“You got my favorite?” My voice is woven with awe as he opens the large box and holds it out to show me the contents, all of which are French pastries from a café that we had discovered downtown one day last winter.

“What’s up, sunshine? You must have been tired. I used the spare key and was in here for ten minutes without anyone knowing.”

“I heard you, asswipe.” Landon rubs the back of his neck revealing another small glimpse of his new tattoo. “What in the hell are you doing over here so early? It’s Saturday.”

“I’m going to be stuck in a library all day today and tomorrow. But, we’re ending at eight tonight, so I’m coming out with you.”

“I’m not carrying your ass home tonight.” Landon’s remark makes me smile.

“No, I have to go back tomorrow morning at seven, so I won’t have more than a beer.”

“Uh huh.” Landon’s tone is almost cold, bringing me to look at him more carefully. There’s visible tension in his squared shoulders and straight back. It’s an exchange I don’t recall having seen from Landon … ever. His eyes shift to mine and instantly soften as a smile covers his face. He’s hiding whatever it is from me.

“What are we going to do for your first morning back in Cali?” His voice returns to the soft and gravelly tone I’m accustomed to hearing.

I allow the awkwardness to pass yet again, realizing that I don’t have the right to ask questions about what’s been going on when I’ve been so careful to separate myself. “Just hang out. Feel some sun.”

Wes wraps an arm around my shoulders and nods his head forward. “Let’s go eat on the deck. You coming?” he asks, looking over to Landon.

Landon gives a simple nod in response. The three of us gorge on French pastries with the sun soaking into my bare arms and legs, warming far more than just my skin.

“Adios, boys!” Kendall calls to Jameson and Landon as she climbs into the driver’s seat. Her car is hot and stuffy, and my fingers burn as they barely graze the metal on the seat belt. I’ve missed this feeling. I’ve missed the heat. I’ve missed my sister.

We pull into the parking lot of the same Mexican restaurant that was a norm for our Sister Sundays.

“Ace!” Savannah cries from across the restaurant as we step into the air-conditioned lobby.

Several people from other tables look from her waving arms to us, and I quietly laugh as Kendall shakes her head. “God she hangs out with kids too much.”

A waiter, carrying a tray of slushy red margaritas, queues us to all take a seat after distributing hugs to one another.

“To getting my littlest sister drunk tonight!”

Hoots and cheers from a group of guys a few tables down makes both Mindi and Kendall scowl in their direction, which leads to Jenny giggling and Savannah smiling. Everything about their reactions is familiar.

“Okay, so we’re going to go get our toes done, and maybe do some shopping, and then we’ll head downtown,” Mindi explains while we peer over our menus.

“The girls are back in town!” I look up to see Julio, the owner of the restaurant, approaching us with a fresh tray of drinks, though we’ve hardly made a dent in our current ones. “Ace, como estas? It’s been too long, mi amiga.”

My renewed peace ebbs slightly and my smile becomes a little more forced. “I’m glad to be here. The Northeast doesn’t know how to make authentic Mexican food.”

He smiles, placing a glass in front of each of us. “That just means that you have to come back. Sus hermanas miss you. I miss you. That smile!” he cries. “I miss your beautiful smile.”

“Julio, can we please get some guacamole? We’re celebrating, and nothing beats your guacamole.” Savannah smiles at him, but her eyes slowly drift to me, sensing my unease.

My sisters once again fall into conversation, quickly reestablishing a level of comfort and security.

We place our orders, and it feels so normal.

Though I’ve been feeling better and happier with each passing week in Delaware, sitting here with my sisters as we eat, drink, and laugh over everything and nothing makes me feel almost as though the last year never happened.

I’m a little reluctant to go into Beverly’s Nails. It’s another place that we used to frequent, meaning another spot that they’ll know that I’ve been gone. I’m sure they will have a list of their own questions regarding my absence, as well as my brief return.

“Sister Saturday?” Beverly cries as we step into the salon. “All the sisters!” she cheers, clapping her hands as she bounces with excessive enthusiasm. She’s easily the most emotional person that I know—to manic degrees.

“What are you girls going to do tonight?”

“Getting drunk,” Kendall announces without blinking.

Beverly giggles, either thinking Kendall’s joking around or amused by the news. We all head to the wall of nail polishes.

“If I choose black will I look like an emo?” Savannah asks.

“No, black’s totally in!” Kendall cries, pulling it from the shelf.

“I don’t want to look stupid.”

“You won’t look stupid. It’s just nail polish. Come on, I’ll do it too,” I say, reaching for her hand.

“As long as you get it changed next week before the wedding,” Jenny warns over my shoulder.

“We can come back and change it next week,” Kendall says. “But tonight, we’re painting the city black!”

Beverly claps again, and once more we seem to be the center of attention, though no one looks overly amused at the noise and attention we’re causing. My sisters don’t seem to notice. They’re stuck behind their rose-colored glasses.

We fill an entire bank of chairs for pedicures and set our feet in the tubs of rolling water to soak.

“I think this is the whitest I’ve ever seen you. Your feet are barely darker than mine.”

“It gets cold there. I haven’t gone outside in the last like six months without being fully covered.”

“Do they not have nail salons in the Northeast, either?” she jokes, looking at my unpolished toenails.

“I wear socks all of the time, even when I sleep. It’s cold there.” Her eyebrows rise, but her eyes are fixed on my feet. “Stop staring!” I toss a magazine at her and she finally looks up. A slow smile breaks out across her face.

“Another reason for you to move back.” I ignore her comment.

We quickly fall into a familiar routine of laughing and talking. It’s a little easier today; the subjects consist of people and situations that I’m mostly familiar with. A small twinge of sadness blooms within me at the thought that I will only be here for another sixteen days. It had seemed like such a long trip when I was trying to plan everything, yet this day has gone by in the blink of an eye.

Our toenails and fingernails are a glossy black. I’ve wanted to ask Kendall about Max, and where he is, and more importantly, how he is, but have no intention of asking in front of our older sisters and never got a chance to pull her aside. When we arrive at the house, her car and Mindi’s minivan are the only two vehicles present.

“Wear this one,” Kendall says, nearly hitting me with a hanger in the process of holding a small black dress up to me. I recognize it nearly instantly. I wore it to Billy and Molly’s bachelor and bachelorette party last November. When I was packing I couldn’t take it with me because it held so many memories. Even though it had only been worn for one, it was tied to millions more.

I shake my head as I push it away. “No. Not a chance.”

“What about this one!” Jenny cries pulling out a hanger with a bright red dress.

“She’s not going to wear that one,” Mindi grumbles before I have to state my own objection. She joins our other two sisters at the closet and begins sifting through fabrics and colors until she stops and pulls out a cream colored strapless dress that I had also given to Kendall because I hadn’t foreseen myself needing a dress like it in Delaware.