a long moment, and her lips part when she realizes what I mean. “Oh. You mean…”
“She died nine years ago.” I put the chopping board down on the counter and look out of the kitchen window. Footsteps sound as Abbi crosses the kitchen floor, and her hand touches my lower back softly, her head resting against my arm.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked,” she says quietly.
I shake my head. “You didn’t know. I don’t talk about her much. It’s hard.”
She nods. “I get that. Kinda. I remember when Maddie’s mom was killed – she couldn’t talk about it for months. Even I struggled for a few weeks. I know it’s not the same, but yeah. For what it’s worth, I think Tori would be proud of you.”
I don’t tell her how much her words mean to me. To tell her that would be to tell her everything about my family and my sister. And that day. I’d have to relive that day.
Instead, I nod, then turn my head and rest it atop of hers for a few seconds. She doesn’t freeze or tense up at that simple touch like she has so many times before without realizing it. Her face turns into my arm and her arm rubs a slow circle on my back. Then she takes a deep breath and steps back from me, walking to and sitting on the sofa.
I want to turn around. I want to turn around, take her in my arms and breathe her in while I let the pain of remembering my sister leave me. But that would be too much for her. So even though it kills me a little to leave her there on the other side of the room, alone, I do. I go back to clearing away the dirty dishes, and I leave her to the choreographing.
~
“Tori, why are you bleeding?” I’d only walked into her room because Mum was getting annoyed that she wasn’t ready for dinner. “Do you need a bandage?”
My sister tore some tissues out of the box on her bedside table and put them on the cut on her arm. “No, Blake. I don’t – it was an accident.” She pointed to the newspaper clippings all over her floor. “I’m doing my coursework for art and dropped the scissors. I sharpened the blades earlier, and they hit my arm.”
“Oh. Does it hurt?” I tried to peer round at her arm, but she grabbed some more tissues and pulled her sleeve over it, keeping the tissues in place.
“No. No, it doesn’t hurt. At all.”
“Good. Mum wants you to come down for dinner.”
“I’ll just be a minute, okay?” She smiled.
“’Kay, Tori.” I smiled back at her and turned around.
“Uh, Blake?”
“Yeah?” I glanced over my shoulder.
“Don’t… Er, don’t tell Mum about my arm, alright? You know how clumsy I am. She’ll just worry and give me Laura’s toddler scissors or something.”
“I won’t. Just like when you cut your leg at hockey last week, right?”
“Right,” Tori replied in a sad voice, her green eyes wide as they found mine. “Just like last week.”
Chapter Thirteen – Abbi
“I didn’t know you could drive.”
I glance over at Blake, amused. “You sound shocked.”
“I am. A little.” He looks out the window. “And I still have no bloody idea where you’re taking me or why I agreed to come.”
“Just… It’ll be worth it. I promise.”
“Let me guess – it’s one of your favorite places.”