Sisters

Chapter 11

Tammy's airport shuttle came at exactly eight o'clock the next morning. She was up, dressed, and ready to leave when it arrived. Candy and their father came downstairs to say goodbye. Candy was wearing a cotton T-shirt and cut-off jeans. The T-shirt showed her breasts, as always, and as she stood outside waving goodbye, with her long blond hair tousled and sexy, every man in the shuttle stared at her with wide eyes.

She hugged Tammy, and Sabrina and their father did the same, and then Tammy got into the shuttle, with Juanita in her Birkin bag. They hated to see her leave. Two minutes later Candy and Sabrina got into the car to drive into town to see the house. They were in town by nine-thirty, and stopped by Sabrina's apartment, to pick up some more clothes, and mail.

Candy said she didn't need to go to hers. She seemed to have a limitless supply of see-through T-shirts with her. Sabrina felt as though she'd been gone for years. It felt strange to realize that the last time she had seen her apartment, her mother was alive and Annie wasn't blind. So much had changed in a short time. And she knew a lot more things would change now. Particularly if she moved. She wasn't attached to her apartment, so she didn't care so much about that. But living with Annie and Candy would be a big change for her. She had been on her own since college, nearly thirteen years. Moving in with her sisters would be a step backward in time for her. She would miss her independence. But it was for a good cause. And in a year Sabrina hoped Annie would be adjusted to her situation, and ready to live alone. Candy could then go back to her elegant penthouse, and Sabrina could get another apartment by herself. But for the next year, they all had to be good sports and pitch in to help Annie make the transition to the enormous challenges facing her. Challenges that were huge.

They left Sabrina's apartment at five minutes before ten, and as she parked her car on East Eighty-fourth Street, Tammy called on her cell phone. She said she was getting on the plane.

“I just called to say goodbye again.” They were clinging to each other more than ever these days, as though they were trying to make up for the missing link. Their mother's disappearance had badly shaken them all.

“Have a good flight. We're just about to see the house,” Sabrina said as she turned off the ignition.

“Tell me how it is.” Tammy suddenly felt left out and wished she were there too.

“I will. Pick up a cute guy on the plane,” Sabrina encouraged her.

“I only sit next to priests, elderly women, or children with earaches. I make it a firm rule.”

“You're sick.” Sabrina laughed.

“No. Just determined to be an old maid. I think it's my vocation.”

“One of these days you're going to walk off into the sunset with some major movie star, or Hollywood hunk, and knock us all dead.”

“From your mouth to God's ears, as they say in L.A.”

Sabrina and Candy were standing in front of the house by then, the realtor was waiting for them, and Tammy was in her seat on the plane.

“Gotta go. Call you later. Fly safe. Love you. Bye,” she rattled off, and handed the phone to Candy so she could say goodbye too, as the realtor walked toward them with a smile. She was one of those tall, portly, overly blond women who wore too much perfume and teased her hair. And from the deep rumble of her voice, Sabrina could tell she smoked. She had the keys to the house in her hand. Sabrina introduced her to Candy, once she was off the phone, and the realtor unlocked the door, turned off the alarm, and let them in.

“We'll see if you like it. I have some other ideas too, downtown, but I think this one would work best.” Sabrina hoped that they'd agree. It would certainly be easy if the first house they saw was it. Finding a place to live was an agony she had never enjoyed. Candy looked a lot more excited than she did and thought it was fun. She wandered through the house, checking out every room, and opening every door.

The entrance hall was dark, and painted a forest green, which seemed gloomy to Sabrina, but the floor was done in white and green marble squares, and she noticed that there was a pretty antique mirror on the wall, and English hunting prints that gave the entrance a certain British air. The living room was open and sunny and faced south, the library was small and dark and cozy, and had a small, handsome fireplace that looked like it worked. The walls were lined with books, many of which Sabrina had read. Candy looked around and smiled and nodded her approval to Sabrina. Already on the first floor, they liked the feeling of the house. They communicated it to each other with a nod and a smile. It was inviting and warm. The ceilings were high, and there were attractive antique sconces on the walls. There was plenty of light. And even for a tall person like Candy, the scale felt right.

