Stitches

It all started with an idea. Drive far out in the Gulf of Mexico for one last adventure before the bride would be married. It seemed like fun for two thrill seekers. And yet today, for Sarah Lane, it was anything except fun.

           Sarah Ferguson was born in her parents’ countryside home in the dead of summer. She grew up in Houston, Texas with the nickname ‘Sarah Lane’ because she always seemed to give everyone around her heart attacks. From nearly falling into a firepit at two years old to swinging on a rope across the creek behind her house when she was five, it seemed like nothing could stop Sarah Lane from riding the fast lane. Her mother was also a thrill seeker. The day before she found out she was pregnant with Sarah, she went skydiving into the Gulf of Mexico It was no wonder that Sarah was going to the Gulf of Mexico today.

           Except she was not going with her mother.

           Sarah’s mother died giving birth to her. Something about complications. Sarah was also a premature baby, born just over a month early with the umbilical cord tied around her neck. She was raised by her father, who was very protective of Sarah when she was growing up. When Sarah was ten years old, he married his second wife, Deborah Henderson, who doted on Sarah like she was her own daughter. At first, Sarah resented her, thinking she would replace the mother she never knew. Overtime, she grew used to her stepmother being around, though she never really cared for her or her daughter, Maggie, who was two years older than Sarah and loved having a younger sister, having grown up an only child. The stepsisters could not be anymore different from each other. They were always in different grades, Maggie got to do things first like having her first kiss at thirteen or getting her license at sixteen, Sarah was into sports more than Maggie, and their looks clashed with one another. Sarah’s blue eyes complemented her midnight hair, which was usually pulled back, while Maggie’s hazel eyes complemented her wavy chocolate brown hair and whatever nail polish she happened to wear with whatever outfit she happened to wear. Truly, Maggie was beautiful inside and out, something that always made Sarah jealous. The stepsisters were different. There was no question about it. Throughout their lives, they only bonded over three subjects: boyfriends, school, and thrill seeking. Although Maggie was never much of a thrill seeker, she enjoyed the occasional rollercoaster at an amusement park or a good old-fashioned game of soccer, which was why, on that hot summer day, it was Maggie who brought up the craziest suggestion to Sarah when they were brushing their teeth in Maggie’s apartment bathroom.

           “You want to drive out to the Gulf of Mexico and go scuba diving?” said Sarah with wide eyes. Maggie spit into the sink and flashed her a bright grin.

           “Why not? It’ll be one last hurrah before I walk down the aisle. It’s not like you haven’t done anything like that.”

           “Not by ourselves and not in maybe five years!” Sarah trembled at the thought of Maggie’s plan. At twenty-two, she had been a political science major at their local college, deep into schoolwork with no time to think about doing anything that would excite her. She had gone scuba-diving with friends for their senior year spring break when she was seventeen, though it had been with a team of people at that time, and they had an instructor. When she came home from the trip, Maggie introduced her to her then boyfriend, who was an English major along with her at the same university Sarah eventually attended. Now the couple was about to get married next week. Two days after the girls came back from their own scuba diving trip. Sarah spit into the sink and washed off her toothbrush. “I am not about to be responsible for the bride of my future brother in-law getting hurt just before their big day.”

           “You’re my maid of honor,” said Maggie, unfazed. “Remember? You’re responsible for me no matter what.” She laughed and left the bathroom. Sarah rolled her eyes.

           “Maggie, we can’t go out alone!”

           “We won’t!” Maggie poked her head around the corner again. “I hired a professional to take us out to sea. I’m not like you, going off on some wild adventure where you could get seriously hurt.”

           “So you’re calling me stupid?”

           “Yes, as a matter of fact, I am.” Maggie turned back around and went down the hallway. “You coming or not?” Sarah did not answer. There was a part of her who knew that Maggie was right. She did go off on wild crazy adventures and nearly got herself killed. The other part of her wanted to prove her wrong. She was her stepsister after all. She got to do everything first. Maybe it was her turn to do something first for a change. Groaning, she hurried out of the bathroom.

           “When do we leave?”

