Sea Glass (WAYHAUGHT)

So Paris

Wynonna returned her attention to the list of destinations. She seemed lost as puffy eyes trailed over each location, Waverly spotting the longing in them.

"If you had to pick one place," Waverly offered, "where would you go first?"

Wynonna shrugged. "Doesn't make much difference. There's no way I'm ever going to put one foot in any of them."

"That's not what I asked," Waverly replied, hoping to deflect her sister from the 'Nicole' question. "Where would be top on your list?"

Her sister fixed her gaze on the locations, as though imagining what each might be like. "Fine," she said, eventually, "I'd probably pick Paris."

Waverly placed a tick beside the city. "Okay, good choice. Out of interest, why not New York, or Rome, or say Sydney?"

"I don't know," Wynonna snapped. "It's pointless even thinking about it."

Waverly heard the resignation return to her sister's voice. When had Wynonna given up on her dreams? When had she decided a soulless life, one limited to Mevagissey was all she had?

"Wyn, I'm simply trying to figure out what will make you happy."

Wynonna glared at her sister. "And, then what? I go to Paris, sip red wine at a small table outside a fancy café, while I watch the world go by. What happens to Alice? Or here. Who looks after this place?"

Waverly made a mental note. "Okay, so red wine in a café. What else?"

"Did you hear me, Alice, the pub. Hello. If I buggered off to Paris to drink wine on my own that would really go down well with everyone."

"Wyn," Waverly barked. "This is simply an ideas exercise. You've been stuck in that head of yours, thinking this is all you have. Until you start thinking of ways to make this work for you, we're going to go round in circles, okay."

"Why is everyone suddenly a friggin' expert on what I need?" Wynonna barked back. "I can't swan off to sodding Paris even if I won the lottery. I have responsibilities."

"I'm sorry," Waverly said, forcing herself to remain calm, even though she wanted to shake her sister. "You're right, Alice needs you. It was a stupid exercise anyway."

A brooding silence fell between them. In her heart, Waverly sensed Wynonna wanted to see every single one of the locations they'd listed, except her sister had convinced herself there was no way she would ever get an opportunity. She could imagine Wynonna shopping in Paris, or gambling in Las Vegas, or camel riding in Cairo, or temple visiting in Tokyo, the smile back on her sister's face as she got to do what she had been wanting to do for a long, long time.

"Why didn't you come see me?" Waverly said, hoping to reach her sister. "In London. Or, college. You could have."

"I couldn't," Wynonna replied.

"Mum would have looked after Alice. And dad was here for the pub."

"It's easy for you," she replied. "Coming and going. I had to keep things running here."

It was no use, Wynonna was not for budging on this matter. Waverly sneaked a quick peek at her phone. "Wyn, I just need to go check on something."

Her sister looked up as Waverly rose from the seat. "Say hi to Joe for me. Glad someone's getting laid around here."

"Yep...so, about that," Waverly began. "I'm kinda..."

Wynonna held up one hand. "So do not want to hear the ins and outs of what you're getting up to."