They walked into the basement to check out the kitchen and dining room after that. The kitchen was modern enough, serviceable, and there was a nice round table in it, big enough for eight or ten to eat at, and it opened out into the garden, which was friendly and unkempt. There were two deck chairs, a patio, and a built-in barbecue that looked well used. Sabrina knew that Chris would like that.

The dining room was more formal and had dark red lacquer walls. There were good-looking professional touches everywhere, although the house didn't look recently done. But Sabrina liked that about it. It wasn't like walking into a magazine. It was a home, and it wasn't overcrowded. Some of her furniture would fit, and she liked a lot of what they had. She might even put her own things into storage if they took it. The house had a great feeling, and she could see why the owner loved it and wanted it back. It was a great place to live. Candy expressed her excitement in a whisper when the realtor left the room. “I love it!” she said, looking excited.

“Me too.” Sabrina smiled. So far it was a winner.

The bedrooms were small, as they'd been warned, but adequate with pretty windows, and good curtains in pastel silks with elegant tassels and tie-backs. There was a king-size bed in every room, which Candy loved, and the others would too, particularly if they had men in their lives. And a king-size bed was a must for Chris, he was so tall. The master bedroom was slightly bigger. The one next to it was a little small, but they didn't need it anyway, and as a guest room it was perfect. The rooms for Candy and Annie were nicely decorated and cozy. The bathrooms had baths and showers. The colors in the bedrooms were light and airy, and the bathrooms all had marble tile. Sabrina looked at the realtor in amazement. There was absolutely nothing about the house she didn't like. And she could see that Candy loved it too. It had a great feeling, and “good energy,” as Candy said. And as the realtor had promised, it had charm. Lots of it. It would be perfect for them, and there was nothing complicated that would be hard for Annie. The stairs were straightforward and easy, and it seemed like an easy place to get around, even for someone blind.

“Bingo!” Sabrina said, grinning. Candy was beaming, and nodding in agreement. She told Sabrina she liked it better than her penthouse. It was friendlier and warmer. Her penthouse was sophisticated and showy, and cold in many ways. It looked like a magazine shoot, not a home. Candy already felt more at ease here. It was the kind of place that made you want to curl up in a big, comfy chair and stick around. It had a wonderful vibe to it. And hopefully it would be a good place for Annie too, once she figured out where things were, which wouldn't take long. It was a small house, with two relatively good-size rooms on every floor.

“What do you say?” Sabrina asked her sister politely. She already knew how she felt about it, and Candy was in full agreement.

“I say yes! Let's grab it. I can have Zoe here, right?” She never went anywhere without her dog, although she had left her with their father that morning. She was afraid she would be too hot in the car, and she was company for Beulah, who had stayed in the country too. Sabrina hadn't wanted to scare the realtor with a bigger dog. And Beulah got carsick, so she wasn't fun to drive around.

Sabrina confirmed with the realtor that the owner had no problem with dogs.

“I checked with him this morning, and he said dogs are fine. He didn't even say small dogs. He just said dogs.” He obviously hadn't specified how many either, which was great news for them too, since he had two of his own. The house had been made to order for them, in every way. Warm, cozy, pretty, comfortable, inviting, and the price was right. His furniture was better than their own, and they could have their dogs. Candy had already decided that she wanted to rent her penthouse furnished, which would make it more appealing to a tenant. She was going to put it on the market that week. Co-ops in her building rented all the time, at astronomical prices, so she would make money on the deal. The rent for the house on East Eighty-fourth Street was relatively cheap.

“We'll take it,” Sabrina confirmed. “How soon is it available?”

“August first.” The two girls looked at each other. That was soon, but it was probably just about right. Sabrina still had to get out of her lease, but thought she could, for a small fee. And Annie was getting out of the hospital in a week. She was going to spend a week or two at their dad's. And once Sabrina and Candy got the house ready, they could move in.

“That works for us,” Sabrina confirmed. They were going to be busy, helping Annie, keeping an eye on their father, and moving in. Sabrina suddenly realized that it was lucky Candy had told her agency that she was taking the month of August off. And the rest of July. Sabrina had to go back to work the following week, and would be swamped, as usual, once she did.

“I can try and get it for you sooner, if you like,” the realtor offered. “I think he's staying at his beach house, and he leaves for Europe in a couple of weeks.”