They left at eight o’clock in the morning from Houston down to Galveston. The sun shone and the seagulls chirped. Local kids played on the beach and the two stepsisters drove to the port, where their guide awaited them. He was a much older man with a gray beard and a hook for his hand. He did not smile, nor did he laugh. He was rough for a sailor. He grunted when he saw the girls and approached them in a swift manner.

           “Which of you is Maggie Dawes?”

           “That’s me,” said Maggie, stepping forward. She held out her hand. The man only grunted again and walked away. Sarah snorted.

           “Guess he’s not that friendly.” Maggie rolled her eyes. The man motioned for the girls to follow him. They came upon a small white boat with a basement below filled with supplies.

           “Angus is my name,” said the man. “Welcome aboard the Starship Wonder!”

           “More like the Starship Nothing,” said Sarah under her breath. Maggie glared at her. Sarah ignored it. Instead, she approached their guide, who approached the steering wheel. “Angus, how long have you had this boat?”

           “Longer than you youngsters have been alive. Now off we go!”

           Sarah and Maggie gasped when the engine started. Then they nearly fell over when Angus began to drive. Before they could comprehend their surroundings, he left the dock. Even with their sunglasses, the sun nearly blinded their eyes. Sarah jumped below deck, searching the various supplies in the small storage space. First aid kits, water, tools, even packaged food. Sarah grabbed a granola bar, having not eaten breakfast that day. There was no way she would not one up Maggie today.

           Sarah rubbed her face, sighing. What was she doing here? Why did Maggie have her tag along on a crazy expedition? Other times, she would have mocked Maggie for wanting to do something like this when she had no experience herself. What was the point of doing it just before she got married? Sarah thought about Maggie’s fiancé, clean-cut and ripped to shreds. A pang of jealousy weighed on her heart.

           “What are you doing?” Sarah gasped and spun around. Maggie stood on the steps, looking at her with her eyebrow raised. Sarah clutched her chest.

           “Don’t do that.”

           Maggie snorted. “Miss Sarah Lane, the girl who would climb Mount Everest if she could, is afraid of someone sneaking up on her? That’ll be the day.”

           “Oh buzz off. It’s not like you’ve never been in that position before.” She groaned and took another bite of her granola bar. “This is disgusting. How long has he had this food down here?”

           “Longer than us youngsters have been alive,” said Maggie in her best impression of the old man. She stepped off the stairs and went to the granola box bin, taking one for herself. “You need to eat more,” Maggie said to Sarah, taking a bite. “One of these days, Mama’s gonna railroad you for the way you live your life.”

           “Well,” said Sarah, “Deborah can mind her own business.”

           “You know she hates when you call her by her first name.”

           “Never been a problem before.”

           Maggie sighed and took another bite. “Ten minutes into the trip and we’re already at each other’s throats. What’s new?” Sarah snorted.

           “What’s new is that you actually believed we wouldn’t be. I don’t know why you even suggested this trip in the first place. You’ve never scuba dived in your life, Mags.”

           “No, but my fiancé has. He said it’s fun. He would’ve joined today if he wasn’t working.”

           “Your beloved fiancé doesn’t know the difference between poisonous plants and poisonous fish.”

           “And your last boyfriend couldn’t swim.”

           “Which was why I dumped him.” The girls each took another bite of their granola bars only to go into coughing fits. “Gosh,” said Sarah. “Aren’t there expiration dates on these things?”

           “Nothing wrong with saving money,” said Maggie, smirking. “Something you should work on.” Sarah scoffed.

           “Says the woman who’s been spending thousands of dollars on this stupid wedding. Why couldn’t you just have something small?”

           Maggie chuckled and shook her head. “Sarah, when you get married, then I’ll give you permission to complain.” Suddenly, there came a crash above the cabin, turning their heads upward.

           “What was that?” said Maggie. Sarah did not speak. She only hurried up the stairs two at a time. Sarah was on her heels. When they reached the top, they gasped. The boat had stalled and their guide laid on the ground, unconscious. He made wheezing noises that sent shivers down Sarah and Maggie’s spines. Without a word, Maggie was on the ground, placing her hands on his chest. Sarah quirked her eyebrow.

