There was nothing Bea could do or say that would change how Vienna had felt, so she didn’t try, instead doing exactly what Vienna had suggested and moving on. Putting it firmly in the past where it belonged. Even if she doubted that it wouldn’t play a part in their interactions, at least for a while.
“I know that,” Bea ground out between her teeth, a sharp stab somewhere in her chest at seeing that brief, too brief, flash of who her sister had been. Damnit! That wasn’t what she’d been trying to say at all. She wasn’t trying to change people, especially not Vienna. If her sister was like this now, it was for a reason, and who was Bea to marginalize that? “I don’t need you to be the sister I remember, that’s not what I’m saying. It’s just hard, Vee.” Hard to know that life had sucked all the bright and bubbly right out of Vienna.
Ah hell, now there were tears. And reminders of things she hadn’t done. “It doesn’t change things, but for months I couldn’t even make it a couple blocks without feeling like I’d gone too far from safety,” she said quietly in response. “I’m sorry, so fucking sorry.” She refused to acknowledge the hitch in her voice, she wasn’t going to cry. She couldn’t. Someone had to be strong.
Maybe she should have pulled Vienna into a hug when her sister had broken down, but if she had, then she would have too. But now, feeling a little more at ease, still tense, but not like she’d cry at drop of a hat, she hesitated only briefly before drawing Vienna into a hug. “Don’t thank me,” she said into her sister’s hair. “Consider this making up for the all shit I didn’t do when I wasn’t there.”
With a laugh she pulled back from the hug. She knew bad neighbors all too well, she could relate. “Leave the keys with one of the guys, tell ‘em to take the truck down to the garage.” Not a command, but obviously Vienna wouldn’t know what to do with the vehicle. “I can take the bags if you can wrangle the dogs and your kid.” She started to stride back towards the truck whistling for Ada, glancing back only once to make sure that Vienna was on her heels with the animals and Ledger.