Erin returned her smile before the two shared a hug. “I’m really sorry I wasn’t there for you when you needed me, but I’m here now, and I’m not going anywhere. I promise,” she said against her sister’s shoulder.
“It’s okay, I forgive you, and you need to stop beating yourself up about something that you had no control over,” Jules responded.
Erin flashed her a grin.
“I’m going to make Becca’s bottle,” Jules informed her.
“Okay,” she answered simply. “We’ll be here when you get back.”
Jules left them, and Erin went back to entertaining her niece. Becca’s giggles were music to her ears as she tickled her tummy and blew open kisses on her cheeks and forehead. She had been so enraptured by the baby that she hadn’t realized that she wasn’t alone until the knock on the open door caught her attention.
Brian stood there in a green cashmere sweater and gray slacks. His brown hair was combed back from his high forehead, which highlighted the fullness of his cheeks and the angle of his jaw. His emerald eyes, which were set in an oval, stared back at her. The sight of him caused her breath to catch in her throat and her lips to part ever-so-slightly.
“Hi,” he breathed out.
Her heart skipped a few beats in response. She greeted him with a "hi." Her voice came out, sounding a bit breathy. She held Becca close to her body as though she could protect her from the sudden emergence of her feelings brought on by the presence of him.
“What are you doing here?” she managed to ask.
“Um, I know you didn’t ask me to do it, but I found a specialist— a famous one who is willing to take on your case and work with you in coming up with solutions.” He scratched the back of his neck as he waited for her to respond.
Erin stared at him for a long minute before she responded. “You’re right. I didn’t ask you to do that.” She turned her gaze to Baby Becca, who stared back at her with expectation.
“Erin, I’m just trying to help,” Brian reasoned.
“Help who?” she asked, looking back at him with narrowed eyes. “I told you I didn’t want a second opinion. I don’t want to go through this pain again, and you go behind my back and do this. You didn’t do it for me. You did it for yourself.” With each word, her voice rose in anger. Becca began to fuss as she sensed the shift in her aunt’s mood.
“Shh, it’s okay,” she spoke down to the baby, rocking her gently.
“You’re right. I shouldn’t have done that. I’m sorry,” Brian apologized. “It’s just that I’m losing you because you believe I won’t be happy if you can’t give me children. That’s not the case, Erin, but I want to do anything that will give us a chance to be together again,” he went on to explain. When she didn’t reply, he released a frustrated breath. “Am I fighting a losing battle, E?”
At the mention of his nickname for her, Erin’s heart slammed against her chest. She hadn’t heard that name in a while. She was afraid to admit that she’d missed it.
“Do you still love me?” Brian went on to ask, breaking into her thoughts.
Erin looked up at him. His pained expression caused her chest to tighten. “I don’t know anymore,” she whispered apologetically.
The pained expression deepened, his eyes becoming dull at her revelation. “I’m going to… I’m going to go,” he said hoarsely, pointing to the open door before turning and walking toward it. Erin opened her mouth to call him back, but no words came out.
She sighed heavily, and a tear slipped down her cheek.
* * *
Erin quickly squeezed her eyes shut as the salty water approached her face. Before she even opened her eyes, she was already able to hear her sister laughing. Erin immediately started swimming after Jules after she started swimming away from her. As soon as she was finally able to catch up to her, she grabbed her by the leg and began to pull. As Jules struggled to free herself from her hold, she couldn't help but giggle. She rolled onto her back and struggled for a moment before she was able to pry her foot free from her sister's grasp. She then started to tread water. This presented Erin with the opportunity to grab a sufficient amount of water to splash her back. Jules was taken aback, and she mumbled something as the salt water burned her eyes and irritated her throat. When she began to cough uncontrollably, Erin’s laughter died, and she swam closer to her in alarm.
“Are you all right?” she asked worriedly.
Jules gave a small nod, but then, completely out of the blue, she pounced on Erin and pushed her under the water before swimming away. Erin emerged, sputtering. As she looked around for her sister, she dabbed her eyes as best she could to remove the salt water that had gotten in them.
“You are going to pay for that sneak attack Jules,” she threatened.
Jules simply chuckled as she was a few feet away from her. “I’d like to see you try and catch me,” she dared.
Erin smirked. “You do remember I was a champion swimmer back in high school, right?I’ll catch you,” she spoke confidently.
“Wanna bet?” Jules threw back at her, a mischievous glint in her blue eyes. After that, she made a sharp turn and dove beneath the surface of the water, disappearing from Erin's line of sight. Erin couldn't help but crack a grin as she raced off in pursuit of her sister. The two continued their game of cat and mouse for another half hour, enjoying the coolness of the ocean as they swam at their favorite spot off Camano. When they’d grown tired, they returned to the deck of the boat, enjoying the warmth of the sun above their heads as the coolness of the wind blowing against their skins created the perfect temperature for their sunbathing.
“Aren’t you glad you chose to come with me instead of moping around the house?” Jules asked after some time.
