Since Brian didn’t have work on Monday because of the holiday, he suggested that they spend the day together as a family. Not just because they’d all been through so much lately, but Harper had to go back to Sundham, and Gemma was set to begin her junior year the next day.
Gemma thought it sounded perfect. After her clandestine visit to Daniel’s yesterday, she’d spent the rest of the afternoon with Alex. So it’d be great to spend the day with her family.
It was the last official day of the summer season, and most things were closing early. It also meant that the tourists were heading out. The At Summer’s End Festival had made the past week the busiest of the year, and now, with the crowds dispersing, it made Capri feel almost like a ghost town. But that was definitely a nice thing.
Gemma, Harper, and their dad took a walk down to the beach, grateful not to wade through kids or suntanning ladies or discarded beer cans. They tried skipping pebbles on the water, which didn’t work at all, but at least it was fun to try.
For lunch, they went to Pearl’s Diner, and they talked and laughed about old times. It wasn’t until then—when they were laughing so hard that Harper couldn’t breathe, and Brian’s face was turning red—that Gemma realized how long it had been since she’d seen either of them so happy.
This summer had weighed on them so heavily, but even before that, her sister and her dad had gotten so caught up in trying to take care of everything that they’d almost forgotten to have fun and be happy.
When they went back home, Brian decided to teach them how to play poker, insisting it would be a useful skill for them in later life. Harper took to the game right away, and it didn’t take long before she’d completely wiped both Gemma and Brian out of the pennies they’d been playing with.
By then, it was starting to get late, so Harper went up to pack her bag to return to college. Gemma was sitting in the living room with her dad, watching an old Rocky movie he’d seen a hundred times before, when something slid through the mail slot in the door.
“What the heck is that?” Brian asked. “We don’t get mail on Labor Day.”
“I’ll get it.” Gemma held up her hand, stopping him before he got out of his chair, and she went over to retrieve a single slip of paper on the floor.
At first, Gemma thought it was a postcard, except it looked so warped and worn. But as soon as she picked it up, she knew exactly what it was.
It was an old photograph of Gemma, Harper, and their mom, taken shortly before the accident when their mom still lived at home. It had been on her bedside table for years, but when Gemma ran away to join the sirens, she’d taken it with her, which was how it’d gotten so damaged. But she’d forgotten it at Sawyer’s house when she escaped.
Gemma turned it over, and on the back in lovely handwriting, a message had been scrawled.
Found this in a junk drawer with Lexi’s old stuff. Thought you might want it back. Thanks for setting me free. —Thea
“What’s that?” Harper asked as she came down the stairs behind her.
“Thea was just returning something I’d lost.” Gemma held it up for Harper to see.
“Did you take that with you when you ran away?” Harper asked.
Gemma nodded as her sister handed the picture back. “I accidentally forgot it, and somehow Thea found it again.”
“That was nice of her to give it back. But I would’ve thought she’d left town by now.”
“Me, too,” Gemma agreed.
“Where do you think she’s going?”
Gemma shrugged. “Anywhere she wants.”
“I should get going now.” Harper turned toward the living room when she spoke, and Brian muted the TV and got out of his chair.
“Did you get any homework done?” he asked as he walked over to where she and Gemma stood by the front door.
“Some, but I have plenty left to do,” Harper admitted bleakly. “Fortunately, it’s still really early in the semester, so I have time to get my grades up.”
“So you probably won’t be able to visit for a while,” Brian said.
“For a little bit, I probably shouldn’t,” Harper agreed. “But you know me; I can’t stay away for too long.”
She faced Gemma and embraced her tightly. They didn’t hug that often, but this time, they were both slow to let go of each other.
“Thanks for coming home to save me,” Gemma whispered.
“What are sisters for?” Harper asked with a small laugh.
“I love you.”
“I love you, too,” Harper said, and finally released her. She hugged her dad, and he gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. “’Bye, Dad.”
He held the front door open for her. “Drive safely, and call me this week to let me know how things are going in school.”
“Will do.”
Harper went outside and walked across the lawn to her Sable, parked in the driveway. Gemma almost wanted to follow her out and wait on the steps and watch her go, like she did when she was little, and her mom dropped her off at day care.
But she didn’t. She just let her sister go and closed the door.
FIFTY-SEVEN
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