my attention to my sister. She’s due to get out of rehab soon, and I’m giddy at the thought of showing her what I’ve accomplished.
I can’t wait to see the look on her face when she sees the bakery—she’s always talked about how much I should open my own shop.
I know she’ll be happy for me…
…right?
The drive over to the therapy facility dampens my spirits slightly. I drum my fingers on the steering wheel, chewing my lip as I wonder what will be waiting for me. I’ve spoken to Margot on the phone once a week, when she was allowed outside contact, but I haven’t seen her in three months.
The leaves have started to change, and I’m sure it’ll only be a few weeks until the first snow. It’s nearly October, and I can’t believe how much things have changed since that day in late May when I first met the Prince.
Now, I’m picking my sister up from an intensive therapy program.
Will she have changed?
Will she be happy?
Will she be healthy?
I park the car outside the facility and get out. A cool breeze whips around me as I walk toward the door, remind me that it’s autumn, and it’s about to get a lot colder out. I hug my arms to my chest and speed up, pushing the door and loving the relief of warmth inside the building.
Margot sits on a sofa with her hands folded on her lap, waiting. Her face breaks into a smile when she sees me. Her skin looks clear and bright, and her eyes look like her own again. Without the heavy makeup she used to wear, she looks like the sister I’ve been missing.
She’s gained some weight, and she looks good. Healthy.
Tears fall from my eyes as I wrap Margot in a tight hug.
“It’s good to see you,” I say, staring into her eyes.
My sister smiles, nodding. “You too, Ivy. I’ve missed you.” There are lines around her eyes and she looks wearier than she used to, but her gaze is clear.
“I have a surprise for you,” I say. “But it’s not urgent. If you want to go straight home, we can do that and leave the surprise until tomorrow.”
“You know the curiosity would kill me.” She laughs the musical sort of way she used to, before there were always cameras stuck in her face. Before she became closed off and anxious all the time.
I thread my fingers through hers and bring her outside, but the flash of a camera makes my heart sink.
“Don’t you have any fucking decency?” I shout at the paparazzi hiding in the bushes. “For fuck’s sake.”
Dragging my sister to the car, I get in as quickly as possible and drive off.
“They’re animals, those reporters,” I grunt, staring in the rear-view mirror.
“Just part of the price you pay for fame,” my sister says with a sad smile on her face. “I signed up for this. I’m sorry to put you through it, too.”
I shake my head. “I owe you a lot, Margot. More than I could ever say.”
Squeezing my sister’s hand, my heart feels at ease. With Margot back, it feels like my life is complete. Now, we can go back to normal. We can both live our lives to the fullest, and we can both be happy. Maybe Margot will help out at the bakery, or maybe it’ll become a new hub for us to hang out.
Excitement and nervousness war in my chest as I drive toward the bakery.
When I park the car in downtown Farcliff, I glance at my sister. “You ready?”
She grins. “I’m not sure.”
Nodding toward the main shopping street, I exit the car and hook my arm in hers. We walk slowly, and a hum of excitement builds in the pit of my stomach. It’s early afternoon, so the bakery won’t be jammed with people. Still, as we walk up, I can see a steady stream of people walking in and out.
I nudge my sister, unable to contain my excitement. “Look,” I say, pointing.
She frowns, tilting her head. “What am I looking at? A bakery?”
“Not just a bakery, Margot. My bakery. Don’t you remember Spoonful of Sugar? You came up with the name!”
Shock paints itself on my sister’s face, and after a long couple of seconds, she rearranges her features into a smile. “Wow!”
It sounds fake. My heart starts to thump.
“You’re not happy about this.” I shouldn’t have brought her here. It’s too much of a shock. She just needs normalcy, not a brand-new business for