Sisters

“Uh-oh,” Tammy teased her, and poured herself another glass of wine. She was beginning to enjoy the gatherings they shared every night, in spite of the reason they were still there. She was deriving enormous comfort from her sisters, more than ever before. Even their collective dogs were starting to get along. “I know that face,” Tammy commented as she took a sip of the wine. They were raiding their father's wine cellar every night, just as they had when they were young. And when he found out then, he had had a fit. Tammy smiled at the memory, and savored his excellent wine. She reminded herself to send him a case of good Bordeaux after she left. They had been drinking some of his best wines. “You've had an idea,” Tammy finished the thought, looking at her older sister. Sabrina looked as though she was hatching a plan. In the old days, when they were kids, it would have meant something forbidden, like giving a party when their parents went away for the weekend. She used to pay Tammy five dollars not to squeal. “I used to make money on these deals,” she explained to Chris. “So what is it now?”

“Annie,” she said succinctly, as though they could read her mind.

“I figured. What about her?” They were all dreading telling her about their mom. They would have to do it soon. It wasn't fair to her not to know for much longer, and inevitably, she would wonder where she was. Even that night, it had been hard to explain. Their mother would have been there in a flash, and camped out in the room. Her absence was sorely felt by them all, and would be by Annie too.

“She can't go back to Florence, and Charlie is a jerk.”

“Yes, I think we all agree on that.” He had been a huge disappointment to all of them, and would be to Annie most of all. But now she had bigger problems to solve. He was just one more source of grief. “You're right, she can't go back to Florence. I don't see how she could manage there in a fifth-floor apartment, no matter how independent she wants to be. She should probably move home, with Dad. It would be company for him.”

“And way too depressing for her. She'll feel like a child again. And without Mom here, she'd be really sad.” They were all feeling her absence in the house. Even in the three days since she had died, it felt as though everything had changed. And they knew their father was feeling it too. The housekeeper had come that day, and all she did was cry. And at twenty-six, Annie would not want to come home, not after living on her own in Italy for two years.

“She can stay with me, if she wants to. But I don't think she knows anyone in L.A., and without being able to drive or get around, she'd feel trapped. And I'm out all day.” They all knew that Tammy worked impossible hours, and Sabrina did too, but at least she was in New York, which was familiar to Annie. She had lived there briefly before she left for Paris four years before, although she said it was too hectic for her. She had liked France, and then Italy much better, but now it was out of the question. She needed to be closer to home, for a while anyway, until she adjusted to her situation. They all agreed on that.

“She can stay with me if she wants,” Candy chimed in, and then looked at them apologetically. “But I'm away a lot.”

“That's my point. We'd all love her to live with us, but we each have some kind of problem that makes it difficult. Or at least you two do. I work crazy hours, but I think she could handle New York.”

“So? What part of this plan are you not telling us?” Tammy asked as she sipped her father's wine. She knew how Sabrina's brain worked. There was a master plan here somewhere that she hadn't exposed to them yet.

“What if she lives with all of us?” Sabrina said, smiling. The master plan was emerging.

“You mean move around and stay with each of us for a while? Don't you think that would be unsettling for her? I wouldn't mind, but I can't see Annie wanting to live out of a suitcase like a nomad, just because she's blind. I think she'd want her own place, though I have no idea where. I think we have to ask her,” Tammy said, looking pensive.

“Better than that,” Sabrina said, looking at her sisters. “I think eventually Annie will figure it out for herself, where she wants to be, and how she wants to live. But right now everything will be different for her, and she's going to need a lot of help at first. What if we all move in together for a year? Rent a big apartment, and all four of us live under one roof, until she gets on her feet? We can see how we all feel about it after a year. If it doesn't work, we move into our own apartments again, and if we like it, we sign on for another year. By then, Annie should be more adjusted. But for this year it could make a huge difference for her. What do you think?” Both Candy and Tammy looked stunned, and Chris looked surprised too. He wasn't sure where he fit in, although Sabrina kissed him reassuringly, whatever that meant.

“Am I part of this plan?” he inquired delicately.