Kimmy didn’t look in her sister’s direction.

Rae patted the cushion next to her. “You look so pretty. Are you wearing one of your new Lip Smackers?” Rae had given Kimmy a set of Lip Smacker glosses in various flavors for her birthday several months ago—it was a special present, Kimmy treasured it very much, and Rae knew this.

Kimmy glanced sideways at her sister, but offered nothing.

“Are you?” Rae pressed forward. “Which one are you wearing?”

Kimmy sighed through her nose.

“What’s that?” Rae encouraged her gently.

“Root beer,” Kimmy muttered, already feeling far too susceptible to Rae’s attempts at reconciliation.

“It looks really cute.” Rae scooched down the couch so she was closer to Kimmy, and she sidled up to her. She took Kimmy’s hand and pulled it downward so that Kimmy’s face was near hers.

Rae whispered, “I didn’t really mean what I said last night.” Her breath smelled like the maple donut she had just eaten. “Forgive me?”

When Kimmy didn’t respond immediately, Rae tugged needily on her hand, then kissed Kimmy’s fingers like an overzealous admirer.

“Forgive me?” Rae said again.

Kimmy hated herself for so easily succumbing to this obvious manipulation, but attention from her older sister was so rare and felt so impossibly good that she couldn’t help herself. Rae had even called her pretty, and that meant so much coming from Rae.

“Forgive me?” Rae asked a third time, and Kimmy nodded.

“Cool,” Rae said, dropping Kimmy’s hand and returning to the puzzle.

Kimmy said, “I’ll help you with the puzzle in a minute.” She went to the kitchen to select a donut.

Kimmy felt so instantly restored by the interaction that it didn’t occur to her that Rae had somehow secured her forgiveness without saying “I’m sorry.” It didn’t occur to Kimmy that Rae had never once in their entire life together said “I’m sorry.”

Ryan was still outside on the patio, finishing his second donut, shirt off now, soaking up the early-morning sun. He was bent over the newspaper with a pencil, tackling the crossword.

Scott announced that he was going to drive off the island to the nearby town of Beaufort for an hour or two, to check out a classic car show featuring Mustangs from the 1960s. Lisa showed no sign of surprise or objection to this, so Poppy figured they had already discussed it. Scott must have been right with what he’d said yesterday, Poppy thought, about giving Lisa space even if it was at the expense of family time together.

“Bye, girls,” Scott called to Rae and Kimmy, who were working, heads down, on the jigsaw puzzle. He came over to do a special choreographed high five with Kimmy. She made him stop and start over several times until they got it just right.

Then she sang, “Daddy, if you’re leaving us, you have to come back with presents for us.”

Scott laughed. “If you say so.”

Kimmy saluted and said, “Later, alligator.”

Rae didn’t say anything, but looked up briefly once her father was halfway to the door, as though to confirm that he was actually leaving.