“Maybe get Dad to hold you down while I tickle your feet?”
“You’re evil,” I said, shaking my head. “But if that works, I’ll take it.”
“But what if it happens again?” Her voice cracked, and when I put my arm around her, pulling her closer, she didn’t put up a protest.
“There’s probably a point zero zero zero zero one percent chance it could happen a third time, but God knows if it did, then I’d ask you all to commit me to a psych ward and leave me there. By then I’d be totally confused with reality.”
She let out a little chuckle and sniffed.
“I understand not wanting to open yourself up to getting hurt again. And I know I hurt you involuntarily. I get that. But you’re my sister, the only one I’ve got in this world, and I love you. I don’t want you to be scared of me or avoid me. I want us to spend time together again. Go get lost in old bookstores, or go see a movie or get ice cream.”
“Does this mean I’d get to drive?”
“Oh shit. I’m not sure I’m ready for that.” When she sat up and punched me in the arm, I said, “I was kidding. I’ll think about it. For now, there’s Uber or Mom and Dad.”
She smiled and then peered up at me. “Reid?”
“Yeah?”
“I’m really sorry.” Dropping her gaze, she began to pull strands of grass out of the ground one at a time. “It was so hard when you woke up from the coma. You treated me like a little sister?—”
“Youaremy little sister.”
“Yeah, but you’ve never treated me like one. We’ve always been…friends. And you were nice, but you didn’t have much to do with me.”
“I’m sorry, Anna. I wish I could take it back. It was confusing for the both of us, but you have to know I’d never want to hurt you.”
“I do know that.”
“You better. And wearefriends. Which means if you’re upset or need to talk, you come to me. Don’t go trying to hide. I know where you live.”
She snorted. “Dork.”
“I know you are, but what am I?”
“A bigger dork.”
“Am I forgiven, though?”
“Hmm,” she said, pushing the dark brown strands that had escaped from her ponytail behind her ears. “Yeah, I guess. Since you asked nicely.”
“Oh, gee, thanks. Tell you what, if I ever forget you again, you have my permission to slap me silly.”
She laughed and rolled her eyes. “I can’t slap someone with a brain injury, Reid, geez.”
“You can if he’s not thinking straight.”
“Anna!” Mom called out from the back porch. “Don’t think I’ve forgotten it’s your turn to load the dishwasher.”
I grinned and gave Anna a nudge. “You’d better get in there before she has a conniption fit and grounds you.”
“Yeah, yeah.” As we stood up and wiped the grass off our pants, she peered up at me. “Reid?”
“Hmm?”
“I love you.”
“I love you too, Banana.”