Ralphie’s tongue, his arms, the feel of his fingers lightly gripping my hair… It was nothing I’d ever experienced before. I wanted life outside to disappear. I could have happily stayed locked in that moment forever.

But life didn’t cease or fly away.

It didn’t even stand still.

Daddy started hollering my name, and Ralphie jumped away from me faster than a jackrabbit.

I scrambled off his lap and tugged my shirt straight, patting down my hair and trying to quell the desire pulsing through me. The look in his eyes had heat shooting straight down to my lady parts. I gave him a quivering smile and touched my lips.

He winked at me, and I had to control the urge to giggle.

“Veronica! You in here?”

“Yeah, Daddy. I’m up here.”

Daddy appeared below us and I peeked down to wave at him. He gave me one of his unabashed smiles. “Mama’s gotten over her surprise now. I was thinking maybe you could find your sister, try to talk her around.”

Daddy swallowed, a somber sound that hurt my heart.

“I’m not sure…” He sighed, playing with the bill of his tattered baseball cap. “The end’s close now. I can feel it. She needs to go and be at peace, and we both know that ain’t happening until…” He nodded.

My jaw worked to the side, my forehead crinkling as I tried to deny the tears that constantly lurked in the background.

Mama had written her letters and kissed us all good-bye, but she wouldn’t slip away until she’d spoken to her eldest daughter. She may not have realized it, but Daddy and I knew that was why she was hanging on.

I cleared my throat and walked to the ladder, quickly descending before my legs gave out. Ralphie followed me down, surprising my father.

“I didn’t realize you were up there, son.” Daddy eyed the bass guitarist.

“Yes, sir. I just wanted to make sure Ronnie was okay.”

Daddy’s eyebrows rose at the shortening of my name, but a soft smile nudged at his lips. He pulled his cap on and turned for the door without saying more. I glanced up at Ralphie, the grave situation not strong enough to completely kill the buzz on my lips.

I smiled at him then walked through the door, knowing exactly where to find my big sister.

She was sitting on the fence by the new barn, the one we’d built the year before she left. Whenever we were upset, I always ran for the old…Nessa sped straight toward the new. The fence that ran along the front of it looked out across two paddocks and down to the stream. It was Nessa’s thinking spot.

I approached her quietly, but she sensed me coming anyway.

She glanced over her shoulder and frowned. “Here to tell more lies?”

I swung my leg over the fence and perched beside her. “I’m sorry. I was worried if I told you the truth that you wouldn’t come. Mama’s too pig-headed to ever admit she wanted to see you again, and you can be just as bad.” I sighed.

Nessa was really quiet for a second, then did this heartbreaking little sniffle and whispered, “She hates me. She’s always hated me.”

I gazed at my sister’s profile. Her bunched chin and crinkled forehead made her look like she was just a little kid, fighting her tears and trying to be strong. My eyes glassed over and I struggled to breathe even as I tried to figure out what to say.

I always knew their relationship had been fractured, but I never thought… How could she believe…

“She cried, you know.”

“What?” Nessa looked at me. The dark makeup beneath her eyes had smudged, making her look like a gothic horror queen.

I swallowed and reached for my sister’s hand. Her white knuckles were tense beneath my soft touch. “When we heard about your accident…and that you lost your hand… She cried for like three days straight.”

My sister went still, her quivering jaw working to the side. “Is that the truth?”

“Yes,” I breathed, sucking in a sob before wrapping my arm around her shoulders. “I tried to get her to call you, but she wouldn’t. She said you’d made your choice and you wouldn’t want to hear from her.” I pressed my forehead against Nessa’s cheek. “I just think she was plain old scared to admit she never should have let you go. She’ll always be your mama, and she loves you.”

Nessa didn’t say anything, just went really still again like she forgot how to breathe or something.

I sat up and gazed at her. “Mama will always win first prize for being stubborn, especially when it comes to you.”

Nessa snickered then shook her head with a sad smile.

“But I wouldn’t have come all the way to LA if I didn’t think she needed to see you. She’s been hanging on…and I’m convinced that you’re the only one who can help her go.”

My sister shuddered, and I gripped her shoulder even tighter.

The sun was reflecting off the stream in the distance, looking like sparkling jewels in the water. I stared at it until my vision blurred. Finally, my sister whispered, “Will you come with me?”

“You know I will.” I smiled at her.