Poinsettia Lane

Chapter Five

CHAPTER FIVE

A COUPLE DAYS later, Everly is pacing the same path over and over around the kitchen island. Addison is scheduled to arrive any minute, and Everly can’t stop circling. Her thoughts, her pacing, her fingers twining around each other; her anxiety is peaking because waiting is the absolute worst. Just as she manages to stop her feet and take a breath, a knock interrupts her frantic mind.

Addison is here, finally. She’s exactly on time, but Everly feels like she’s been waiting for ages. She sucks in a quick breath, throws her shoulders back and pulls the door open wide. Addison looks as though she was giving herself a pep talk the whole way here, and it was only partially successful. Everly honestly doesn’t blame her.

This is uncomfortable.

They walk back into the kitchen together after a quick greeting in the foyer. Their favorite childhood meal, lasagna, is wafting a comfortable garlic and melted cheese aroma through the air as it finishes up in the oven.

“Dinner will be ready in about ten, want anything to drink?” Everly says.

“Yeah that would be great.” Her sister smiles with obvious relief. Alcohol always helps an awkward situation.

“I’ve got wine or we can make cocktails. Rum, vodka, I’ve got some fresh juice, tonic, and simple syrups. I think I have a couple of those frozen daiquiri mixes in the freezer too.” Everly offers while pulling everything out for her sister to choose from.

“I’ll have a cocktail, I’m not picky. Whatever you’re having is great.”

Everly sets out her ingredients and puts everything together to make her favorite signature cocktail, a Manhattan. She switches it up with bourbon or a dry vermouth here and there, but today she sticks to the traditional recipe.

“Oh wow, that’s good!” Addison raises her eyebrows in surprise. “I might have to steal that recipe.”

“Thanks, it’s my go-to,” Everly replies. “Boozy and delicious.”

They clink glasses and manage to make adequate small talk without too much difficulty or awkwardness, and Everly internally congratulates herself for doing better than the morning she woke Addison up at the hotel. At least this time they’re off to a better start.

When the timer goes off, she pulls the dish out of the oven.

“Lasagna?” Addison asks.

“I thought it might be nice, for old times sake,” Everly answers, now questioning this idea. “Do you still like lasagna?”

“I do.” Addison nods emphatically as if she needs to reiterate this point. “I love it, but I almost never have it anymore. And garlic bread too! Oh it smells so good.”

Everly gets that warm fuzzy feeling inside watching her sister enjoy one of their favorite childhood dishes. It feels right to be eating this together, and Everly is relieved that at least she can do this well enough.

“We always loved this when we were younger,” Everly says.

“I remember,” Addison replies.

The silence lingers for a few moments, and Everly tries to decide how she should proceed. As she’s questioning what she’s supposed to do, she remembers Frankie’s question.

What do you want to do?

“So…” Everly starts, then stops.

Addison looks up at Everly and raises her eyebrows, then nods slowly and gently sets her utensils down next to her plate, folding her hands into her lap .

“So,” She replies.

“What… what even happened?” Everly starts and stops again, unsure how or what to really ask her sister. “I mean, why did we stop talking? We used to be so close and then… after mom and dad died…” she trails off.

“I don’t know. I can’t even count the number of times I’ve asked myself that. I think about you all the time, Ev.”

“You do?” Everly straightens up at this, blinking a couple times in surprise. She didn’t expect that response, though she didn’t know what else to expect either. On some level, she thought it was entirely her fault, that she had done something wrong or pushed her sister away. “I think about you too. I have so many questions but I don’t even know where to start. I mean, why now?”

“I feel the same way. As for why now…” Addison trails off for a moment. “I guess it was a little impulsive, deciding to fly out here last minute, but I just broke up with my ex, like, a week ago. We’d been together a couple years and I didn’t want to be alone for the holidays. Besides that, I don’t know. I figured it was time. I just went for it, decided to come back for the gala and see if I can change things. I want to have my sister back and I know maybe it’s too late, maybe you don’t want me around, but—”

“No!” Everly says, voice louder than she intends. “I do want you around, I haven’t known how to bridge whatever this gap is between us, but I really, really want to.”

Addison’s shoulders loosen and she slumps forward, putting her arms on the table and picking her fork back up, then absently twirling it around on her plate. Her cheeks puff out with a relieved breath, like the cutest little chipmunk Everly has ever seen.

