Page 5 of Unfinished

“Sienna. It took you long enough.” Her brother Theo leaned against the edge of the open door, one ankle crossed over the other as he looked her over. He’d learned that move from their mother, but it was easier to brush off when it came from him.

“What’s the hurry?” she asked as she glanced up. His eyes were the same bright shade of green as her own, but that’s where the similarities ended. His hair was a rich, chocolate brown, and his skin had the kind of olive undertone that allowed him to tan during the summers. Sienna burned like a lobster the moment she saw the sun, and she’d inherited her reddish blonde hair from their mother—and also her rather diminutive height.

“You know mom—she doesn’t like to be kept waiting.” Theo swung his leg behind him and let go of the door as he sauntered backwards through the main hallway.

“She’s the one that ordered the transport,” Sienna replied under her breath, but she followed him anyway.

“So what’s this about you and Edgar? Mom’s livid you fucked it up with him.”

Sienna almost tripped over her own feet.

“What’d you hear?” she asked, careful to keep her voice calm and disinterested.

Theo looked back over his shoulder. “Just that you messed it up, and Edgar had to put an end to things. Kathleen ran into mom at a benefit Thursday evening. I was called in for back-up today, so thanks a lot, little sis. I had other plans for my weekend than being part of your intervention.”

That tracked. Edgar’s mom had always been too involved in their relationship, although to be fair, Sienna’s mother had been just as destructive to their peace. The difference was that Sienna had limited what she shared with Lark, and had at least attempted to maintain some healthy boundaries. It was no surprise Kathleen would’ve been quick to put the blame on Sienna, and to take the chance to rub it in to her mother, too.

“Don’t stick around on my account. What were these big plans you had?” she asked as Theo paused to hold open the door to the dining room.

“I’ll tell you later. Mom’s waiting,” he told her with a wink.

Sienna stepped through and smiled lightly as she entered the room. “Hi, mom. Thanks for the transport. It was a relaxing ride out here. Is dad eating with us?”

She walked up to her mother and leaned down to give her a hug. It was polite and perfunctory, the kind of embrace you’d give a wounded bird with brittle bones, and they barely touched. What Sienna wouldn’t give to feel a strong pair of arms wrapped too tightly around her back. She’d gladly exchange a little discomfort to know that sort of exuberant affection. It’d never been the norm in her world.

“Sit, Sienna. The salad’s starting to wilt.”

She forced another smile as she walked around to the other side of the table and took the seat opposite her mother. The lettuce in the large bowl in front of her still looked perfectly crisp, but Sienna knew better than to offer her opinion. She heard the gentle rustle of fabric as her father appeared at her mother’s side and sat down. Theo used the tip of his shoe to pull back his chair and sat with a thump, letting his legs splay and his large hands rest idly on the table. He lifted a single eyebrow when their eyes met before his lips lifted in a subtle smirk. Sometimes she found it hard to believe he was actually the older sibling.

“Jeffrey, carve the pheasant please,” her mother said with a wave towards their dad before she turned her attention back to Sienna. “Why don’t you start with the salad, dear.”

She nudged the bowl closer and started to scoop up a large portion, like usual, but Sienna paused, tongs in midair, before she dropped half the romaine, and placed the smaller amount on her plate. Her mother expected her to subsist off dry lettuce alone, but she didn’t feel like playing that game anymore. Who did Lark think she needed to please? Edgar? That ship had sailed, and she wasn’t going to accomplish item five on her list by submitting to her mother’s unspoken demands.Make your own choices—don’t live for other people.

“Probably a good idea, dear.” Her mother was looking at Sienna’s plate with approval.

Sienna had the sudden urge to dump the entire bowl of roasted fingerling potatoes sitting to her left right on top of her salad, just to see what sort of face her mom might make in response. The little redirections and comments weren’t anything new. Maybe she’d grown so used to them from Edgar that she’d accepted them more readily from her mother, too, or maybe it was the other way around. She could feel sharp words bubbling up, rushing and tumbling towards her tongue, and she wasn’t sure if she was excited or terrified. She’d never gone against her family—her mother—not after a few unsuccessful attempts at rebellion in her late teens.

“Why?” she asked. If her mom wanted to tell her she needed to lose a few pounds, she was going to make her say it plainly. Sienna wasn’t going to simply accept her hints today.

Lark pursed her lips, blue eyes flashing with irritation. “I suppose there’s no use in avoiding it. We need to talk about Edgar. Maybe if you’d been following my advice he wouldn’t have left you.”

Sienna’s hand shot out for her water, and she took a deep drink before she replied. “Theo says that’s why I was invited to today’s lunch. Is it true?”

Her mother frowned, and Sienna could imagine her twisting her perfectly manicured fingers in her napkin below the table. “Well, someone had to do something! You had a good thing going with him. You’re not getting any younger, Sienna. Do you think it’ll be easy to find another man of Edgar’s caliber?”

“Did you ever stop to think that maybe I’m happy it’s over, that maybe I’m not looking for another man like Edgar?” Her words seemed to ring in the silence of the dining room. Theo’s gaze was focused on his plate, a slight upward tilt of his lips the only sign that he might’ve been on her side. Her father remained mute, but she hadn’t expected anything else from him.

“You don’t mean that. Not really.” Lark shook her head. “No, you’re just telling yourself that to feel better, but Sienna, dear, you don’t need to lie to yourself. I’ve spoken with Kathleen, and she’s told me that Edgar still wants to make it work. It’s just your insistence on children that’s the stumbling block, and really, if that’s what you wanted, you should’ve been pursuing it in your twenties. You can’t expect everything at your age. Edgar’s perfect for you. I can’t let you throw it all away because you’ve convinced yourself some imaginary man might treat you better. The truth is, your options are narrowing with every year. Just accept it, Sienna. I only want what’s best for you.”

She couldn’t laugh this time. There’d been an initial sting when Edgar had flung similar words at her in the restaurant, but when they came from her own mother, she couldn’t entirely shrug them off without feeling as if she’d taken a few hits to the chest. She knew how mothers were supposed to be, how she’d imagined being to her own children one day. Maybe that’s what cut the most—knowing how much better it could be between them, how other people simply had what seemed so elusive to Sienna—a mother who respected them. Lark’s love was real, but it always hurt to receive it.

The clatter of a fork falling against a plate made Sienna’s shoulders shudder.

“What a load of bullshit, pardon my language, mother.” Theo gave Sienna a clipped nod before he turned back to their parents. “She’s thirty-six not eighty-six, and you were the one who pressured her to focus on her career. If Sienna says she’s done with Edgar, she’s done. She’s not a child, and although I can’t say I’m surprised that you called me home for this, I expected you’d at least be a little concerned for her and how she’s feeling about everything.”

Sienna swallowed, shifting slightly in her seat. Maybe she’d misjudged her brother. The truth was, they hadn’t seen one another often over the past few years outside of holidays and the occasional forced family dinner. She’d assumed he’d simply fall in line with her mother’s agenda. It was a pleasant surprise to learn he was willing to speak up for her, even if it wouldn’t change much.

“Hush, Theo. Sienna knows I have her best interests at heart, don’t you, dear?”

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