Until There Was You(104)

Kate smiled. “Okay, let’s talk this thing to death and then bury it. Liam the Sex God dumped you. You didn’t see it coming, should have, are now miserable. What’s next?”

“I have no idea. Back to the grind, I guess.”

For the past couple of days, Posey had been living the cliché of pathetic female, and it was getting old. She’d skipped work—first time ever. Screened phone calls. Didn’t turn on the computer and futz around on Facebook. She had, however, ordered three hundred and eleven dollars’ worth of skin care from the Home Shopping Network.

But life was waiting. Her dad had called, wondering how she was doing. No word from her mother, though Max had made sure to say “your mother and I miss you” and all that. But seeing them was just too tiring to think about right now. The whole birth-mother thing… Nothing had really changed, except that her parents had kept a secret from her, and she knew slightly more than she once did about her biological mother and father. Still, it gave a throb every now and then, now that she had names and a few slivers of information. But it would fade. As for Gretchen’s issues with Dante…who really cared? Posey had had enough of her cousin. The boys were getting ready for little Betty, and she didn’t want to be Debbie Downer in light of all their happiness.

So she’d been cleaning, which was rather uncharacteristic. Not that the church was a sty or anything, but it was cluttered with stuff she thought she might want someday—a gilt Victorian mirror, a bank of post-office boxes, the statue of the elephant. She moved what she could onto the truck, called Mac for help—at least he would never ask her about her love life—and brought some stuff to Irreplaceable. The rest—the angel with the broken arms, the shabby little lead-paned window, the sundial with no dial—she took to the dump, and even though it was hard, she left it there.

Not everything was worth holding on to.

“Posey, the right guy will come along,” Kate said with uncharacteristic gentleness. “Now, do you want James to give us pedicures? James! Come here, hon!”

The boy appeared in the doorway. “Mom, no. No pedicures. I’m establishing boundaries.” He smiled at Posey. “Hi, Pose.”

“Hi, James,” she said. “You’re a good kid.”

“So I hear. I was eavesdropping.”

“An underrated life skill.”

“Tell Brianna I said hi,” he said.

“Will do.”

Eventually, Kate pointed out that the Bruins game started in twenty minutes and called Henry to fetch his sister. A few minutes later, he pulled up in his immaculate Volvo and honked the horn. “Thanks for the sympathy,” Posey said, hugging her friend.

“You’re welcome. Buck up, okay?”

“Does the dog have to get in, too?” Henry asked as she and Shilo went out to the car.

“Yes. Any other questions?”

“I guess not,” Henry said, wincing as Shilo squeezed in the backseat, leaving a trail of drool on the headrest.

Posey closed her eyes. Kate was right—enough was enough.

“Heard you broke up with what’s his name,” Henry said, pulling away from the curb.

Posey opened one eye and looked at him. “Yeah.”

“Sorry.”

“Thanks.”

“I heard about the other stuff, too. The birth-mother stuff.”

This warranted the opening of both eyes. “Did you?”

Henry nodded, his perfect features as hard to read as ever. “How are you handling all that?”

“Did Jon tell you to talk to me, Henry?”

He cracked a small smile. “Actually, no. Look, I know you two are close, and that’s great. But I’m your big brother. You can, um…well, whatever little sisters are supposed to do. Talk to me or whatever.” He pulled into her driveway, turned off the engine and looked at her. “I just… I don’t know, Posey. I don’t know what I have to offer, aside from a free knee replacement.” He cleared his throat and reset the odometer. “But you know…you’re my sister. I love you. I’m proud of you. The guy who dumped you is an idiot, and you deserve better. If you need anything…you know.” He glanced at her. “Okay?”

“Henry.”

“What?”

“I love you, too.”

“I know. Now shoo.”

She kissed his cheek and went inside her strangely tidy house, made a sandwich and gave half to Shilo. Went upstairs to finish the model, which she’d brought home to paint. Played “Brother Love’s Salvation Show” on her iPod over and over. When the bell went off at nine, she managed to ignore it pretty well.

“BOSS! HI! YOU LOOK…great? Right? Good to have you back!” Elise gave her a peachy-scented hug, and when she pulled back, her eyes were teary. “Sorry,” she whispered, fumbling for a tissue. “I thought he was, like, super nice.”

“Thanks, hon,” Posey said, touched at her reaction.

Elise blew her nose. “So I took your advice. Registered on Match.com last night.” At that moment, Mac opened the front door. “’Morning, Mac!” Elise sang, not looking at him. Her voice wobbled.

Mac nodded and headed for the back room. Elise looked down.

Posey’s heart twisted. What would it be like, to fall in love with someone who was pathologically shy? Who could barely look at you, let alone speak to you?