“I’m really glad you came back, Addison. I’m sorry about the breakup and yeah, it probably hasn’t been much of a better situation here. I know things have been weird and I’m awkward, but I want to fix things too.”

“Oh thank goodness. I wasn’t sure, I mean I thought maybe I was intruding? This is your home now, your town, your hotel, I didn’t want you to think I was trying to come back in and mess up everything you’ve done or something. ”

That thought hadn’t crossed Everly’s mind once, and she shakes her head, upsetting the messy bun perched precariously on top of it, unable to even comprehend that her sister would think that.

“Addison, you’ve always been one of the most important people in my life. Even these last eight years when we haven’t been talking, I never stopped caring about you. I’ve hated not talking, not knowing how you are or what you’ve been up to. I didn’t know if I could reach out though or if that would be unwelcome. I thought I’d let you live your best life in San Diego and I figured you wanted to leave all of this small town nonsense behind you.”

“Never. I never wanted that. Honestly, not talking to you has sucked. I hated it.” Addison’s eyes start to tear up. “I miss you so much, Ev. It hurts.”

Everly isn’t a crier, but hearing and seeing the emotion in her sister, she can’t help it when her eyes start to fill too.

“It really has sucked,” she replies with a mix between a sniffle and a smile. “So let’s agree to not do that again. I don’t know if I can do another eight years without you.”

Addison nods, and tentatively gets up from her seat, holding out her arms. Everly jumps up and folds her sister into the fiercest hug she’s ever given. A hug to make up for eight years of missed hugs. A hug that holds all of their shared tragedy, sadness, heartache, grief and loss. A hug to encompass their newfound hope in each other. A hug full of love and belonging. They hold onto each other for what feels like an eternity, and also will never be long enough. Addison reluctantly pulls away first, wiping her eyes as she does so.

“Well, I’m glad we got that cleared up. Turns out we are both idiots,” she says with a watery laugh.

Everly chuckles with her, passing another piece of garlic bread and agreeing that yes, they are incredibly idiotic for staying away from each other for so long. They finish the rest of their meal with much easier chatter, and decide to take their drinks to the other room in front of the fireplace. Everly lights it up quickly enough; she likes the ease of a gas fireplace even if it doesn’t give off the pleasant crackle of a wood one .

“What if you stayed a little longer?” Everly blurts out, and then looks down at her drink questioningly, as though it has the answers to where that question came from and why she let it out.

Addison awkwardly looks down at her drink too, twisting it in circles before replying. “I’ll think about it, but… Well, I probably can’t. I have to get back for work.”

“Oh, right. Yeah, that makes sense that you’d go back after New Years.” Everly understands, though she can’t help but feel a little disappointed and rejected anyways.

“Maybe I can come back for another visit soon though?” Addison suggests.

“I’d like that,” Everly says, smiling back at her. This push and pull, trying to stumble their way back toward each other is exhausting.

“Soooooo,” her sister draws out the word, a hint of mischief twinkling in her eyes. Everly remembers that look; her sister was always getting into things and causing trouble when she was younger. Everly’s hackles go up, wary about where this is going.

“Anyone important in your life these days?” Addison asks. “Boyfriend?”

It takes Everly a second to realize how hot her face has gotten.

“Oh my gosh, there is!” Addison is absolutely gleeful. “You have to tell me!”

“I mean, it’s not…” Everly trails off, no idea what to say.

“I bet he’s charming, to snag you. And hot.” Addison draws out the h and snaps the t at the end of hot like it personally offended her. “So, where’d you meet him?”

Everly isn’t entirely sure how to tell her sister that there’s nothing going on, and it’s just a random crush on someone she saw once. If possible, her blush gets even redder. She’s fairly certain a tomato has nothing on her at this point.

“Okay, well, I mean we only met once,” Everly says.

Addison twirls a hand for Everly to keep going while she takes a sip of her drink.

“He delivered the poinsettias and tree for the party,” Everly blurts it out so fast all the words run together, then clamps her mouth shut .

Addison pauses with her lips still on the glass.

“And?” she says.

“And… that’s it,” Everly replies.

“What? That can’t be it. Did you give him your number?”

“No, I was all flustered and he didn’t ask for it, so I think that’s just… it.” Everly shrugs, trying to play it off like she isn’t dying of disappointment.

“No way,” Addison says. “If you like this guy, you have to see him again! He must work at the greenhouse, right? You could go see if he’s there!”

