Shut Up and Talk

Epilogue

For the first time since my parents died, the Barones were having Christmas dinner together. Ian's idea, of course. We'd all gathered around Laura's dining room table and feasted. I was reluctant at first, worried that we couldn't pull off a family Christmas, but Ian had persuaded me. I'd buried the hatchet with Nick, now it was time to extend the olive branch to Laura. If Ian thought this would happen overnight, he was nuts. Baby steps.

I helped Laura with the dishes while everyone else listened to Ian's stories from the paddock. She washed and I dried.

"You seem happy," she said.

"I am."

"Do you really have anything in common with him?"

Good 'ol Laura, trampling on my dreams. I was about to walk out on her, grab Ian and leave, but I stopped myself. "Why do you have to say it like that?"

"Like what?" She was genuinely perplexed. How out of touch was she?

"Your tone is condescending, like I'm making a huge mistake. I'm not."

Laura shook her head. "I'm not condescending."

I let out a chortle. "You're serious? Add oblivious to condescending."

Laura blinked a few times. "I'm concerned about you, despite what you think. I'm just asking questions, that's all."

"You should really find a new way to ask your questions. You have no idea how you come off."

"Maybe you are too sensitive," she deduced.

I laughed. Laura's face curdled which made me laugh more. I composed myself and told her to sit with me at her kitchen table. "Laura, don't take this the wrong way, but you're a bitch."

Her eyes opened wide.

"I mean it as a compliment."

"It doesn't sound like one!"

"Let's make a deal. I'll try to be less sensitive and you try to be less condescending. I think it's a fair trade."

"I'm not–"

"You are!"

"God, we really don't communicate!"

"Tell me about it."

"And since we're being so honest, I expect to hear from your more often. And if I have to be less of a bitch, so do you."

"Agreed. Let's consider ourselves both works in progress."

A mischievous expression set on Laura's face. "So, do you love him?"

"I do. He makes me happy, but I'm scared. I'd be crazy to think there won't be challenges for us. He's my partner in every way and I'm not sure what I'd do if I ever lost him. I may have pushed aside my feelings for him at first, but I've never felt so connected to a man before."

Laura started to cry, but there was still a smile on her face. I was confused. She hugged me again and brought her hands to my cheeks. "You haven't opened up to me in a long time"

"I didn't feel like I could."

"I don't ever want you to feel that way again. I wish we were closer and I want that for us. You're my little sister and I love you, so here's some advice from your big sister. You love him, but you hate the way he lives his life. I would too. You're afraid he'll screw around on you, but most of all, you're afraid it'll end as badly as it did with Ben. Well, you need to take some risks in life and if you love Ian the way I think you do, then don't let him go. He's a good man. You can trust him."

I was taken aback. "I never thought I'd hear you say that about him."

"That first time he came to visit, we talked about a lot of things. He told me about his brother and how hard the accident had been on his family. He told me you were harbouring anger about losing Mom and Dad and that by going to Italy you were running away. He was forthright and honest. I couldn't believe this was the same man I'd been reading about, and believe me, I read up on him.

"That conversation gave me a lot to think about and I came away liking him, maybe even feeling sorry for him. I knew he needed someone like you in his life and you needed him in yours. That's your problem, Leda, you've never felt needed. It doesn't mean you weren't. You have that with him and you complement each other."

"I can't see life without him but I didn't envision it this way."

Laura got up and put on a pot of coffee. She pulled out two mugs and handed one to me. "How is it supposed to be?" she asked.

"I envisioned myself with another lawyer, not a roving playboy who's slept with at least one woman in every country."

"He's quite international. I'm sure you'll put an end to that. If you ask me, I think he's been looking for someone to settle down with for a long time. He loves you, don't question that."

I smiled. "Thanks, Laura. For listening."

"What about a family? Do you think he'd be a good dad?" she asked.

"I do, but I think you're getting ahead of yourself."

"I'm just throwing it out there. And I think you'll make a great mom some day."

For once hanging out with my sister didn't feel foreign or fake. Laura and I spent the next hour talking and catching up on three years.

"I have something for you," she said. "Greg and I were cleaning out the basement this past summer and I came across something I know Mom wanted you to have. I'm sorry, Leda, but I forgot all about it. Let me go get it."

I waited. I felt renewed. Although my relationship with Laura wasn't perfect, I knew it would only get better. As for Ian, I knew what I wanted, but I was terrified.

"Here it is," Laura said, returning from the basement. The item was in a small cardboard box. She handed it to me and I opened it, wondering what Mom had left me and what had been mysteriously discarded. I gasped when I saw the jewellery box. Everything became clear. Mom had been with me all along showing me the way. She was my divine guidance.

-END-

Thank you for reading! For those of you who have asked, I don't plan on doing a sequel.