“You said you’ve done this before? With your sister? When was that?” he asks. We’re leaning against a rock wall facing the Golden Gate Bridge. Tourists roam around us taking pictures of the bridge and the bay and the cloud-covered vista.

I stare out over the choppy, slate-colored water, the waves a reflection of the ashen sky, the wind biting my cheeks. “It was when we first moved out here from Virginia. It was like, oh, five years ago now. So it’s been a while.”

“Does she still live here? You’ve never talked about her.”

I hesitate. Alex and I have had this conversation before, but of course, he doesn’t remember. “My sister is Eloise Stewart.”

“Eloise Stewart.” His expression clears. “Wait, the actress?”

“Yep.” I sigh. “She lives in Palo Alto right now. She’s taking a break from acting to go to Stanford.” I blow out a breath, looking up into the fog and hugging the new sweater around me like a shield. “We haven’t talked in a while. I’ve been avoiding her. Like I do with most things that make me uncomfortable, not realizing avoiding it makes it worse.” I shake my head. “But that’s not entirely true. I do know I need to confront the issue, I just choose not to because I think staying in a little bubble will keep me safe.”

He watches me as I talk, listening intently, considering my words, doing that Alex thing of rolling with my thoughts no matter how strange or random they seem.

“That’s the thing with bubbles. They’re easy to pop.”

“Ain’t that the truth.”

Eloise and I fought, months ago, because she told me the truth and I became defensive. She saw that I was miserable, and she was trying to help me, but I wasn’t ready to hear it. So I yelled at her. And she left. And we haven’t spoken since. “I’m going to talk to her though. Soon. I need to just do it. I’m going to do it.”

This invisible wall between Eloise and me is one of my own making. Eloise can’t help who she is any more than I can make time move forward.

And still, I’ve been holding it against her.

His hand reaches over, covering my hand. “You will. You always impress me with your ability to do things even if you’re scared of them.”

I smile. He’s told me this already.