“That might be a good idea,” Sabrina agreed. “We need to move in pretty soon. My sister gets out of the hospital in a week.”

“Is she sick?” The realtor looked surprised.

“She was in an accident over the Fourth of July weekend,” Sabrina said solemnly, not wanting to give her the details. “That's how she lost her sight.”

“Oh, I'm so sorry. When you said she was blind, I didn't realize it was so recent, I thought… The three of you are moving in together?”

“Until she gets used to things. It's going to be a big adjustment for her.”

“I can certainly see that,” the woman said sympathetically, and was even more inclined to help. “I'll talk to the owner and see what he says. It's nice of you girls to move in with her,” she said, looking touched. Her early slightly hard edge had softened instantly and disappeared in the face of what they were doing.

“Of course. We're sisters,” Candy said.

“Not all sisters are that close,” the agent said. “I haven't seen mine in twenty years.”

“How sad,” Candy said.

“What do we have to sign?” Sabrina asked.

“It's a standard lease, first and last months' rent, and security deposit. I don't think he wants a big security. I'll write it all up and have it sent to your office.”

“I'm not in this week. I'm in Connecticut at my dad's. I could drive in and pick it up.”

“I can have it ready for you by tomorrow.”

“That's fine,” Sabrina confirmed. She wanted to spend a night with Chris anyway, and Candy could hold the fort for one night. “Do you need all our signatures?”

“Just yours will be fine for now. We can add the others when you're all back in town, if that's easier for you.”

“It is. I'll get the others to you next week.” They shook hands on the deal, took another walk around the house, and liked it even better the second time. Five minutes later they were back in the car, chortling with glee. They could hardly wait to tell Annie. Sabrina called Chris from the car, and he was happy for them. He said he couldn't wait to see it. And they were going to tell Tammy as soon as she got off the plane.

Their father was out when they got home, although he had taken several weeks off from work. Sabrina made lunch, which Candy didn't eat, and she scolded her for it.

“You're not working right now. You don't need to starve.”

“I'm not starving. I'm just not hungry. It's the heat.”

“You didn't have breakfast either.” Candy looked annoyed, and got up to make some calls on her cell phone. She didn't like anyone keeping track of what she ate, or didn't. It was a sensitive subject with her, and had been for years. She even got mad at their mom whenever she used to mention it. She had started starving at seventeen, when her modeling career took off.

They went to see Annie at the hospital at two, and when they got there, she was asleep. She stirred when she heard them walk into the room.

“It's us,” Sabrina said, smiling at her, which Annie couldn't see, but she could hear the excitement in her voice.

“I know it's you. I can smell your perfume, and I can hear the bracelets on Candy's arm.” Sabrina didn't comment, but in subtle ways Annie was already instinctively adjusting to her disability, which seemed like a good thing, if you could call it that. Her hearing and other senses seemed to be getting more acute.

“We have a surprise for you,” Candy chortled with a grin.

“That's nice,” Annie said, looking glum. “Lately the surprises haven't been so good.” They would all agree with her on that. But they were hoping that hearing about the house would cheer her up. “What have you been up to?”

“We just got back from the city,” Sabrina explained. “We went right after Tammy left. She said to give you a kiss. So, kiss.” Annie smiled, and waited for the rest. “We went to see a house.”

“A house?” She looked suddenly panicked. “Is Dad moving to the city?” She didn't want everything to change so soon. She loved her parents' house, and staying there when she came to visit. She didn't want him to sell it, and hoped he wouldn't.

“Of course not,” Sabrina went on. “We went to look at a house for us.”

“Are you and Chris getting married, or moving in together?” She looked confused, and Sabrina laughed. Finding the perfect house for them on the first shot had been a major victory.

“Nope. Not now anyway. This is a house for you, me, and Candy. For a year, while you get organized, and… well… used to things.” She tried to be delicate about it. “And a year from now, you can figure out what you want to do. You can get rid of us if you want. Or we can rent another place. This one's only available for a year anyway. It's really cute. On East Eighty-fourth Street.”

“What am I going to do there?” She looked mournful and hopeless as she said it.

“Go to school, maybe. Whatever you need to do this year to get independent.” Sabrina was trying to be upbeat about the changes she'd have to make. They weren't even fully aware of what they were yet. They were waiting for her treatment plan for when she'd be released.

