Family Ties
Rana found Kate at the bistro just after closing, wiping down tables with more aggression than necessary. The place was empty except for a few crumbs and the faint echo of whatever love song had been playing earlier. Kate didn’t look up when Rana slid onto a stool at the counter.
“You okay?” Rana asked gently.
Kate shrugged. “Fine. Long day. Carla didn’t show again.”
“She’s going through it, you know that.”
“Yeah, well, she’s always going through something, isn’t she?”
Rana frowned. “That’s not fair.”
Kate stopped wiping. “No, maybe it’s not. But I’m tired of watching her self-destruct and drag everyone else down with her. Michelle’s been running herself ragged trying to keep her together.”
There it was. The crack in the armour.
Rana hesitated, fingers lacing and unlacing on the counter. She hadn’t meant to say anything—not yet—but the words were pushing, pressing, right there in her chest.
“I talked to Carla today,” she said softly. “She’s… struggling. But it’s not just that.”
Kate finally looked at her. “What do you mean?”
“I think…” Rana paused, choosing her words carefully. “I think she’s in love with Michelle.”
The silence that followed was sharp enough to draw blood.
Kate stared at her like she’d just confessed to arson. “What?”
“She didn’t say it outright, but it’s obvious if you’re paying attention. The way she talks about her. The way she doesn’t talk about her. It’s written all over her face.”
Kate let out a short, humourless laugh. “No. No, that’s ridiculous.”
“It’s not. I know the signs, Kate. I’ve been her. When you’re scared of what you feel, you hide it. You push people away. That’s exactly what Carla’s doing.”
Kate shook her head, stepping back like she needed physical distance from the idea. “Michelle’s her best friend.They’re like sisters.”
“Sometimes love doesn’t fit into neat little boxes.”
“So what, Carla’s going to confess her undying love and sweep her off her feet? Give me a break.”
“That’s not what I’m saying.”
“Then what are you saying, Rana? That we just let this happen? That we stand by while Carla ruins one more relationship, one more person?”
Rana’s voice hardened. “She hasn’t done anything. She’s barely admitted it to herself.”
“And how long do you think that’ll last?”
They stared at each other across the counter, the air between them thick with something unspoken. Rana reached for her hand, but Kate pulled away.
“I just want things to be normal,” Kate said, voice breaking. “For once.”
“So do I,” Rana whispered. “But pretending we don’t see what’s right in front of us isn’t going to make it go away.”
Kate didn’t respond. She just turned back to the tables, cloth in hand, and started scrubbing again like it could wipe the truth out of existence.