Page 59 of Trouble Walked In

“She’s at least thinking again, instead of just reacting. It’s progress. The thing is, it’s hard to help her solve her problem when she won’t admit she has one. She says she doesn’t know what’s wrong.” He opened another box and went to work on the next string of lights.

“She told me the same thing.” She bit her lip. “Maybe she really doesn’t know.”

“Oh, I think she does. But for whatever reason, she won’t say it out loud.”

She’d been thinking about it a lot over the past few days. Carrie was right. Della had arrived tired and sad, and though her sister faked happiness during the day when other people were around, at night she stared out the window or at the family pictures on the wall without a trace of a smile.

“I have a theory.”

“Any theory is a good one at this point.” Renic finished the light string, sat down on the landing, and patted the stone next to him. “And if anyone would know, it’s you.”

Lizzie sat, appreciating the chance to get off her feet. It was getting colder, and she was grateful for the blankets in her arms, but the binder was clunky and hard to balance, and it slid off as she sat.

Renic caught it. “Woah, wouldn’t want to lose that. Pretty sure your entire life would implode.”

Her lips twitched. “Not myentirelife.”

“So what’s your theory?”

She thought through her words before she said them. “I think she misses us. The collective us. She talks to me pretty often, but she only calls Mattie once or twice a year. She and Piper haven’t said a word to each other since the breakup. They text insults back and forth, but they don't talk.”

Renic looked thoughtful. “I knew it was rough. Every time I asked about either one of them Della would change the subject or hang up or leave the room. But you really think that’s why she ran?”

Lizzie nodded. The more she worked through it out loud, the more convinced she was that she was right. “Every night since she got here she stares at the picture of the three of them on stage together when they were kids. I think she misses Dad a lot, but more than that I think she misses what they had together.”

She glanced sideways at Renic. He was the one who had talked them into breaking up in the first place, but the anger and pain that used to flare up whenever she thought about it were reduced to resignation. It was done, and there was no way to go back and do it over.

He kept his gaze toward the lake. “Still blame me?”

She studied the lake alongside him in silence, trying to sift through all of the feelings she had for him, old and new. It was a mixed bag of irritation, frustration, happiness, and arousal. All of it together made her feel more alive than she had in years. “Maybe a little. I mean, you were there. You were part of the decision. But…”

“But?” He glanced at her.

It was her turn to keep her gaze firmly on the lake, because looking at him directly right now would derail what she wanted to say. “Della’s young, but she’s not exactly a pushover. She’s got my mom’s stubborn gene. Her joy for life, her willingness to chase after dreams, and her unwillingness tocompromise them for anyone wouldn’t be possible without a backbone of steel. So I doubt she would have gone along with the idea of going solo if it wasn’t what she wanted. ” She shivered. Sitting on the cold rock was freezing her behind. “Maybe it hasn’t worked out the way she thought it would.”

Renic said. “Makes sense. Success doesn’t mean much if there’s nobody to share it with.”

“She has friends, but…” Lizzie shrugged. “Far as I can tell, nobody as close as Piper used to be. I think Piper misses her too, but she’s too proud to admit it.”

“So Della wasn’t the only one to inherit a stubborn streak.” Renic smiled.

Lizzie chuckled, then quickly sobered. “I tried calling Piper when Della first showed up here, but she wouldn’t take my call. Said she’d call me back. That was three days ago now. The last text I got from her asked if the spoiled brat was still ruining the vines, which is her way of asking how Della is these days without admitting she’s asking.”

“You should try again. Piper might just be distracted. She has a few things circling right now.”

“Really? Like what?”

He raised his hands. “Ask her. It's not my news to tell, and she'd kick my ass if I spoiled it.”

“She’s been so secretive, now I'm doubly curious. When this wedding is over I’ll get her to spill it." Lizzie shivered again, but whether it was from the cold or the topic, she didn’t know. She stood up and shook out her legs. “It’s freezing sitting here. I’m going to drop off these blankets and then go sit in front of the fire for a bit.”

Renic handed the binder to her and picked up the last three boxes of lights. “Almost done. Hang on a second and I’ll join you.”

She stayed with him as he wrapped the next two strings oflights around the railing. By the time he finished those, the sun had set and twilight faded into full night.

Renic opened the last box of lights. “This should do it.”

“Is that it?” She frowned and tried to do the mental math of how many lights they’d bought in relation to how many they’d put up around the patio. “We haven’t done the Point yet. I was hoping to cover the whole thing. Maybe we should take some off the railing so we can spread them around the edge of the deck.”

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