“I was independent, up to a week ago. Now I'm going to be like a two-year-old, if that.”

“No, you're not. We want to be your roommates, Annie, not your jailers. You can come and go as you please.”

“And how do you think I'm going to do that? With a white stick?” she said, as tears filled her eyes. “I don't know how to use one.” As she said it, all three of them thought of the people they had seen trying to cross the street in heavy traffic, and needing assistance. “I'd rather be dead. Maybe I'll just stay at Dad's.” It sounded like the kiss of death to them. Even their dad would be going back to work in a few weeks, and she'd be alone at the house all day, unable to escape.

“You'll die of boredom out here. You'll be much better off in the city, with us.” She could at least take cabs to get around.

“No, I won't. I'll be a burden to you. Forever probably. Why don't you just put me in an institution somewhere and forget me?”

“I might have liked that when I was fifteen and you were seven. But I think it's a little late for that. Come on, Annie. Let's try and make the best of this. It would be fun living together. Candy is going to rent the penthouse for a year, and I'll get out of my lease. And Tammy can come and visit for long weekends. Look at the opportunity. We keep talking about how much we miss being together. This is probably the only chance we'll ever have to do it. For a year. One year. And then we all grow up forever.”

Annie shook her head as she lay in the hospital bed, looking morbid. “I want to go back to Italy. I've been trying to get hold of Charlie. He can stay with me at my place. I don't want to live here.”

“You don't want to be in Florence on your own,” Sabrina tried to reason with her. This truly was an idea that would work, if Annie would only agree to do it. And Charlie was history. She just didn't know it, and Sabrina didn't want to be the one to tell her. Annie had been trying all morning to reach him on his cell phone. She mentioned it to Sabrina, and her oldest sister couldn't help wondering if he had turned off his cell gether?” She looked confused, and Sabrina laughed. Finding the perfect house for them on the first shot had been a major victory.

“Nope. Not now anyway. This is a house for you, me, and Candy. For a year, while you get organized, and… well… used to things.” She tried to be delicate about it. “And a year from now, you can figure out what you want to do. You can get rid of us if you want. Or we can rent another place. This one's only available for a year anyway. It's really cute. On East Eighty-fourth Street.”

“What am I going to do there?” She looked mournful and hopeless as she said it.

“Go to school, maybe. Whatever you need to do this year to get independent.” Sabrina was trying to be upbeat about the changes she'd have to make. They weren't even fully aware of what they were yet. They were waiting for her treatment plan for when she'd be released.

“I was independent, up to a week ago. Now I'm going to be like a two-year-old, if that.”

“No, you're not. We want to be your roommates, Annie, not your jailers. You can come and go as you please.”

“And how do you think I'm going to do that? With a white stick?” she said, as tears filled her eyes. “I don't know how to use one.” As she said it, all three of them thought of the people they had seen trying to cross the street in heavy traffic, and needing assistance. “I'd rather be dead. Maybe I'll just stay at Dad's.” It sounded like the kiss of death to them. Even their dad would be at her. “I can figure it out for myself.” She was crying again, and Sabrina was near tears herself, in frustration.

“Don't make it so hard for yourself. Come on, Annie. This is going to be hard enough. Let us help.”

“No!” Annie said, and rolled over in bed with her back to them. Sabrina and Candy exchanged a long look and said nothing. “And don't look at each other like that!” she shouted. Sabrina jumped when she said it.

“So now you've got eyes in the back of your head? You have your back to us. And pardon me for mentioning it, but you're blind, so how do you know what we're doing?”

“I know you!” she said angrily, and Sabrina chuckled.

“You know, you're as big a brat as you were when you were seven. You used to spy on me, you little shit, and tell Mom.”

“So did Tammy.”

“I know, but you were worse. And she always believed you, even when you lied.”

She still had her back to them, but Sabrina could hear her laughing in her bed.

“So are you still going to be a brat, or are you going to be reasonable? Candy and I found a great house, and I think you'd love it. We all would. And it would be fun to live together.”

“Nothing I do is ever going to be fun again.”

