⇼⇼
“I don’t understand why you’re doing this,” Cedar had said, the night Holly had announced their departure. Kenneth had been in the kitchen, basting a chicken. Cedar and Holly were sitting on the sagging couch in the living room. The whole apartment smelled of roasting chicken and herbs; a smell that Holly usually loved but was making her slightly queasy. Outside the apartment windows, the senso-lights had flickered on one by one, warming the darkening city. Projected advertisements danced on distant walls.
“Heaven knows it isn’t perfect here, but we have what you need, a hospital, doctors—” Her sister’s cheeks bloomed pink, her mouth contorted into a frown. “You won’t have that there.”
“Ken is a doctor,” Holly had argued feebly, detesting how fragile her voice sounded.
“What about the bandits, Northerners? There are no peacekeepers up there.” Outside an alarm wailed, an angry shout echoed against the buildings.
“Ken’s been to camps before. It’s safe, safer than here really. Cedar, it’s beautiful. You can dip a net in a lake and the fish jump right into it. It’s clean. At night, you can see stars. It’s better, better than here. Can’t you see? That’s why we’re going.” Her hand floated to her belly.
Cedar wasn’t listening.
“If anything goes wrong out there—” She shook her head. “And I’m here. To help. There, you’ll be in the middle of nowhere, with no family. It’s insane. It’s still a dangerous place. You don’t know anyone; you have no experience living in the wild.”
Holly shook her head. “I’ll learn.” Her voice deflated as she continued. “Can’t you try to be happy for us?”
“I’m too worried to be happy for you. What if you—after—what if you’re—like last time?” Cedar shook her head again. Her skin was pale, like Holly’s, splashed with cinnamon freckles. On her cheek there was a Bloomers mark, a star burst of raised skin. Her curly red hair had been scooped up in a bun. Her blue eyes had looked moist. “And you’ll stick out there, more so than here even.”
“I’ll be fine.”
“What about me, then? Huh? You’re my only family too.”
Holly bent her neck, studying her hands. “I’m sorry.” What else could she say? It was true. Family was important, she was lucky to have a sister, lucky to have Cedar.
“You’ve always been a follower, sis. A romantic. I know you love Ken and he’s convinced you—”
“He didn’t convince me,” Holly countered. She felt her throat constrict. She hated this. “Look, I don’t want to fight.” Now that she was upset it was impossible for her to articulate. How could she explain anyway? How could she explain how much she wanted a child, how much she feared that another flu or fever would sweep through the city and kill them? Or that the chemicals and pollution would affect the pin-sized fetus that she was carrying? That another conflict with the Americans or Albertans might grip the city, the way it had when she was a child? How could she explain that she loathed the city, that she wanted more, and that she simply couldn’t endure another disappointment? No, she could not have this baby in the city.
“You’re running.” Cedar shifted away from Holly. She eyed the glass of water Kenneth had placed on the coffee table, then lifted her head, staring out the window, into the shadowy street.
“Are you thirsty?”
Cedar shrugged. Holly carried the glass to the kitchen, poured the water out, refilled it from the tap. Kenneth raised his gaze from the cutting board and mouthed “Okay?”
Holly shook her head, no. She returned to the living room, held the glass out to her sister. Cedar took the glass and sipped. Her eyes were fluorescent against their red rims.
“We’ve done our research, we’re not going in blind. I know it’ll be hard, ” Holly mumbled. “ But it’s an opportunity. An adventure.”
Cedar let out a grunt and folded her arms across her chest. “You sound like a Bloomer. You sound like Mom.” It was the ultimate insult. Holly placed an arm across her belly and sighed. Cedar always got the last word.
It didn’t matter. She wasn’t going to argue. Holly was going. She was gone. And Cedar would just have to forgive her.
