Tulli sat on a chair by the side of Tuck’s pool watching Lara and Mischa in the water. Joel was also in his swimming shorts, sitting on the side, but he seemed to have appointed himself as lifeguard for the session, as all the other men had gone into a meeting with Tuck.
Mischa was continually smiling and laughing, but still, a week after the dramatic rescue that had brought them back to America, she had yet to speak to anyone, or even make eye contact with anyone properly.
The closest she had come to communicating with anyone was with Joel, when she would giggle at his jokes, and even hold his hand.
Tulli worried what would happen to her if she never improved beyond this point. Not that Tulli would ever leave Mischa to fend for herself, not as long as there was air in Tulli’s lungs and a beating heart in her chest.
But then she had to consider that she was eight years older than Mischa. What if Mischa outlived her and Lara? What then?
“Mischa is looking very relaxed today.” Charlie’s voice made her jump, lost in her thoughts as she’d been.
“Sorry, Tulli.” Charlie apologised. “I didn’t realise you hadn’t heard me coming.”
Tulli blushed as she smiled.
“It wasn’t your fault, Charlie. I was in a world of my own.” She explained. “I spend a lot of time with my own thoughts, these days.”
“I’ve noticed that.” Charlie stared at her intently. “And have your thoughts taken you forward at all? Or do they keep taking you back to Colombia?”
Tulli smiled at the astute young African American.
“A few times they’ve taken me back there.” She admitted. “But my conversations with Gregor have proved most effective at helping me make sense of what happened to us. Mostly my thoughts turn to what the future holds for the three of us. It’s almost as scary as what happened in the past, albeit in a completely different way. The past can’t hurt us anymore, but the future is one great big unknown.”
“You seem to spend a lot of time on the phone to Gregor.” Charlie smiled. “And afterwards, you seem to have found a happy place.”
Tulli blushed, as she glanced back at the pool.
“I guess we’ve formed a strange connection.” She admitted. “Maybe we were both in need of someone to talk to, and we found each other at the right time.”
“If you don’t mind me saying, you and Gregor seem to have found a lot more in each other than a friend to talk to.” Charlie pointed out. “You seem to have discovered something a lot more meaningful than that. Everyone around the two of you can see that.”
Tulli didn’t want to lie about her own feelings for Gregor, but nor did she want to presume that Gregor’s feelings for her were anywhere near as strong.
“My mother would have described us as ‘kindred spirits’. People who simply connect for no apparent reason.” She smiled.
“Oh, I think there’s plenty of reason for the two of you to connect.” Charlie smiled. “You and your sisters have a delicate beauty that can be seen from a hundred paces. And then when a person gets up close, you have those fascinating grey eyes, always changing from light to dark depending on your mood. They’re quite beguiling.”
“Why, Charlie!” Tulli chuckled quietly. “If you hadn’t been looking straight at Lara when you said that, I would almost have accused you of flirting with me.”
Charlie’s eyes shot to hers, and his cheeks reddened with embarrassment.
“It’s Ok, Charlie.” Tulli said quietly. “You’re not the only observant one around here. And I’m not so absorbed in my own drama that I can’t see what is going on right in front of me.”
Charlie looked down at his hands.
“I’m amazed you found anything to see.” He shrugged. “There’s nothing been happening that would cause you to comment, I’m sure.”
“Charlie, I’ve seen the way you look at Lara.” Tulli leaned forward to get his attention. “And I’ve seen the glances she throws your way when she thinks you’re not looking.”
Charlie glanced up, frowning.
“Really?” He asked.
“Charlie, Lara suffered every bit as much as I did, and as much as Mischa did.” She explained. “You can see what it’s done to Mischa. Maybe I’ve handled it better because I’m older… I don’t know. Maybe it’s going to come back to haunt me in six months or a year from now. We all process these things differently.”
Charlie nodded his understanding.
“Lara is somewhere in between, I think. Not so traumatised that she can’t function, but not able to put it behind her yet so that she can move on.” Tulli glanced around to watch both of her sisters. “Maybe because she and Mischa were always so close she’s suffering twice as much. Once because Mischa was affected so badly, and a second time because she was unable to protect her. Lord knows I had those thoughts for months, the guilt that as the oldest I should have looked after them.”
“There was nothing any of you could have done, Tulli.” Charlie reached over and lay his hand on Tulli’s arm. “You were all helpless, and unable to protect yourselves, let alone each other.”
“I know that, and I’ve come to terms with what happened, and to a large degree, I’ve stopped blaming myself.” Tulli nodded. “Lara’s not quite at that point yet. She’s not ready to let anyone in just yet.”
Charlie glanced back at the pool, his brows drawn low over his eyes, and Tulli could almost feel the sadness radiating from him.
“Charlie, you seem to have missed the one most important word in what I just said.” Tulli put her hand over his, as Charlie looked back at her.
“I said ‘yet’, Charlie. Lara’s not ready ‘yet’.” Tulli smiled. “Now, I don’t know how busy your schedule is, but if you’ve got a patient nature, and you’re willing to persevere, then I don’t think your efforts will go unrewarded. Not that I can put a timeline on it, mind you. But I do think Lara’s recovery is linked in some way to the improvement in Mischa. We’re not unrealistic, in that we’re not expecting a miracle recovery. But just seeing her so happy, the way she’s been the last few days with Joel’s visits, does the world of good to lift my spirits and Lara’s too.”
“We had a brief conversation about our friendship a couple of days ago.” Charlie stared out at the pool. “I told her I had no plans to go anywhere soon.”
“Well, that is good to hear.” Tulli smiled. “Be patient and be gentle, Charlie, and I think your efforts will ultimately be rewarded.”
Charlie turned his head and stared into Tulli’s face for a few seconds.
“I can see why Gregor can spend hours talking to you, Tulli.” He smiled. “Thank you for the pep talk. I’ll take your suggestions on board, and I’ll give Lara all the space and time she needs.”
“I’m glad to hear it, Charlie.” Tulli smiled. “But don’t give her too much space, will you. Lara needs to know you’re there, and she needs to be able to feel your strength, without feeling coddled. It’s a fine line to walk, but if anyone can do it, I have a feeling it will be you.”
Charlie seemed to sit straighter and puff his chest out at her little bit of praise.
“Why don’t you go and have a swim, and let Joel join in the fun.” Tulli suggested. “He’s been on self-imposed lifeguard duty for an hour or more, so I’m sure he’d like time off for good behaviour.”
Tulli watched Charlie wander to speak to Joel, before going off to change into some shorts.
Lara stared in her direction, and Tulli could almost see the questions on her sister’s face.
“Oh, Lara.” Tulli smiled to herself. “If you’re as curious and possibly as jealous as you seem to be, then maybe you’re further along the road to recovery than I thought!”