The Able Sisters

Chapter 51

Spring came and went, as did the hot months of summer. Soon, it was September again. The leaves still clung to the trees, but slowly their colors would begin changing. For now, they were only a faint shade of yellow.

Labelle stood against the GracieGrace building under the awning, trying to stay in the shade. Perhaps autumn was upon them, but it was still a bit too hot for her liking.

It had almost been a year since she had begun sending letters to Mabel, and yet, there had been no responses. They had been less frequent, of course. The last she had sent had been in mid-July.

But she knew they were being received. She wondered, why then, that Mabel refused to acknowledge them. She had so much hope last autumn and even into the winter, but by spring, she had a feeling that there would be no response.

Maybe Sable threw all the letters out. Or maybe Sable is hiding them from her. Or maybe...Mabel doesn't want to talk to me.

Tears welled in Labelle's eyes as she looked out over the happy shoppers. Mabel had a right not to talk to her. Labelle had left her life when Mabel was only three. She had no part in raising her like she was sure Sable did.

But I want to be a part of your life now, Labelle thought.

She had, at times, considered writing to Sable, but if Mabel wasn't even going to reply, what was the point of writing to Sable?

Labelle glanced out at the plaza of the city. She watched as animals excitedly walked to stores and chatted among themselves about their purchases. Her eyes caught on a small lamb with her mother who had just gotten off the bus.

Labelle watched as the little girl's eyes lit up and sparkled as she took in all that the city had to offer. Labelle grinned slightly. She used to be that way too. She was sure she had that face when she was sixteen.

But now when she looked around, she saw the same old shops, the same old people, and the same lack of opportunity. Her apartment was very nice, a thing of luxury, even, compared to her childhood home, yet she never looked forward to returning to it.

She was beginning to miss clusters of trees, fresh fruit that you could pick off trees, and trips to the beach. If she had any confidence in herself, she would've taken a bus home right now, but she couldn't, not when she knew no one wanted her.

Even at work she was beginning to feel hopeless. She had taken her lunch break outside today, desperate to get out of her same old workplace.

She leaned her head back, her bristles scratching against the cement wall. How many more years of this could she do? She knew she would crack eventually, just like she had back home.

"Maybe staying in one place isn't good for me," she murmured.

She walked back inside, finding Gracie with her hands on her hips.

"Your lunch break ended ten minutes ago!"

"It isn't a busy day. Were you swamped?" Labelle asked.

Gracie glared at her. "I don't like your attitude today. I am the boss and owner of this establishment. You are an employee. Your responsibility is to assist customers, not blankly stare outside like you've been doing every break."

"I'm really just an employee?" she asked. "After all I've done for you and this store? I've been working here forever, I've been by your side through it all, and I'm an employee?!"

"That's what the job description says."

"Let's not forget who has stayed with you countless nights to help clean up, set up, and plan out your next collection. I've worked longer and harder than you have, yet you won't listen to a single one of my ideas," Labelle challenged. She could feel the anger bubbling up inside her, yet was having trouble controlling it as she spoke.

"You say one more word, and you're fired. I can easily replace you," Gracie challenged.

In any other situation, Labelle would've made a remark right there. But there wasn't anything fascinating about being fired. She'd rather quit.

There were many things Labelle wanted to shout and scream at Gracie, yet she kept quiet.

"Good. Anything to say?"

"Sorry," Labelle muttered, turning back to her work.

Gracie let out a little "hmmph" before heading to the back of the store. Labelle sighed, and despite her urge to just run out the door, she remained and finished her shift and headed back home like she normally did.

She wished things would just work out for her, for once. But she realized she had dug herself into this hole, and it would be nearly impossible to get out of it.

Labelle thought back to her siblings again. She reached into her drawer and pulled out a sheet of paper. There was little hope that this letter would reach them and that she would get a reply, but it was time to at least wrap up one part of her life, even if she couldn't allow herself to quit her job just yet.

She picked up a pen and began to write:

Dear Mabel, or Sable, or both,

I apologize for all the letters I sent you. There's a lot I have to apologize for, but I wanted to first apologize for the letters. It was wrong of me to send you letters like that Mabel, especially since I took advantage of the fact that I was nearly a clean slate for you. This is the last letter I'll be writing. I'm looking for closure, that's all, and hopefully this achieves that.

I'm sorry for not being responsible for when Mom and Dad died. I shouldn't have left at all. Even if things did miraculously work out for me in the city, the life has become old and boring now, and over the years, I felt like something was always missing--my family.

It's amazing how much I miss home and both of you. I, for once, miss a quiet life and my two loving sisters. Sable, I especially miss you, and I'm sorry for having treated you so poorly. And Mabel, I'm sorry I wasn't a part of your childhood. Thank you, Sable, for all that you've probably done for Mabel. I should've been a part of that, and I'm sorry.

It was wrong of me to leave, to offer you no money, to not tell you about where I had gone or what I was up to. I was angry and hurt after our parents' death, and I didn't realize how much my family mattered to me.

It's embarrassing how long it took me to admit all of this and reach out to you. I understand that you do not want to speak to me. I have done some awful things to this family, and for that, I am sorry. But if you even had the slightest feeling that maybe we could talk to each other again, I'm all ears. It's one thing to write this apology out here, but another to say it to both of you.

I wish you all the best and hope both of you are well. I love both of you and am sorry for the way I have treated you.

Love,

Label

She decided not to write down the rest of her city name. She was speaking as Label now, the girl from the small village, not the chic and fashion designer Labelle.

Labelle set the pen down and folded the letter up, a tear dripping onto the letter as she tucked it in the envelope. She brought it to the post office and let out a big sigh.

"It's done," she murmured.