The Able Sisters

Chapter 2

Label's mother grasped her hands and stared deep into her eyes. "It'll only be a day trip. We'll be back before bedtime," she promised, pressing her lips to Label's forehead.

It was a cooler summer day, and in the distance, rainclouds had begun to roll in, shading the town in a dark gray. They stood at the bus stop, awaiting the next trip to the city. Label glanced to her side where Sable sat in the grass and played with Mabel. She could hear their laughs behind her.

"You're in charge while we're gone," her father said. His dark brown figure towered over her, and she nodded her head. The last thing Label wanted to do was be in charge of babysitting, but like her parents said, it was just for the day.

Sable had gotten up and joined them now.

"What time will you be back?" she asked.

"Probably around sunset," her father figured. 

"Why are you going again?" Label asked. She knew her parents had mentioned it at some point, but sometimes she got so lost in her drawings that she didn't even think to listen.

"We're picking up some fabric," her mother explained. She exchanged glances with Label's father, then grinned. "We might even try to make a deal with one of the clothing stores in the city."

"That'd be great for the store!" Sable exclaimed excitedly.

Label's eyes widened. "Why can't I come to the city with you?"

Her mother laughed. "Mabel is too much to handle for one hedgehog. I need you to stay with your sister and help watch her. Maybe one day you can join us."

Label sighed as her father placed his large hand on her shoulder. "We'll be back before you know it."

The sound of rolling wheels against cobblestone and a loud engine halted their conversation. Label glanced up to see a large red bus pull up to the bus stop. 

"Well, that'd be us!" her mother exclaimed, slipping her simple brown bag over her shoulder. "Be good, girls!"

They all three nodded and watched as their parents hopped onto the bus, disappearing from their view. The doors closed behind them, shutting them inside. Label watched, disappointed, as the bus slowly faded into the surroundings.

"Let's go back home. It's not nice out here," Sable suggested. A wind had picked up, and Label could only assume that a regular summer thunderstorm was on its way.

"All right," Label agreed.

They retreated back inside, locking the door behind them. Sable had begged their parents to let her run the shop in their absence, but her mother had deemed her not ready yet. Instead, they spent the day upstairs in the living room where the calm orange light from a lamp flooded the room.

Label sat on the couch, using her anger to fuel more fashion designs. These trips to the city were not often for her parents, and she knew another opportunity to visit the city would not come in a long time. Her parents knew of her desire to be a fashion designer and see the greater world, and while they were supportive, they never seemed to care enough to help her get there.

Label, with a blue pencil, shaded in the new skirt she had designed. Sable was on the floor, assisting Mabel with her building blocks. In the distance, she began to hear the sound of rain tapping against the window.

"One day they'll let me go to the city," Label muttered. Her parents had taken her and Sable both when they were very young. It was long before Mabel was born, and Label's memories were blurred of the trip. Even still, she remembered bright lights, the colorful animals, and the pleasant sound of chatter echoing through the streets. She longed for it again.