Coming Up For Air | ✓

10 | a faultless summer's day

Almost a month into her stay, Stella's not only gotten used to the pace of the lake house but she relishes in it as well. Especially since she hasn't been having any more bad dreams since her night of nightmares.

Taking hold of the phone again, Stella draws one of her knees to her chest and loops her arm around it.

"So," She says, resting her chin atop the flat of her knee. "How are things over there?"

"Oh, you know—the regular. Mom's stressed but acts all nonchalant. Pretends she's perfectly fine."

Stella's smile cracks into a hint of a grin, corners of her lips twitching as she asks, "What's that saying? About people living in glass houses? Something about throwing stones?"

"Not funny."

"Wasn't a joke."

Faye ignores Stella's jab, a beat of comfortable silence passing between them. Even though she's sat against the cool sand-colored tile in the second bathroom on the upper floor of the lake house—far away from the bustle of the city—Stella can imagine her sister where she's sat in her corner booth in the open-spaced office of Sanchez, Donahue and Miller. One leg crossed over the other, high heels discarded in a heap on the carpeted floor in favor for her pair of UGG flats, sat sipping coffee from one of the simple gray IKEA mugs taking up the cupboards of the office kitchenette.

Faint keyboard-tapping accompanies Faye as she continue to speak, syllables trailing slowly after one another, as if she's not completely focused on her words.

"And mamma," She says, referencing to their other mother—Andrea—by the name they used for her while growing up, a nod to her Scandinavian ancestry: mommy Kelly and mamma Andrea. These days, most often, they're mom and mom. Or just 'moms'. "Well, she's trying her best not to freak out, I guess,"

Another short beat passes as Faye—Stella assumes—drinks another sip of her coffee.

"Did I tell you she's taken up climbing?" Her sister asks as her voice returns on the other end of the line. "Like she's literally climbing the walls. For fun."

"You didn't, actually. But she sent me a picture from the gym the other day, so I knew that already."

"She wants me to go with her sometime," Faye speaks the words in a horrified breath. She's never been much of a fan when it comes to heights, despite being far up the floors of a skyscraper in this very moment. "Maybe I should make my way home by foot today, better my chances of spraining an ankle."

Stella rolls her eyes, lips remaining in their amused curl. "Or—you know, instead of purposely injuring yourself you could... I don't know, distract her? Take her to the spa instead? Sounds like she could use it."

"I don't have time to spare at the spa, Stellie-tubbies. I barely have time to make the commute home."

"Okay, so drop the both of them off at the spa then," Stella says. "They get the chance to relax, you're granted some hours of peace. Everyone's happy, everyone stays sane. Everyone wins."

"Actually, that's not a bad idea."

Stella presses her lips together, chest rising with her inhale. The exhale comes out shorter, stumbles over the hesitance lingering on her tongue. She ponders her sister's words, thinking of the conversation they've held this past soon-to-be hour they've been on the phone.

"Faye?"

"Yeah?"

"How bad is it?"

"Not that bad."