“Are you two going to become emotionally healthy right in front of me?”
“Probably,” Andrew said. “You can move out if it’s unbearable.”
“I won’t hide behind ‘she’s your sister.'”
She threw a dish towel at him.
***
The next morning, I heard the shower before seven.
Andrew was drinking coffee when footsteps came down the stairs.
He glanced at me.
I glanced back.
Kayla entered wearing the ancient blue robe from our linen closet.
Kayla entered wearing the ancient blue robe.
It had faded ducks across the pockets and one sleeve slightly shorter than the other.
She went straight to the coffee maker.
Andrew said nothing.
Neither did I.
Kayla reached toward the bag of coffee beans Andrew ordered online.
“Can I use these?”
Andrew said nothing.
Andrew looked over the top of his mug.
“Yeah.”
“Thanks.”
That was it.
No announcement.
No apology tour.
Just a question she’d never thought she needed to ask before.
That was it.
Then Kayla opened the high cabinet.
The filters were on the top shelf.
She stretched.
Missed.
Andrew started to stand.
Kayla pointed at him.
“Sit.”
He sat.
Andrew started to stand.
She dragged over a kitchen chair, climbed one step, and grabbed the filters herself.
When she stepped down, she caught me smiling.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
She caught me smiling.
Kayla looked at the robe, the chair, then the filters in her hand.
“See?” She nudged the chair back into place. “Back on my feet.”
This time, all three of us laughed.
“Back on my feet.”
