The Able Sisters

Chapter 49

Labelle's hand trembled as she held the pen to a piece of paper. Her heart was pounding violently, and the sound of her fan spinning around in her room was bothering her.

She stood up to turn the fan off and sat back down, the entire room being filled with silence now. She tapped her pen against the sheet of paper and glanced outside where the autumn leaves drifted down from trees on the sidewalk.

I can do this. I can do this, she told herself.

Something had changed inside her in the past few weeks. She had increasingly noticed her loneliness, how the city felt like a dark hole now. Gracie was rude to her as ever, though perhaps she had always been and Labelle was finally getting too tired to put up with it.

After laying awake all night, she had decided she'd write a letter to her family. She'd spent all day at work thinking of what to right, but now, in the afternoon sunlight, she couldn't seem to put her thoughts onto paper.

Labelle was scared. She had to admit that. She had not said anything to her family in years...which was why she was addressing the letter to Mabel instead. She hoped she had not made too bad of an impression on her youngest sister and hoped Mabel would be accepting. She was too frightened to reach out to Sable yet.

You're writing to your cute younger sister, she thought. She never once hated you. 

But Mabel was much older now. She was not the little toddler Labelle had left behind. Perhaps Sable had rubbed off all her feelings toward Labelle on Mabel.

Labelle sighed and finally brought her claw to write.

Dear Mabel, it began.

Good start, she thought.

I don't know if you remember me. I hope you do. My name is Labelle, and I'm your older sister. It's been a long time, hasn't it?  You were only a few years old when I left to the city. It's hard to believe so much time has passed.

I am sorry it took me so long to write a letter. Over twenty years actually. There are a lot of things I'm sorry for, actually. It has taken me a long time to accept that I've made many mistakes, especially when it comes to my familial life.

I don't know if you remember the day I left you and Sable. It was in winter, near Toy Day, I remember. There was snow falling down outside as I fought with Sable and then ran to the bus stop. I am sorry if you remember any of that.

I don't know what Sable has told you about me. Probably not nice things. I don't think I did very nice things either. Sable and I had a lot of issues back then.

I have been living in the city and working for Gracie, the fashion designer, at her high-end store for the past several years. I have a nice apartment and a pretty view, and a very comfortable life. But I am just now realizing that it isn't as grand as I thought it was when I left home all those years ago.

I wanted to reconnect. I hope you are both doing well. I assume you're both living still in Animal Village, maybe even in the same house.

There's still a lot I want to say and talk about, but I wanted to make sure you got this letter first.

Baby sister, I always remembered you and still love you. I hope you haven't forgotten about me.

Love, 

Labelle.

The walk to the post office was agonizing, but Labelle did it and felt herself overcome with relief as she placed it in the mailbox. Of course, stress and anxiety followed as the days passed.

First it was only a few days, then a week, and then the first snow fell. There had been no response. But the letter had to have sent. She had not received a return.

I'm not giving up, she thought.

It was snowing at night when she sat down to write the second letter. It was still addressed to Mabel, and it would be until she got some kind of response.

Dear Mabel, the second letter read.

I hope you got my first letter. I haven't received a response, which worries me, but no matter. I don't want to quit writing just yet. I'm very persistent, you see. That's how I got to live in the city.

It is snowing here in the city. Maybe it is snowing back in Animal Village too. I bet all the trees have pretty lights and there are snowmen strewn across the fields.

We don't really get that here. There's snow, of course, but it has to be plowed. There are lights, sure, but they don't seem as pretty and sparkly as how I remembered. 

I'm busy working since we just released our new winter fashion collection. I don't know if you remember me sketching all the time. I love fashion, I always have, but I feel as if it's faded a bit, like it did when our parents died.

I no longer am hit with as much creativity. My boss doesn't pay attention to what I have to contribute. I am sure Sable, and maybe even you if she taught you, gets to sew all the time and whatever she wants. I wish I had that luxury.

There was once a friend who suggested to me starting my own business. I told her no, that I was happy with my job, but now I'm starting to wonder if that was a mistake. 

Maybe lack of creativity makes me run away. That's what I did all those years ago. I thought my dream was more important, but now after living twenty plus years in near solitude, I'm starting to wonder if I was right.

I think the holidays maybe just get me in this mood. November and December are never much fun for me. I hope you always had the best ones. I know Sable probably gave you that.

I do hope you reply eventually. I want to keep writing. I think this is helping me.

Love,

Labelle

She brought this letter to the post office and had a feeling of warmth inside her despite the falling snow that coated her body as she walked. She had never really considered ever spending the holidays with her family. Perhaps this would be the year.

She glanced up at the darkened sky where tiny little snowflakes flowed down. She stuck her tongue out and grinned, reminded of her childhood days. Perhaps writing to her sisters made her feel like a child again.