“I doubt that,” Sabrina said sternly. She couldn't wait to hear from the shrink. Annie needed one badly. They all did. And maybe she could tell them how to deal with Annie. “I'm signing the lease tomorrow night. And if we lose this house because you're having a tantrum, I'll be really pissed.” She had a right to more than a tantrum, but Sabrina figured that maybe being firm with her would work best. All she wanted to do was put her arms around her and hold her, but maybe Annie needed something stronger than that. Hard as it was to do, they couldn't let her wallow in feeling sorry for herself.

“I'll think about it,” was all Annie would say, and she wouldn't turn around to face them. “Go away. Leave me alone.”

“Do you mean that?” Sabrina looked shocked, and Candy hadn't said a word. She had always hated Annie's temper. For her, Annie was the big sister who had given her a hard time when she was growing up. They were five years apart.

“Yes,” Annie said sadly. She hated the world.

Sabrina and Candy stayed for another half-hour and tried to jolly her out of her black mood, without success. And finally they took her at her word and left, promising to be back later, if she called them and wanted them to come back, or tomorrow.

Both sisters talked about it on the way home. Sabrina thought that maybe it was a good sign that she was angry. And she had no one else to take it out on but them. In truth, she was railing at the fates that had taken her mother from her in one fell swoop, and left her blind. They had been cruel fates indeed.

“What'll we do about the house?” Candy asked, sounding worried. “What if she won't move in with us?”

“She will,” Sabrina said calmly. “She doesn't really have a lot of choice.”

“That's sad.” Candy was feeling sorry for her again.

“Yes, it is. The whole thing is sad. For her, for Dad, for us. But we have to make the best of it.” She was still excited about the house they had found. It was perfect for them. “She'll come around,” Sabrina said, hoping it was true.

When they got home, she found a message from the shrink. Sabrina called her back, told her what had happened, and she agreed to come out from the city to see Annie. She said her practice was in New York, but in special circumstances, she made exceptions and visited patients where they were. Annie's circumstances sounded special enough to her. She promised to come out on Wednesday, and was encouraged to hear that they were moving to the city in the next few weeks. She had time to take Annie on as a patient and sounded interested in her case. Sabrina was relieved, and thought she sounded nice on the phone. She had been highly recommended by Annie's surgeon.

Sabrina left a message on Tammy's cell phone then to tell her they got the house. And she spent the rest of the afternoon returning calls and making notes. She called her office and checked in, then called her landlord about how to go about releasing her apartment. It sounded like a fairly simple procedure to her. She explained the circumstances to them, and they were sympathetic and helpful.

They didn't visit Annie again till the next day. When they got there, a nurse was walking her down the hall, and Annie didn't look happy. She sensed them before they greeted her. She took Sabrina's arm then, and they walked back to her room. She looked skittish, and was anxious about bumping into things. More than ever, seeing her out of her room made her sisters realize how vulnerable she was. She was like a turtle without a shell. She was very quiet once back in her room, and then finally she told them. She had spoken to Charlie. She looked sad the moment she said it, and they both knew why.

“He was in Greece, and he said his phone wasn't getting reception till now.” She hesitated and then went on. “He said he met someone else. That's cute, isn't it? I left Florence less than two weeks ago, and he was madly in love with me. And within days, he meets someone else. He was a shit on the phone. He didn't want to talk. I guess he went to Greece with her.” Two tears crept down her cheeks as she said it, and Sabrina gently brushed them away.

“Guys are shits sometimes. I guess women are too. People can be. That was a lousy thing to do to you.” Even lousier than she knew.

“Yeah, it was. I didn't tell him that I'm blind, so it wasn't that. I told him about the accident though, and that Mom had died. But I said I was okay. I didn't want him to feel sorry for me. If everything had been okay with us, I would have told him. So he could decide if he was okay with it. But I never got that far. He told me almost as soon as he answered.” Listening to her, Sabrina decided it was better that way. And she was glad she'd called and warned him. If Annie had told him, and he'd rejected her, it would have been much worse. This way she thought she'd gotten dumped like anyone else. Rotten luck. And bad behavior on his part. But not the mortal blow of a man who no longer wanted her because she was blind. Losing him was for the best. He clearly wasn't a good guy.

“I'm sorry, Annie,” Sabrina said, and Candy told her there would be other guys, and he was obviously a jerk.

