Harper's Hill, Chapter 20: The Prodigal Return

It had been a few weeks since Nicole had seen Emily in person, and because the girls had become so close, she really missed her cousin. She didn't know when Emily was coming back, but she hoped it would be soon.

It was a Monday evening when the doorbell rang, and it wasn't unusual for people to show up at the house. The West side of Harper's Hill was very community-oriented, so it was normal for people who knew her parents to stop by and chat.

Sometimes the neighbors would come by to gossip about something that had happened earlier on the street, sometimes it would be a friend from work stopping by on the way home to share some news. Regardless, when the doorbell rang halfway through dinner, no one was shocked.

"I'll grab it," Nicole's younger sister, Sophie said as she slid out of her chair, subtly groaning along the way. She was just like a younger Nicole, but with more energy and more spark. Sometimes, Nicole wished she could just be Sophie instead of herself. Maybe her younger sister wasn't just a younger version of her, but a better version of her.

Nicole continued to eat as she heard the front door open, and then close shortly after. She heard boots come off and a jacket get hung up, and then Sophie led Emily into the dining room. "The prodigal cousin returns!" She announced with a smirk, though the whole room was bound to know that Nicole would be very excited to see Emily.

The truth was, everyone else was excited to see her, too. Emily had been hanging around so much that everyone had become close to her. Nathan and Emily would frequently catch each other while getting a late night snack, and they'd have their chats. Eliza loved it when Emily helped her cook and bake. Emily even spent time with Nicole's siblings while she was in the Leigh household, either playing video games with Liam or watching reality tv with Sophie. Emily liked that even if Nicole wasn't around, there was always someone to spend time with.

Nicole dropped her fork as soon as she saw Emily and jumped up. "Hi!" She exclaimed, running across the room and almost tackling her cousin. She put her hands on Emily's cheeks, looking her square in the face. "Hi. I love you. We love you. Don't do that again."

Emily smiled bashfully and took her usual seat at the table. Eliza was already up, getting Emily a plate from the kitchen, along with some silverware and a glass for something to drink. "Do what?" Emily asked, trying to not bring much attention to the fact that she had basically run away from home without telling anyone at first. And then when she did tell someone, she wouldn't even say exactly where she was.

Nathan gave Nicole a look. Nicole knew this look well. Though Nicole was the middle child of her and her two siblings, she felt like the oldest. She would often assume responsibility for all three of them when they were growing up, especially when one of them got in trouble. Nathan was giving Nicole the look that he always gave her when she needed to talk some sense into one of her younger siblings — a look that said handle it.

Nicole knew now wasn't the right time, and Nathan knew that too, so he took Nicole's subtle nod at him as confirmation of their agreement and went back to his food.

"How are you, Emily?" Eliza asked, coming back into the dining room and setting the plate down in front of her niece. "How was your trip?"

Emily shrugged. "Boring," She said. "I didn't see anything exciting, if that's what you're asking."

"You gonna spill where you went?" Nicole asked, her tone displaying a bit of annoyance at the fact that Emily hadn't yet told anyone where she had gone. She guessed that it didn't really matter, but curiosity got the better of her. Nicole shifted herself in her seat after speaking. She wasn't trying to be mean or harsh, she just worried about Emily.

"Parry Sound." Emily said. "It's like an hour from here. I didn't really plan it. I just ended up there. Got a hotel room."

"How are you handling money right now, anyway?" Nathan asked, stepping up. He knew that she wasn't talking to James and that she wasn't working much either. He couldn't stop himself from parenting, even if it wasn't his child.

"Um..." Emily said. She started to put some food on her plate. "Not so good, if I'm being honest." She hated having to say that, because she had always tried to be independent, but it was time to ask for help. Unfortunately, sometimes you can't help but feel like a failure when asking for help, even if the help is offered. "I don't really want to go back home." She couldn't go back home. She didn't want to face her brother again. She didn't know if she could.

Nicole perked up. Nathan softened up. "Okay," He said softly. "Do you want to talk about this more later?"

Emily shrugged, but then a second later, she nodded. "Yeah," She said softly. "Maybe me, you, and Nicole can all talk about it after dinner."

"Sounds like a plan to me," Nicole said, looking at Emily with a reassuring smile. She was trying to extend love and care towards Emily, knowing that she needed it right now.

Both Emily and Nicole had been waiting for this moment. Emily had been waiting for it for a long time, and Nicole had been anticipating it since the two of them had met — their family was finally connecting. The two sides of Harper's Hill were coming together cosmically, like they were always meant to. Maybe the hill wouldn't be able to keep the two sides separate for much longer.