Early morning in the West Side indie coffee shop, most people run in and out with their lattes and crullers, but one woman sat in the front window, nursing her tea and reading. She was early, but liked to be the first to arrive. Marla was always the first, and she knew it bugged her sister Melanie, which was the best reason. Moira never noticed. Marla had also chosen a Richard Feynman book for the same reason. She'd already read What Do You Care What Other People Think, but it was one of her favorites.
When the two college guys at the table next to her stirred and began craning their necks toward the service counter, Marla knew Melanie had arrived. She buried her nose in her book.
"Marla, sweetie, if you sat up, you'd look ten years younger." Melanie's silken voice and light touch filled Marla with a rage she suppressed from years of practice.
"Mel," she smiled. "You know all the tricks." Marla pulled her eyes away from her book and couldn't hide her surprise when she saw her sister's face. Yes, it was beautiful, as always, but it was tight and had dark shadows.
Any question Marla might have had was stalled by their final sister, Moira. A limousine pulled away as she swept into the cafe, instantly making the room look dingy and worn.
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