Page 76 of Make Room for Love

Isabel ran her hand over her face. The prospect of it scared her as much as everything else Mira wanted from her. “Grace might not forgive me.”

“No, you can’t make her.” Mira gave her a pointed look. “That’s not what I’m asking. I think you have more to say to her, and she probably has more to say to you.”

Maybe Isabel did have more to say. Not just to apologize, not just to blame herself for all the pain in her family over the lasttwo years, but to actually talk to her sister and lay herself open. “I know,” Isabel said. “I know. I’m just scared.”

Mira squeezed her hand. “Why don’t you tell me what you’re so afraid of? Since we’re going to be here for a while.”

34

The election had started.For months, Isabel had looked forward to doing whatever she could today to support Mira. Instead, she’d needed Mira’s help to get dressed, and she was about to spend the rest of this momentous day sitting on the couch.

“Text me if you need anything,” Mira had said sternly. “Seriously. Don’t be a hero.”

It was only nine in the morning. Isabel had to get through the whole day without going anywhere except the fridge, microwave, and bathroom, and then she had to endure at least several more days of the same. If she was well-behaved, she might be allowed outside next week. The cast wouldn’t come off for another two months. And yesterday, she’d thought that two weeks was a long time. “Sitting and reading isn’t doing nothing,” Mira had said, mock-offended. But Isabel had felt too chastened to joke around.

Mira had asked a few basic things of her. If Isabel couldn’t even do those, she might as well pack it up.

One thing at a time. She picked up her phone and laboriously texted Cat with one hand:I need your advice on Grace. And some other things.

Cat was in LA for her West Coast debut, so Isabel didn’t expect a quick reply. But the dots popped up indicating Cat was typing back.I’m free if you want to call now!

Isabel started a video call. Cat picked up, still in a black mesh top she’d probably worn to the club. “Hey, what’s up?” she said, very loudly.

Isabel winced. “Hey. Why are you still up?” She knew perfectly well that Cat hadn’t woken up before six in the morning on this calendar day.

“I just got back after my set. It was great. Really good vibes. What’s going on?”

Just the thought of all that gave Isabel a headache. “Shouldn’t you be sleeping?”

“I always get really wired for, like, two or three hours after my set ends. I’m at my friends’ place. They’re still out. So why’d you call me? This is about Grace, right? Wait, what’s that thing on your arm?”

“I broke my wrist. I’ll tell you about it later. How much did you hear from her?”

“Uh…okay. I think I heard all of it.” Cat’s tone was unexpectedly serious. “You know, she told me she feels terrible about how your fight ended.”

“It’s fine,” Isabel said, out of habit.

“Doesn’t sound like it. Although, to be honest, you know she had a point.”

“About what?”

“You do kind of treat her like a baby. I’m not saying she couldn’t have done a better job of telling you. But Grace does have her own life now. She likes her job, and she and Kevin are doing well. You can see why she thinks you look down on her.” Cat paused. “I knew what she was saying because you do it to me a little bit, too, honestly. I know you don’t think I have a real job?—”

“Come on. I don’t think that.”

“Yes, you do. It’s fine. We can’t all be big, tough blue-collar workers like you.” This was a recurring topic for shit-talking. But it actually bothered Cat, and Isabel hadn’t seen that before. “I do like what I do, even if I have to crash on my friends’ couches and work shitty day jobs. I feel like sometimes you don’t take me that seriously, or like I need to grow out of it, or something.”

Isabel let her head thump against the back of the couch cushion. She hadn’t been ready for this many wake-up calls in a twenty-four-hour period. “Sorry. I really?—”

“It’s okay. This isn’t about me. I didn’t mean to get into it.”

“No, I’m glad you said it.” There was something she needed to tell Cat, something she never would have thought to say a year ago. Isabel was going to make a mess of it, but she needed to try. “I need to say something.”

“Yeah?”

“I want to say… Thanks for checking up on me all this time. These last two years. It’s been hard. Sorry I spent all that time telling you I didn’t want to talk or that I’m fine, brushing you off, all that bullshit.” Isabel’s face burned. She wasn’t good at this. “I don’t know what I would have done without you. Seriously. So, uh, thanks again for that.”

Cat wasn’t very much like James, her overachieving brother, but she was just as loyal and kind. And she knew a thing or two about living in her older sibling’s shadow. Isabel had never tried to open up and talk about what they had in common. She’d wasted so much time.

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