We pause at a fork leading out to the trails. There’s a signpost with six different colorful labeled arrows on it. Four of them point diagonally right (PEACE, SERENITY, TRANQUILITY, ENDURANCE) into the woods and two point left (PATIENCE and LUCK). We head left.

I clear my throat. “So, what’s the sister-bonding plan? What are you thinking? Go to your house and hang there for a while? Rent a car and wander the country from there? Do a sister road trip together?”

Jamie snorts. “Sounds fun. How would you propose bankrolling that trip? I seem to recall you saying something to Donya about having a little bit of savings and then trailing off in a sad mumble.”

I gnaw at my lip. “Doesn’t my greedy, selfish jerk-and-a-half dad work in movies? Doesn’t he have money?”

I stop walking as Jamie causally wanders off into the brush, crunching over branches and leaves. “Do you always refer to Dad with that cute little nickname?”

“Yes. Could he maybe pay for it? As like an I’m sorry I abandoned you gift?”

“I can’t ask Dad to fund something like that,” she says from the foliage.

I fiddle with the end of my braid. “Jamie, I think you’re looking at this wrong. Mom and Dad kind of ruined our childhoods with their terrible family decision-making. Doesn’t it seem reasonable to ask for a small sort of sisterly road trip recompense so we can make some nice memories and really get to know each other?”

Jamie bends at the waist, plunging her hand into what appears to be a pile of leaves. She pops back up, clutching a tall beefy stick.

I sigh. “What are you doing with that stick?”

She beams, making her way back to the trail with it. “Professional hikers use sticks, Sier. You want one?”

“No.”

She holds it out like a trophy. “This is Jonas. We met over there in the mud. He’s divorced.” She places it down against the ground.

“You are so annoying.” I step around her and start walking again. She strolls behind me, using the stick as a sort of hiking cane.

The trail branches off one more time. Diagonally left is PATIENCE and hard left is LUCK. The signs are decorated with cheesy little blurbs about the trails.

Jamie steps up next to me. “We’re doing Luck. It’s Terry’s favorite,” she says. “We’re supposed to close our eyes for ten seconds and set our hike intentions before we head out.” Jamie closes her eyes for a few beats, opens them, winks at me, and skips ahead down the path with Jonas.

“What did I say about winks?” I mumble.

I power walk after her, catching up as we come to an enormous, fallen moss-covered tree blocking the trail. Jamie throws herself over it and waits on the other side while I maneuver slowly so I don’t upset my back.