Norah
I dance and sing to myself as I finish washing my hands in the powder room, my cheeks filled with a perfect, happy glow.
I can’t help but notice how different this trip to the bathroom is from the one I had in a wedding dress a year ago.
The door bumps me in the butt as it closes behind me, and I laugh a little, my buzzed brain enjoying all the little things today.
As I make my way back outside, I take a minute to let all the goodness soak in. Bennett and Breezy are in the middle of the dance floor, swaying together with a sleeping Autumn in their arms.
Sheriff Peeler is flirting with Eileen Martin, of all people, and Betty and Earl are cutting one hell of a rug. Lil has found a group of old men to entertain over by the bar, and lover boy Lance has more than one teen girl hanging on his every word. It’s a perfect smattering of every walk of life and a reminder of the joy I feel living here every day.
The only people missing are two I’d never expect together, and that fact alone makes me feel suspicious in a way I can’t ignore. Walking the perimeter of the party slowly, I glance into the dark shadows with avid eyes, searching for my sister and the one man who always seems to be trying to get her attention these days.
It’s a moonless, star-filled night, though, and the bright lights of the party make it way harder to see than I expected.
On my third lap, I’m about to give up, but the sound of a slap gets my attention and does it right quick.
Searching the area of the sound, I finally catch a glimpse of Josie’s back and Clay’s surprised face, a trail of red lipstick on his lips.
Holy shit. Looks like I might not be the only Ellis to do the slap-and-kiss combo in this town.
I walk toward them carefully, ready to intervene if necessary, but I don’t make it more than a step and a half before the need to stop fills me right up.
“Dammit, Clay,” Josie whisper-yells, her heartbroken voice making me put a hand to my chest. “You can’t fix this. You can’t will it away. You can’t turn back time.”
“Jose—”
“No!” she snaps, making the hair on the back of my neck stand up. “After it happened, you kept right on living, but I’ll never be the same.”
I don’t know what’s going on, but I know one thing—it’s time Josie and I really talked about her divorce.
Time’s up, sis. It’s your turn to do the talking.
…