and called her from the car to come down and let her in. Five minutes later, Jenny made it to the front door and stood on the step, swaying between her crutches with exhaustion. Elle examined her sister’s pale face and the dark circles shadowing her half-closed eyes. “Go back to bed. We’ll catch up in the morning.” Jenny, who’d always been a pushover when half asleep, and only ever then, rested her forehead against Elle’s for a second, mumbled something indistinct, and staggered off. Elle hauled her bags from the car to the living room, fell face-first onto the couch Jenny had made up for her, and didn’t wake until mid-morning. Since the hospital owed her for all those sick days and vacation she’d never taken, they hadn’t made a fuss when she’d told them she had to go home for a family emergency. In the end, she’d been packed and out of her old life in under twenty-four hours. She was still conflicted about what this said about her as she sat on the granite kitchen countertop the next morning, sipping her second cup of coffee.
