Page 286 of Accidentally Under Your Tree

"Cookie?" She held the plate directly under my nose. As if I could have said no.

I peeked down the hall around her shoulder. "How do you feel about grabbing a glass of milk?"

"Thermos under my arm."

I moved to make room for her to enter. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Her eyes swept over the periwinkle walls and bedroom furniture I'd chosen in high school. Including my desk with my color coded sticky notes and pens. "So, your taste is the same."

I rolled my eyes. "I'm here temporarily."

"I guess I could have a time capsule room if I'd stayed closer to home too."

"Would you want one?" The cookie was still warm when I picked it up off the plate. The chocolate dripped in my mouth.

"No."

"Me either."

She snorted. "Then why are you here?"

"Do you know these people don't charge rent? They make me call them Mom and Dad, but free-living, are you kidding me?"

It was so good to make her laugh. It had been a weird week of emotional ups and downs. But in all of that,thishad happened. My heart was more broken than it should have been. Yet my sister was bringing me cookies and laughing at my jokes. Ups and downs.

"That sounds pretty good." She picked up a snickerdoodle and held out her hand for me to pass the thermos of milk. "How long do you think you'll live here?"

"I'm not sure. My business is doing okay, actually."

"That's outstanding!" She beamed at me with crumbs at the corners of her mouth. "I was so impressed when I heard you were doing this. It takes guts."

"It was a big change."

"I wasn't disappointed to hear your ex wouldn't be around."

"I always wondered if you hated him."

"Kinda. He just never seemed to realize how cool you are."

"You think I'm cool?"

"The coolest." She nodded to the floor. Neither of us could look at one another with so much subtext. I was about to change the subject when she blurted, "I'm sorry."

My jaw slackened. "What?"

"For…the past eight years—"

"That wasn't just you," I said, but she kept going.

"—for not telling you I was thinking of schools out of state. For making you out to be a…loser." She turned her head, looking right into my eyes. "You're not. I was so angry and jealous of anyone who got to hang out with you. And I took it out on you. I'm really sorry."

The tender wounds of my heart were a little less painful under the salve of her words. "I'm sorry too. I wish I had been less selfish and more understanding. I get it now, how you needed to grow without me."

She made ahmmsound. "I don't want to grow alone anymore."

It felt corny to wrap my arms around her shoulders. To lean into her hug for the healing nature of it. I gave her support just as much as I received hers.

Pulling away, we both wiped fingertips under our eyes and laughed.

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