“There won't be other guys for me now. No one wants a woman who's blind,” she said, feeling sorry for herself. Sabrina decided not to tell her yet about the shrink, but she was glad that she was coming to see Annie.

“Yes, there will,” Sabrina said gently. “You're just as beautiful and smart and nice as you were before. None of that has changed.”

“You know, I get dumped all the time,” Candy added, and both of her sisters laughed. It was hard to believe that with looks like hers. “A lot of the guys I go out with are assholes. Some guys our age just are. They don't know what they want. They love you today, and want someone else tomorrow. Or they just want to get laid, or get into a party. There are a lot of users out there.” Sabrina realized it was probably one of the standard features of Candy's life. A lot of people wanted to use her. And she was young to handle all that. And Tammy wasn't having an easy time either with men her age and older. Men could be tough at any age.

“You two make me glad I'm not that young. I'd forgotten what jerks guys in their twenties are. I went out with some lulus before I met Chris.”

After that Candy and Annie talked for a while about the horrors of dating, but underneath the joking around, Sabrina could see that Annie was profoundly sad. Charlie dumping her summarily, supposedly for someone else, had been a blow, especially now. She had been so sure that he was the right one. She had almost been ready to move back to New York for him. Sabrina didn't remind her of that.

“It won't kill you to live with us for a while. Besides, it might be fun.”

“It won't be fun,” Annie said stubbornly. “Nothing is ever going to be fun again.”

“Tell me that in six months when you're dating some other guy.”

“There won't ever be another guy,” Annie said sadly, and they could both see that she believed it.

“Okay,” Sabrina said, “I accept that challenge. Today is July fourteenth, Bastille Day. I hereby bet you a hundred dollars that six months from now, which will be January fourteenth, you will either have been dating someone for a while, or will be starting to date someone. A hundred bucks says you'll be dating again. And Candy is our witness. You're gonna owe me a hundred bucks, Annie, so you'd better start saving your money.”

“You're on,” her sister said. “I will bet you that in six months, or six years, I won't have had a date yet.”

“The bet is for six months,” Sabrina said firmly. “If you want a six-year bet, I'm going to charge you a hell of a lot more money. You can't afford it. Take the bet for six months. And remember, you're going to owe me a hundred bucks. Dead-ass certain.”

Annie was lying in bed, smiling. She was depressed about Charlie, but she enjoyed being with her sisters. Even now they made her feel better. Tammy had called her when she got back to L.A. the night before, and had even made her laugh with stories about Juanita, and some crazy guy she sat next to on the plane.

They left her a little while later and went back to the house. Before they left the hospital, Sabrina told her that she was going into the city to sign their lease.

“I haven't said I'd do it,” she said petulantly, still looking depressed, although better than when they'd arrived. She was understandably upset about Charlie. But at least now she wasn't trying to rush back to Florence. Being there alone and blind would have been impossible for her, and she knew it. But she insisted that she didn't want to give up her apartment in Florence. Sabrina told her to discuss that with their father. It was up to him, and she knew Annie's apartment there was dirt cheap so maybe he'd let her.

“Well, if you don't move in with us,” Sabrina told her, “then Candy and I will live together and you'll miss out.” Annie smiled slowly as she said it.

“Okay, okay… we'll see. I'll think about it.”

“I can promise you one thing, Annie Adams,” Sabrina said as they stood up to leave. “If you don't come to live with us, you'll miss out on the time of your life. We're great to live with.”

“No, you're not.” Annie laughed at her and looked straight at her as though she could see her. “I lived with you until I was ten years old, and I can tell you, you are a giant pain in the ass. And Candy is not a lot better. She is the messiest human on the planet.” They all knew that she had been for years, but she seemed to have improved lately.

“I am not anymore!” Candy said, sounding insulted. “Besides, we need a maid if we're going to live together. I am not going to clean house.”

“Gee, maid service too… now that is something to think about,” Annie said, grinning. “I'll let you know,” she said grandly, sounding more like herself for the first time.

“You do that,” Sabrina said, kissed her, and walked out of the room with Candy right behind her. Sabrina turned to wink at Candy, who gave her a thumbs-up. Annie was going to do it. She had no other choice.