Taylor sat on the bench beside Stevie. “You should come home. Dad misses you.” Stevie shook her head, sipping her tea. “I miss you too.”

“I’m not ready to come home Tay,” she whispered, her voice hoarse from disuse. “I haven’t found what I wanted to find yet.”

“Why did you leave?”

“Mom.” Taylor inhaled sharply, looking over at her sister. Stevie took another sip from her tea. “There’s a lot you don’t know about her. There’s a lot I didn’t know about her.” She sighed.

“Stevie, you’re scaring me. Mom left us when you were three.” Taylor had only been an infant. She’d never known their mother at all.

“I wish there was a way to do this without scaring you, baby girl.” Stevie handed her tea to her sister. “You have to promise me you’ll keep this between you, me, and that tree.” Stevie’s attempt at humor made Taylor smile.

“I promise. Honey what’s going on?”

“What I am about to tell you is entirely true,” she said, squeezing her sister’s hand, “Except for what I’ve just made up.”