The Big Fish by Madison Henley (the first e reader txt) 📗

breast. Finally being able to put back on her clothes, Meredith was directed back to the front of the store where Payton stood waiting.

“So, what's the size?”

“Thirty-six B.”

Payton snickered at the saleswoman’s response. Meredith’s cheeks immediately flushed as she placed her arms back over her chest.

“What? Is that bad?”

“No. I mean, it was no secret you were flat chested.”

“Payt, your boobs are the same size as mine!”

Payton continued to laugh as she thanked the saleswoman and walked out of the store. Meredith huffed and followed her.

“Roelle is gonna love to hear this.”

***

Although the car ride home was silent, the heavy tension had stopped hanging in the air. The only thing left was the warmth that blew out of the vents in the car. Payton smiled to herself, satisfied that she was back on Meredith’s good side. She had been walking on eggshells whenever she talked to her sister. Payton looked to her right and watched her sister sleep. She knew her Meredith was a little on the dramatic side, but would wait until she was ready to talk. Pulling into the elongated driveway, Payton shook her sister’s shoulder wildly. Meredith groaned and adjusted her position in the seat.

“Wake up! We’re home.”

Meredith rolled her eyes as she made herself leave the warm comforts of the car and enter the cold again. She shoved her hands in her pocket as she watched Payton fiddle with her keys at the doorstep.

"It’s freezing cold, Payt. Open the door already.”

“My hands are numb! Give me a second.”

Payton finally opened the door and slid her scarf off of her neck, hanging it up in the coat closet. Meredith took off her shoes and plopped down on the couch, flipping on the television, searching for a saved soccer game. Payton walked in the kitchen and turned on the stove.

“You want some hot chocolate and cookies?”

“Yes!”

Meredith smiled to herself as she settled for a team to watch. Rubbing her socks together to create warmth, she watched as Payton put round dough on the pan. Meredith looked at the kitchen and noticed that the kitchen hadn’t been drenched in Christmas décor. She turned around and saw that there was no tree sitting in the corner, like it always had been every Christmas along with no presents resting underneath them. There were no stockings hanging up on the mantle, and the statue of Jesus Christ himself was gone. Meredith turned back around and continued watching television with a puzzled expression resting on her face. She pressed pause on the TV and went to the Christmas closet in search of the Jesus Christ statue that her grandmother gave to her when she was eight. When she found it sitting on the shelf, she grabbed it and walked in the kitchen, following the heavenly aroma of melted chocolate.

“Payt?”

“Hmm?”

“Why didn’t we put up any Christmas decorations? Are we slacking?”

Payton pulled the cookies out of the oven and set them on the counter. Meredith tried to grab one but before she could, her hand was immediately smacked.

“No, mom just thought we didn't need to take so much time decorating our house for Christmas since we won’t be spending it here.”

“So, we’re spending it with grandma again?”

“Gosh, no. We’re spending it in Stockholm; it’s a little town in- -“

“Sweden…I know.”

Meredith grabbed a cookie from the platter and shoved it in her mouth. The burn on her tongue was equivalent to the pain she felt in her chest. Meredith had learned to accept that fact that Gabrielle was nothing but a missing puzzle piece of her that she would never retrieve again. It hurt, but she was trying to make peace with it. Every time Meredith tried to forget about Gabrielle, something would draw her right back where she started. It was easy forgetting when Gabrielle was in an entire other country but now- -

“Who picked to vacation in Sweden?”

Meredith huffed.

“Mom and dad. They just thought it would be beautiful there.”

“It’s beautiful everywhere in the world during Christmas.”

“Well you know Dad likes to go all out because his birthday is right after Christmas.”

“Still, we can pick another place to vacation. Somewhere warmer.”

“It’s not like we’re going to be spending our entire time outside.”

“But still, I-I get no say in this!”

“Would you relax? What the hell has Sweden ever done to you?”

A lot.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CHAPTER NINETEEN

The soft rumble of cars driving to their early destinations were heard outside of the window creating dancing shadows on the ceiling as they drove by. The room was dark, with only the silhouettes of the nightstand and closet door visible to the naked eye. Hollowness was trapped within the four walls making the silence a cacophonous tone. The room remained still and Gabrielle, too afraid to blink and disrupt the stillness, held her gaze on the ceiling. It was the strike of 4 AM and the flipping of the digits on the clock when Gabrielle finally allowed herself to blink. Her eyes watered and fell to the sides of her face, dripping in her ears. She commanded herself in a soft whisper to breathe, her voice trembling with each command. Her heart fluttered every time her chest heaved. Something heavy, weighing it down that she couldn’t put a name to. She