All Fall Down Read Online Free PDF Page A

fair hair and filmy cotton dress, the gentle rock of the swing, Casey’s happy chatter. Nice. Domestic and warm. Like something out of an Andrew Wyeth painting.
    Melanie cocked her head. Most of the time, when she looked at her twin, she simply saw her sister, Mia. But sometimes, like now, she experienced a strange sort of déjà vu. A sense that she was looking at herself. A different version of herself, from her previous lifetime, before her divorce.
    Casey glanced up and caught sight of her and jumped to his feet. “Mom!” he shouted and tore down the steps to meet her.
    She opened her arms; he launched himself into them, hugging her tightly. She squeezed her eyes shut and hugged him back, his sweetness chasing away the ugliness of the day.
    She loved him so much it hurt. Before Casey she hadn’t believed such a thing possible. How could loving someone hurt?
    Then her obstetrician had laid Casey in her arms and against her heart, and she had understood. Instantly. Irrevocably.
    â€œDid you have fun?” she asked, loosening her grip on him and gazing into his eyes, eyes the same bright blue as hers and her sisters’.
    He nodded excitedly. “Aunt Mia took me for ice cream. Then we went to the park an’ she pushed me on the swing. I went down the big slide, Mom!”
    â€œThe big slide?” She widened her eyes to show that she was properly amazed and impressed. He had been wanting to go down that slide for weeks, but each time he had started up the ladder he had chickened out before he reached the top.
    â€œI was really scared, but Aunt Mia followed me up. And she went down right behind me, just like she promised.”
    She kissed his cheek. “That’s my big, brave boy. You must be really proud of yourself.”
    He bobbed his head, grinning from ear to ear. “But you hav’to be careful, ’cause you can fall like Aunt Mia did. She hurt her eye.”
    Melanie lifted her gaze to her sister, standing at the edge of the porch, facing them. Melanie made a sound of dismay. Her sister’s right eye was black and blue, the right side of her face swollen. “You fell off the slide?”
    â€œOf course not.” She smiled at Casey. “Silly Mommy. Actually, I tripped on a shoe.”
    â€œOne of Uncle Boyd’s big, stupid boots,” Casey chimed in.
    â€œWe don’t say stupid,” Melanie corrected, frowning at her son, then returning her attention to her sister. “It’s not like you to be clumsy.”
    Mia ignored the comment. “Have time for a glass of wine? Boyd has a meeting tonight, so I’m fancy-free.”
    As when they’d spoken on the phone earlier, Melanie picked up on something in her sister’s tone that troubled her. “After this day?” she said lightly. “I’ll make time.”
    She ruffled her son’s hair, an unruly mop of golden curls, then nudged him toward the porch. After collecting his toys, the three went inside. Melanie switched on the Cartoon Channel, then headed into the kitchen where she found Mia opening a bottle of Chardonnay.
    Melanie sank onto one of the iron and wicker bar stools that lined the breakfast counter. “You want to talk about it?” she asked.
    â€œTalk about what?” Mia poured a glass of the chilled wine, slid it across to Melanie, then poured another for herself.
    â€œI don’t know. Whatever it is I’m hearing in your voice. Something’s bothering you.”
    Mia gazed at her a moment, then turned and crossed to the breakfront, slid open the middle drawer and came out with a pack of cigarettes. She shook one out and, hands shaking, lit it.
    Melanie watched as her sister took a deep drag, holding the smoke in a moment as if it had medicinalpowers before she released it. She said nothing, though she despised her sister’s habit—one Mia resorted to only when troubled. “It must be bad,” Melanie murmured. “I