“Oh my god.” Everly cannot believe this girl. “You want me to go to his work? Like some sort of stalker?! That’s insane, Ad.” She uses her childhood nickname for her sister for the first time in nearly a decade, and it would have gutted her in the best way if not for the current distraction at hand.

“I mean not like, in a stalker-y way.” Her sister rolls her eyes. “Just go pretend you need a plant or something.”

If she’s being honest, Everly hadn’t even thought of that idea. She assumed he was a delivery driver, but what if he also works there? Or maybe she’ll run into him between deliveries. How crazy is it that she’s actually considering this?

“Just think about it. It’s not every day you meet someone who makes you feel like that.” Thankfully, her sister doesn’t push too much and they move on to other topics. Addison fills her in more on her work and life in San Diego. They don’t get into anything too deep, but that’s okay for now.

At the end of the night, the women tentatively agree to another visit in a few weeks. Addison is going to check her work schedule to see if she can open up a long weekend and fly out again. They also agree to start texting and calling weekly until then, in an effort to get to know each other better and make up for years of missed opportunities. Everly is feeling happier than she has in years to be fostering this reconnection. She has her sister back, and that is everything.

~~ ~

New Year's Eve arrives, and Everly spends it with Frankie, as usual. She’s had a few boyfriends in the past, but nothing serious or long term. Frankie’s love life is similar, a few relationships on and off, but they don’t have anyone they’re seeing romantically right now either. So here they are, clinking glasses with each other on New Years instead of kissing their one true loves.

“If you could kiss anyone at midnight, like anyone,” Frankie asks with a bit of a slur from all the champagne they’ve had, “who would it be?”

Why does his face instantly pop into her head? Obviously, she should want to kiss some super hot, famous celebrity, someone like…

Why is her mind blanking on this? It’s a simple question. Name a celebrity.

Any. Celebrity.

Frankie almost misses her internal freakout, but luckily misinterprets it.

“Why are your eyes so big? It wasn’t a serious question. You don’t have to answer it, but I’d definitely kiss Rachel from Friends. Not, like, Jennifer Aniston, but Rachel. And not her now, but like when she was…” Frankie trails off, then leans forward and slams their drink down on the table next to them, sloshing half of it out of the glass as their eyes get big too.

“Oh. My. God.” Frankie imitates Janice, hands and all, also from Friends. “It’s him! You’d kiss Hot Delivery Guy!”

Everly groans and covers her face with her hands, throwing her upper body back into the cushioned couch. Why can no one drop this?

“You have to see him again,” Frankie insists. “If you’re still hooked on this guy, you have to make it happen. I don’t know how, but you’re seeing him again. I’ll order a freaking plant to be delivered to the coffeehouse and you can come wait for him to deliver it if I have to, I don’t even care. We need to make this happen if you’re still thinking about him!”

They are not going to drop this, Everly can tell. She debates telling them about her sister’s idea, and decides if she’s going to get anyone else’s opinion, it’ll be theirs .

“I was talking to Addison about this too actually, well, more like she was talking to me… anyway, she kind of had a crazy idea,” Everly starts.

“YES. I love crazy ideas. Tell me.” Frankie is ridiculous.

Everly loves them.

“Okay, well. She thinks I should just go to the greenhouse and see if he’s there.”

“How did we not think of this already?!” Frankie almost looks pissed about it. “Of course you should go to the greenhouse. That’s not crazy at all, that’s just being logical and finding a way to get what you want. You do want him, right.” It’s not really a question, they both know she does.

“I mean, I wouldn’t put it that way exactly,” Everly tries to defend herself, but she can hardly get a sentence in around Frankie’s excitement.

“No, I’m right. Addison is right. You want him, and the only lead we have is the greenhouse. I think you should do it.”

“You don’t think it’s a bit creepy?” Everly really thinks their idea is dangerously close to stalking.

Frankie leans forward and grabs Everly’s hand in theirs.

“Everly Anne Moore. You are not a stalker.” Frankie says in their most serious voice. “You’re desperate.”

Everly can’t hold in the surprised, snorting laugh that comes out of her mouth, and Frankie beams. They’re proud, as usual, for being obnoxious. And also right.

“For real though,” her friend says, squeezing her hand in emphasis, “didn’t your therapist tell you to prioritize yourself? Aren’t you supposed to be working on being your true self and taking risks or some such thing?”

They’re right again. She is supposed to be doing that. With a sigh and a flutter of excited nerves in her chest, Everly gives in.

She’s going to Magnolia Nursery.