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Chapter One

Sadie

“You don’t have to keep saying sorry,” I say, holding the phone to my ear as my eyes move over the snowy Maine landscape, dia in the air “Fiona said she’s happy to have , but …”

“Shut it,” Fiona giggles besideme a playful look “We’re more than happy”

“I know, sis,” Aaron sighs

In the background, I can hear people speaking Vietna y studies Aaron’s dealt with it by taking his photography work overseas, living an adventurer’s lifestyle, avoiding the truth of it as hard as he can

We’re both guilty of that

“That doesn’t oes on “But as long as you’re not going to be sitting alone on Christmas day”

“Nope,” I assure hi”

“Alright,” he says “Well, I love you, okay?”

“I love you, bro”

“Bye”

“Bye bye”

I hang up, feeling Fiona’s eyes burning intoironically, with that just-Fiona twist to her lips She’s a tall woman, thin and model-like in her build Her hair jet black and her eyes a piercing brown, almost black themselves

We couldn’t be more different

“Howat all?” she says, as the taxi glides through the glittering Maine afternoon “It’s not like Dad andto be interrupting Don’t get , really He raised o into that What I’reed to co me a favor”

I s her words to hearten e ofthat tells me I should be with Mo floods into me

It’s been two years since they died in a car crash, their wheels sliding on an icy country road—a tree, and then …