Chapter 7
Chapter Seven
T he early morning light streamed through the windows, casting long shadows across the living room as Maddie sat by the fire, staring into the crackling flames. She’d added a log as soon as she’d come down, giving the embers a stir to get it going again.
She had slept fitfully, her conversation with Becca replaying in her mind over and over. It had felt like a release, finally saying out loud the things she had kept bottled up inside. And hearing about Becca’s own struggles had been a shock, reminding Maddie that no one’s life was as perfect as it seemed.
But now, in the quiet stillness of Aunt Schatzi’s house, Maddie couldn’t help but feel a pang of regret for letting so much time pass, for allowing the distance between her and Becca to grow so vast. She wondered how things had gotten so bad between them, and if it was too late to truly fix it.
The soft creak of floorboards interrupted her thoughts, and Maddie looked up to see Aunt Schatzi shuffling into the room, a thick wool cardigan, most likely one she’d knitted herself, wrapped tightly around her narrow frame. She moved slowly, but there was still a strength in her, a quiet resilience that Maddie admired.
“Morning, sweetheart,” Schatzi said, giving her a warm smile as she settled into the armchair across from Maddie. “You’re up early.”
Maddie nodded, running a hand through her tousled hair. “Woke up and couldn’t go back to sleep. You want some coffee? I’ll get it.”
“Sure, that would be great.”
Maddie hurried to the kitchen and got her aunt a mug, fixing it just the way she liked it. She brought it out and handed it to Schatzi, who eyed her carefully, as if sensing there was more to Maddie being up early than a restless night.
Schatzi took a sip, then said, “Something on your mind?”
Maddie hesitated, her thoughts drifting back to the phone call with Becca. “I talked to Becca yesterday. It was...good, I think. We talked about Jack, and about her marriage. It turns out her life isn’t as perfect as I thought.”
Schatzi didn’t say anything at first, just nodded slowly as she processed Maddie’s words. After a moment, she spoke, her voice gentle but firm. “You know, Maddie, things between sisters are never simple. We expect so much from each other—sometimes too much. It’s easy to feel disappointed when those expectations aren’t met.”
Maddie sighed, leaning back in her chair. “I know, but it feels like Becca and I have been living in different worlds for so long. We don’t know how to talk to each other anymore. Although we’re working on it.”
Schatzi tilted her head, her eyes softening. “You’re not the first set of sisters to feel that way. Your mother and I...well, we weren’t always as close as we should’ve been.”
Maddie blinked in surprise. “You and Mom? I always thought you two were so close. You always seemed like best friends.”
Schatzi gave a wry smile, shaking her head. “We got there, eventually. But it wasn’t always easy. Your mother—she was a lot like Becca—always put together, always trying to keep everything perfect and mostly doing it. And me? I was the black sheep, the one who moved to the mountains while she stayed in the city, got married, raised a family, did everything that was expected of her and more. We didn’t understand each other for a long time.”
Maddie leaned forward, curious. “What happened? Why were things so bad between you?”
“I don’t know if bad is the right word, but…” Schatzi sighed deeply, her eyes clouding with old memories. “We had different ideas about life. Your mom thought I was irresponsible, running off to live out here on my own. She wanted me to settle down, find a husband, have kids. She didn’t get why I would choose this life. We argued about it nearly every time we talked. She thought I was throwing my life away. That I was being selfish.”
Maddie frowned, trying to imagine her mother and Schatzi at odds. It seemed so foreign. Her memories of them weren’t like that at all. “How did you make peace with each other?”
“It took time,” Schatzi admitted. “And distance. We didn’t speak for nearly two years at one point.”
“Two years?” Maddie’s mouth hung open.
“Yep. I was too stubborn, and so was she. But eventually...well, life has a way of reminding you about what’s important. Your mom came up here one summer after she’d gone through a rough patch. She didn’t say much about it, but I could tell she was struggling. Her marriage was rocky, and I think she was feeling overwhelmed with all the pressure she put on herself.”
“I don’t remember that.”
“It was right after you and Becca were born. You were a baby and Becca was just a toddler.” Schatzi paused, her expression softening as she remembered. “We sat out on this porch one evening, watching the sunset, and for the first time, she really opened up to me. She told me how hard it was trying to keep everything perfect for you girls, trying to be the perfect wife and mother. And I finally realized...she wasn’t judging me because she thought I was wrong—she was just scared. Scared that she’d lose control of her own life if she didn’t hold on so tightly.”
Maddie swallowed, her heart aching at the thought of her mother carrying that kind of burden. She had never seen that side of her before, the side that felt unsure or overwhelmed. But, boy, did Becca take after her.
Schatzi continued, her voice gentle. “That’s when I understood that no matter how different we were, we were still sisters. Family. We needed each other, even if we didn’t always get along. That night, we stopped trying to fix each other. We just accepted that we both had our own paths to walk.”
Maddie looked down at her hands, feeling a lump forming in her throat. “I never knew that about you and Mom.”
Schatzi smiled sadly. “We didn’t always talk about it, but it’s true. And that’s why I’m telling you now, Maddie—don’t let too much time pass with Becca. Don’t wait for some crisis to remind you of what’s important. She’s your sister. You don’t have to understand each other all the time, but you do need each other. Just being there is sometimes all that matters.”
Maddie felt a tear slip down her cheek and quickly wiped it away. Schatzi was right—she had been so caught up in her own grief and frustration that she had shut Becca out. And in doing so, she had only deepened the distance between them. Becca had her own struggles, just like their mother had, and Maddie had been too blind to see it.
“I feel like I’ve been so selfish,” Maddie whispered, her voice thick with emotion. “I’ve been so focused on my own pain that I didn’t even think about what Becca might be going through.”
Schatzi reached across to the other chair, taking Maddie’s hand in her own. “Grief makes us selfish sometimes and that’s okay, as long as we recognize it. Don’t blame yourself. It’s not your fault. But now that you know better, you can do better. You’ve still got time to make things right with Becca.”
“Yeah.” Maddie squeezed her aunt’s hand, the warmth of the contact comforting her. “I talked to her yesterday. Really talked to her for the first time in a long time. She told me about her marriage, how hard it’s been.”
Schatzi nodded knowingly. “See? She’s carrying her own burdens, just like you. You two might be more alike than you realize.”
“I thought that too.” Maddie smiled through her tears, feeling a strange sense of relief wash over her. For so long, she had seen Becca as this untouchable figure, someone who had it all together, while she herself had been falling apart. But maybe they weren’t so different after all. Maybe they were just two sisters, both trying to navigate the messiness of life in their own way.
“I think you’re right,” Maddie said softly. “I need to try harder. I don’t want to lose her.”
“You won’t,” Schatzi said firmly. “You’ve already taken the first step. The rest will come in time.”
Maddie wiped her eyes, feeling lighter than she had in months. She thought about Becca, about their shared childhood, about all the things that had pulled them apart and the things that bound them together. For the first time, she truly understood how important it was to keep those bonds intact.
“I’m going to call her again today,” Maddie said with quiet determination. “I want her to know I’m here for her.”
Schatzi smiled, the kind of smile that said she was proud, but not surprised. “Good. I think you’ll find that once you open that door, things will start to get better.”
Maddie nodded, a small, hopeful smile forming on her lips. She glanced out the window, the morning light casting a soft glow over the snow-covered mountains. The world outside looked still and peaceful, but Maddie knew now that life was never as simple as it seemed.
But that was okay. Because she wasn’t alone in it. Not anymore.
And as long as she had her sister, she never would be.