Advent Stories #14 | Love Between Sisters

‘Good morning.’ Abi finds Blu in the kitchen, she went looking for her in the guest bedroom where she slept, but she was already out of bed, her sister the consummate early riser. She never could understand how Blu could wake up before the sunrise, even in the summer.

‘Morning.’ Blu was going to sit at the breakfast nook but decided against it, when her sister walked into the kitchen. She cannot wait to get back home; she’d had more than enough of Abi. She’s had a great time with her niece and nephew and missed them a whole lot, so they made plans for them to come to London over a weekend, but her sister… not so much. They didn’t have any further arguments but they didn’t fall in either. Leke tried but she and Abi have always been prickly around each other, they love each other but prickly no less.

‘Blu don’t do that.’

‘Do what?’

‘Don’t leave when I come into the room.’

‘I wasn’t, I-’

‘Yes you were.’ Abi says, ‘you were going to leave because I walked in.’

Blu doesn’t refute her sister. ‘I’m sorry I didn’t know I did that.’

‘I would walk out on me too, if the roles were reversed.’ Abi walks towards her sister. ‘I know I’m no fun to be around and it always feels like a battle between the two of us.’

‘Indeed.’

‘I’ve had Mr Shambles and Lady Godiva saddled for a ride. Please don’t say no. I’ve put some riding clothes on your bed.’

Blu laughs a little, ‘I’ll go get changed and meet you in front of the stables.’

Her sister is making an effort and so she ought to. They’ll never be able to get the years they fought back but hopefully they can build on from here. She needs to have a talk with their mother, the things Leila Sterling said to her, the things that made her go running far away from what should have been the happiest day of her life, with a man she loved. Still loves… Blu shakes that feeling of sadness creeping up on her, for now, she will enjoy the time with her sister.

‘We’ll go up to the brambles and stick to the flat lands.’ Abi said.

‘Cool.’

A stable hand rides along with them but keeps a respectable distance. They used to do this together as children; go riding on their grandfather’s estate in Scotland- he passed away five years ago. Leke would always ride alongside her, whilst Abi went charging ahead. She was a natural, riding was her happy place and George made sure to keep that up for her..

They ride along in silence for fifteen minutes, each giving the other time to settle their emotions, as hard as Abi can be, Blu is sure she hasn’t made it easy for her sister either. As with any relationship, theirs is a two way street as well, they have to meet each other half way, or as close to the halfway point as possible.

They stop off at the brook, hop off their horses and sit on some flat rocks.

‘Blu I’m sorry for what happened-’

‘You mean what I did to Brodie.’

‘You didn’t mean to. I know you, even if you think I don’t, and I know how much you loved him, you still love him and whatever it is that made you run like that, it couldn’t have been easy.’

‘It wasn’t.’

‘Are you okay?’

‘I’m not.’ Blu wipes a tear away. She has been avoiding her feelings since returning home. Goddamnit! It has to be Abi who gets it out of her.

‘Have you talked to Brodie?’

‘No. I changed my number remember.’

‘Do you want to talk to him?’

‘I do, but not right now. I need to talk to Mom first.’

‘What has she got to do with it?’

‘I don’t know…I’m just so confused by the entire thing.’

Abi puts an arm around her sister, something she hasn’t done in a long time, she wants to be there for Blu, her amazing sister who really never needs her. ‘Oh baby Blu I am so sorry.’

Blu laughs a little, ‘you haven’t called me baby Blu since I was four years old.’

‘Because you stopped being baby Bly probably at that age. You were off to oxford before anyone could say boo and there I was, sitting pretty on the front cover of a magazine.’

‘You were a great model Abi.’

Abi rolls her eyes, ‘I was just another model-’

‘No you weren’t, you are a legend.’

‘That’s a substitution for old. I was so luck mum and dad let me skip uni to pursue that. You know I was always so proud of you. When you got into oxford I told everyone about it, on every photoshoot, backstage of every show… I wouldn’t shut up about it. I was so proud of you Blu. I am so proud of you. You’re smart, so smart and beautiful and so cool. I’d want to be you in a next life.’

‘Oh Abi…’

‘I’m here for you Blu, always.’

‘Thank you.’ Blu leans into her sister’s hug, some of that stuff she was tugging around since the wedding lifting a little. ‘How are you and George doing?’

‘We’re good. Happy.’

‘That’s good. The kids are awesome.’

‘They are, aren’t they?’ Abi giggles.

The sisters sit in silence, enjoying each other’s company for the first time in a really long time and Blu wanted to hold on to this feeling forever.