Page 14 of The Sound Of Silence

I’m knee deep in all the feels today.

Chris takes me through the birth, in great detail, and by the time he hangs up, I’m walking up the front steps to my home.

Key in the lock, I’m just about to open up when a comforting voice has me spinning instantly and racing back down to the sidewalk.

“Pip!” I yell as thick emotion clogs my throat and tears spring to my eyes.

My beautiful sister is home. The only one of us to sprout wings and escape small-town life.

“Careful. I have a sensitive stomach,” she says as I come to a stop in front of her, hesitating before pulling her in for a hug. She may be sick, but she still looks as perfect as I remember her.

After wrapping her arms around me, Pippa squeezes tightly, despite her warning, and it gives me so much comfort.

“God, I’ve missed you so much,” she whispers, as I step back, holding her at arm’s length, needing to see how much she’s changed.

“The feeling’s mutual. How are you? Other than the unfortunate food poisoning.”

“How do you know it’s food poisoning? Maybe it’s something grossly contagious.” She laughs at her own joke while her eyes curiously mimic mine, most likely forming her own assessment of how I appear.

“I have my sources.”

“Small towns,” she says with a shrug and she’s not wrong. Even if Jesse hadn’t told me, I also heard it from MomandMom’s next-door neighbor.

We stare at each other for a beat before Pip pulls me in close and kisses my head, making tears prick my eyes again. “It’s so good to see you.”

We were always close growing up, but over the last decade we’ve seen each other less and less. I’ve often considered listening to her words of advice and moving closer to her, but I wouldn’t even know how to start over. My life here is simple, and I couldn’t imagine trying to fit in somewhere new.

No matter how badly I want to.

After one last hug, I step back, dropping my hands from Pippa’s arms while mentally noting she really hasn’t changed that much. And I can guarantee I haven’t.

It’s funny how different we are considering we share the same parents. Where Pippa’s all legs with a model-like figure, I have a sportier build—thicker thighs, more muscular—my addiction to fitness being the main contributing factor in that. When I run or work out, I’m able to still my mind, completely immersing myself in the exercise. When I need to switch off, it’s the only thing that works.Most of the time.

As Pippa brushes her long, platinum-blonde hair away from her face, I’m drawn to the other difference between us—she inherited my mother’s thin wispy hair, while I have our grandmother’s thick mess. It’s not beyond taming, but it takes effort, and I usually have no reason to put in the time.

Honestly, if you didn’t know us, you’d have no idea we’re related.

“You look tired, Willow. What’s that about?” Pippa asks as she brushesmyhair away from my eyes.

“Lucia had a baby today. I’ve spent most of the day running both shops.”And I barely slept last night after my first run-in with your boyfriend.

Pip’s eyes widen and she smiles. “No shit… they finally got their kid.”

I wouldn’t exactly put it that way but… “They did. And I couldn’t be happier for them.”

“Willow, Willow. Always such a sweet soul.”

I hold back an eye roll and instead huff out a laugh at how wrong she is. It's strange to think that my sister’s boyfriend seems to know more about the real me after only knowing me for five minutes.

“That’s me,” I say with my signature grin. “Always pure honey.”

Pippa laughs and curls her arm around my shoulder, leading us up the stairs toward my house. “I’ve got so much to tell you, Wil. How about catching up?”

“I take it you don’t want food?” I say, holding the door open for her to enter.

Squeezing my arm as she walks past, Pip shakes her head almost violently. “You are correct. But I wouldn’t say no to water.”

We spend the next hour filling each other in on the past few months—which takes Pippa much longer than it does me. She tells me about the events she’s been to, the ideas she’s pitched, the people she’s met, but she never once mentions Jesse. Which is odd considering Mom gushed about them being in love, but not odd when I consider it’s Pippa. I'm still shocked shehasa boyfriend.

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