I dropped onto a chair across from her, piling the books on the edge of a crowded table beside me. “I never realized that.”
“And did you forget about Adam? He’s the foreman at Broken Spoke Ranch. He’s got a ton of pull. We could’ve helped you.”
I didn’t know Dahlia’s new boyfriend well, but I’d heard of him around town, and she was right that people seemed to respect him. But my family had always talked a big game about supporting one another without actually coming through. When it came time for action, they usually dropped the ball. I thought back to all of the times my mom promised to make cupcakes for middle school fundraisers, only to “forget” because she had to finish a project. Or the time my father had skipped helping with my Boy Scout go-kart project to go to an art show. The truth was that the only person I knew I could rely on was me.
“I don’t know, Dahl, you have to admit that sometimes you’re a little flighty…”
“Please.” She made a disgusted noise. “That might have been true back when we were younger, but I’ve changed. I wish you could see that.”
“Well, then how come you refuse to do anything about Mom?”
It was a conversation that was a long time coming but neither of us wanted to have. I braced myself for her answer, since she was going to be shouldering all of the day-to-day responsibility now that I was leaving.
“You mean her… forgetfulness?” She asked it tentatively, like she didn’t want to admit that it was happening.
I nodded.
Dahlia’s face went grim. “I really hadn’t noticed it the first time you brought it up. But since then, I’ve been paying more attention… and I think you’re right. You might be shocked to hear that I’ve already looked into a few doctors. I like Dr. Murphy, but after all these years going to him, I think he’s too close to Mom and Dad to be objective. I found a few memory specialists closer to Denver we could try. Now, it’s just a matter of convincing them that we need to go.”
I studied my sister with a new appreciation. Sure, she had all of the arty passion our parents had, but it seemed like she really had changed. She was… balanced.
“Wow. I’m impressed,” I said.
She frowned at me. “Why? Because I’m stepping up to take care of a loved one?”
“A little. I mean, I always thought you were like Mom and Dad, you know? All… driven by your passions. Sometimes it seemedto me like you three blocked out the real world to focus on them.”
Dahlia snorted. “Geez, tell me how you really feel, Dec.”
“Sorry, but it’s the truth. I’m not built like that. I know how to keep my head on straight.”
Except when it came to falling for a certain cowgirl.
“Yeah, no kidding, Mr. Logic and Science. But have you ever stopped to think that there can be a middle ground between following your heart and completely ignoring it? I mean, look at me. Sure, I stay up all night creating murals in my garage when the mood strikes me, but I also know how to run a classroom, make a year-long lesson plan, deal with school politics, and charm the kids’ parents. I figured out how to tame that ‘gotta do what I love’ gene with some real-world practicalities like holding down a job, buying a house, and paying my bills. I merged them, Dec. I love art, but I don’t bury myself in it, and I don’t lose sight of my responsibilities to my job. That’s why I’m damn good at it, just like you are.”
I sighed. “Doesn’t feel that way at the moment.”
She rolled her eyes in a move so reminiscent of her twelve-year-old self that I almost laughed. “You know you’re an awesome vet. You’ve always been terrific with animals. And hey, you know why?”
“Why?” I asked obediently.
“It’s because you love them. Your passionisanimals and you turned it into your career. See? You found the middle ground too!”
“Yeah, I guess.”
Dahlia scanned me through narrowed eyes from the top of my head to my work boots. “Something else is going on with you. More than just not getting the practice. What’s wrong?”
Dahlia and I hadn’t hung out much since I’d been back, and I’d forgotten how perceptive my sister was. Or maybe it was the fact that I felt more down than I’d ever been, and it was as obvious as the perma-frown on my face. I needed to distract her with something else.
“Oh, hey. I have something for you.” I went into the kitchen to find the box that’d been delivered to the vet clinic before I left. “Dammit, where did I—” There, next to Ford’s treat jar and a box of my kitchen utensils, was what I was looking for. Grabbing it, I returned to my sister and handed the small box to her.
“What’s this?” Dahlia asked, lifting the flaps on the open box.
“The gloves you’ve been asking me to get for you. I’m so sorry it took me so long to order them.”
She grinned at me. “You’ve had your head pretty far up your ass for a while now. But that’s okay. I forgive you.” Dahlia looked inside. “Two boxes? I only asked for one.”
I shrugged. “Like you so eloquently put it, I’ve been… distracted. I figured these should last you a while. Let me know when you start to get low and I’ll be sure to order replacements.”
