But on this Saturday, Shannon had decided to take the day off from everything: homework, laboratory work, research, and anything logistical, anything that kept her above water. Most notably, she’d also told her boyfriend, Cole, that she couldn’t hang out today, either. Her sisters, Felicity and Isabelle, were in town for a visit, and she wanted to have them over for lunch and a few glasses of wine. She wanted to catch up with them properly, as she felt they were drifting apart.
Felicity and Isabelle were both getting their undergraduate degrees at Brown University. Felicity was twenty-two, andIsabelle was twenty, but the two of them had always been as thick as thieves and were living together in a beautiful brownstone not far from Brown’s campus. Neither of them was science-inclined. Felicity took after their father and was eager to leap into his world of financial complexities and business meetings, while Isabelle was the artist of the family. She was always happiest with a paintbrush in her hand. (Felicity thought this was impractical, of course, and she was never afraid to say so. Shannon thought it was beautiful that she wanted to make art, but Isabelle didn’t care as much about Shannon’s opinion.)
They arrived at noon. Felicity carried a bottle of chilled rosé, and Isabelle had a bouquet. They hugged nervously. They hadn’t seen one another since Christmas because Shannon had spent Easter with Cole’s family and hadn’t come back to their Boston home. Clumsily, Shannon said, “Happy Anniversary to Mom and Dad!”
Felicity and Isabelle giggled.
“They seem happy,” Isabelle said, loosening up and entering the kitchen to get a vase. “The photos in the group chat have been adorable. Oh, Shannon! You outdid yourself.”
Shannon had made a beautiful feta-and-beetroot quiche. It lay on the stovetop, resting. She’d also made cake and an enormous salad. “Are you hungry?” she asked them.
Felicity said she was. They set the table, then sat, pouring wine and raising their glasses to their mother and father. They hadn’t heard from them today yet, but they knew their schedule. Today, they’d taken the ferry to Mykonos, where their official vacation would begin.
“Twenty-five years,” Isabelle said. “I can’t imagine being with someone that long!”
“That reminds me,” Felicity said conspiratorially. “Dad asked me if Cole’s going to propose.”
Shannon was taken aback. “Oh, I don’t know.”
“You’ve been together five years,” Felicity pointed out. “You spent Easter with his family.”
“And you’re twenty-four,” Isabelle said, as though that was an ancient age.
“We haven’t talked about it,” Shannon said.
“Would you say yes if he proposed?” Felicity asked.
“He won’t.” Shannon shook her head.
“But if he did,” Isabelle tried. “It’s a game. Play along!”
Shannon rolled her eyes, then closed them, trying to picture Cole getting down on one knee and slipping a ring over her finger. It was true that she loved him and his shaggy brown hair, his big puppy-dog eyes. They were both scientists, and they’d met here at Yale in their freshman year. They’d fallen in love easily, quickly, in only the way nineteen-year-olds could.
Suddenly, the doorbell rang. Shannon got up, wiping her lips.
“Did you invite someone else?” Felicity asked.
“Of course not,” Shannon said. But as she padded down the hall, she had no idea who would be on the other side of the door. She imagined it was a neighbor, or a Jehovah’s Witness, or someone asking for charity money. But when she opened it, her heart leaped into her throat at the sight of Cole.
For a strange beat, she imagined that he’d come there to propose, that she’d conjured this moment with her sister’s game. “Oh, hi!” She hated how chipper she sounded. “Are you all right?”
Cole looked sick. His cheeks were drawn, and his eyes were deep in pockets. He wore a big black T-shirt and basketball shorts, and his hair was unwashed. “Can we talk?” he asked.
Shannon’s heart began to thud. “My sisters are here,” she said quietly. “Remember?”
Cole brushed his fingers through his greasy hair. “Right. Yeah.”
“Is that Cole?” Felicity’s voice rang out from behind Shannon, and a moment later, Felicity and Isabelle were craning their necks behind her, trying to see Cole. Shannon did her best to block them out.
“Cole, hi!” Isabelle said. “You should come in! We have a beautiful bottle of rosé.”
Cole looked even more upset now. Shannon was so panicked that she couldn’t breathe. Why did he look like he had a horrible disease? Why did he look like he hadn’t showered in days?
The last time Shannon had seen Cole was three days ago. They’d gone for pizza, and they’d talked about Shannon’s research at the lab. They’d fallen asleep watching a movie over at his place, and she’d gotten up early and gone back to the lab.
What had changed between three days ago and now?
“Come on,” Isabelle said. “I insist.”