Page 107 of The Sisters at the Last House Before the Sea

‘Of course you can. Try to get some sleep.’ Caitlin pulled herself fully into the chair that was still warm from Maisie’s body. ‘I think I’ll sit here for a while and calm down.’

Maisie sloped out of the conservatory but quickly doubled back. ‘I love you too, Caitlin,’ she said. Then, she was gone.

41

ISLA

The snow had melted away. Jessie’s garden had reappeared from beneath its white blanket and tiny green shoots were peeping from the earth, beneath the bay window. Were they early snowdrops? Isla wondered, peering through the glass. Her gran had always loved them for brightening up winter and heralding a new beginning.

So much had changed in the few weeks since her grandmother had died. There were so many new beginnings and endings for Isla to navigate as this difficult year drew to a close and a new one beckoned.

She and Paul were no longer together, which was for the best but still hurt like hell. Her relationship with Caitlin had become even more complicated, with her sister’s confession about her troublesome life, swiftly followed by their bitter argument. And then there was Ben with the smiling eyes and the adventurous soul who had invited her to leave Heaven’s Cove with him. If only she were brave enough.

She turned from the window when Caitlin came into the room and flopped onto the sofa.

‘Is everything all right?’ she asked. ‘There’s been a lot happening this morning.’

First, Sean had called in unexpectedly and disappeared with Caitlin, and then there had been what sounded like wailing from Maisie. Isla had thought it best to keep out of the way, whatever was going on.

‘Maisie just told me that she loved me,’ said Caitlin, astonishment lighting up her face.

Isla’s resolve to be distant with her sister, after last night’s shouting match, disappeared in an instant as she took in Caitlin’s shining eyes.

‘Of course she does, you idiot. That’s been obvious to everyone, except you and her. Is Maisie OK? She sounded upset.’

‘There’s been some trouble with a girl putting videos on TikTok but I’ve got her mother’s phone number from a mutual friend. She’s not picking up at the moment but I’ll be trying again later and getting her to sort out her daughter.’

‘Caitlin to the rescue?’

Her sister shrugged. ‘You stand up for the people you love. Talking of which, I’m sorry about yesterday and what I said about Paul. I shouldn’t have interfered in your life when I’ve not been a proper part of it for so long.’

‘Maybe not, but, like I said, you were right about Paul spilling curry down Mum’s dress on purpose.’

‘How do you know?’

‘He admitted it when I confronted him. According to him, the dress was too revealing so he did it for my own good.’

‘What an absolute—’ Caitlin pressed her lips together and began to massage her brow with the heels of her hands. ‘Sorry. I know he meant a lot to you, Isla, but that is unforgivable.’

‘I know. I can hardly believe it myself.’ Isla paused, frightened to ask her next question but needing an answer before she could move on to whatever her new beginning might be. ‘Do you think I’m a screw-up who can’t cope with life, Cait? Paul told me that I’m fragile.’

Caitlin got up from the sofa, crossed the room and held tightly onto Isla’s hands.

‘It suited him to say that, to make you more dependent on him,’ she told her sister, their faces close. ‘But of course you’re not fragile, Isla. You’re tough and resilient. You survived Dad leaving when you were small, and Mum’s death, and moving to a whole new life in Heaven’s Cove and—’ Caitlin’s voice broke. ‘—and you survived being abandoned by your sister. You looked after Gran, and I know how hard it is to be a carer. The truth is you’re one of the strongest people I know, little sis. You’re stronger than me, and if you want to see a screw-up…’ She let go of Isla’s hands and pointed at herself. ‘…here you go.’

‘You’re no screw-up and you are way stronger than me. You made a whole new life for yourself away from here.’

‘Yeah, and look how that’s turned out.’

‘It’s just a blip. You’ll go back to London and make a brilliant new life for you and Maisie.’

‘Yeah, about that…’ Caitlin bit her lip. ‘I’ve got something to run by you. A kind of new beginning for all of us. How would you feel about me and Maisie perhaps staying on in Heaven’s Cove for a while? Maisie hates her school so could start a new one here and I could look for a local job and somewhere to rent so we wouldn’t invade your peace for too long and—’

Isla didn’t give Caitlin a chance to finish. She threw her arms around her sister and hugged her tightly. ‘You can both stay at Rose Cottage for as long as you like.’ She glanced over Caitlin’s shoulder at the clock on the mantelpiece, her sister’s words about her strength and resilience still ringing in her ears. ‘But my new beginning might be very different from yours.’

42

ISLA

---