           “What are you doing?”

           “Performing CPR, you idiot,” said Maggie. “He’s going into cardiac arrest. My fiancé’s aunt is a nurse. She taught me the basics. How far away are we from shore?” Sarah looked around. She nearly collapsed in relief when she found that they had not gone very far from the dock.

           “Someone’s bound to see us. I’ll wave them down. Or maybe this guy has a flare gun somewhere.”

           “We don’t need a flare gun,” said Maggie. “Just put your hands on his chest and keep pushing. My fiancé taught me how to drive a boat.” She then stepped away, allowing Sarah to do the work, though her own hands trembled while she did it. Mary scanned over the devices. Her hands never moved. Sarah groaned.

           “Can you figure it out?”

           “I’m kind of blanking out here trying to fix this,” said Maggie with clear annoyance in her voice. Sarah rolled her eyes.

           “What are we gonna do?”

           Maggie sighed and hurried to the edge of the boat. She waved her arms by the docks. “Help! Help!”

           “Maggie, how does that do anything?” said Sarah. Sometimes, her stepsister could be dumb. She was not about to voice this out loud though. “For all we know, the nearest person could be miles away.”

           “How are we going to get out of here if we don’t do anything?” said Maggie, approaching her again. “Come on. Let’s find a defibrillator. There should be one in the cabin.” Together, the stepsisters hurried back downstairs. They scrambled around until they found the device hanging on the wall.

           “Thank goodness,” said Sarah. “And here I thought we would actually cause someone’s death.” She turned away, shaking her head. “I knew I should’ve stayed home.”

           “Enough.” Maggie glared at Sarah, which only caused her to stagger back.

           “Excuse me?”

           “You heard me. You’ve been acting like I’ve been the bad guy here. Why?”

           “Why?” Sarah laughed. “Well, you’re the one who invited me for no reason. You and I have never hung out since our parents got married. Why the sudden interest in me? Same with Deborah too. It’s weird.”

           “Mama never wanted to replace yours. All she wanted was a chance to get to know you. Make you a part of our family like Daddy made us a part of yours. She loves you, Sarah.”

           “Oh really?” Sarah crossed her arms over her chest, frowning. “And what about you? Why would you of all people want to do something like this? To prove you’re better than me? Why would you ask me to be your maid of honor when you could’ve had any one of your friends do it instead?” Strangely, Maggie’s eyes widened. She stepped forward slowly like she was afraid of saying her next words.

           “You thought I wouldn’t pick you?” Sarah’s confusion tripled. What was going on?

           “Well, I mean-I don’t even have my maid of honor speech ready and-Yeah I thought-” Her voice trailed off. What could she say in a situation like this one? Maggie’s shoulders sagged. She pursed her lips. Her shock was replaced by sorrow.

           “I didn’t want to go on this trip because I wanted to be better than you. I did it because I wanted to spend time with you.”

Silence fell over the cabin. Sarah froze. Never had her stepsister said anything like that to her. She almost did not believe it. Yet looking at her now, the smile on her face and the twinkle in her eye, Sarah knew that Maggie was telling the truth. Despite that, her insides turned to mush. Her heart raced. Only one word escaped her mouth. The only one she could think to say to her.

           “What?”

           Maggie nodded. “Sarah, you’ve always been a go getter, never afraid of anything. It’s one of the things I admire about you. I chose you to be my maid of honor because you’re one of the closest things I’ve ever had to family. Sure, I’ve got close friends that I might consider family, but you, Daddy, and Mama actually are. I love you. I do. You may not be my sister by blood, but you’re my sister. And if you ever thought that I thought any less of you, then I’m sorry. I really am.”

           Without another word, Maggie jogged back up the stairs, leaving Sarah in her wake. Her words echoed behind her. Suddenly, guilt washed over Sarah like a flood. Maggie had been trying to build a relationship with her and she was blowing it over past mistakes. She had wanted to build a relationship with her from the moment they became a family. Sarah always brushed it off. She claimed she never wanted siblings. And yet-And yet she had lied. Maggie was her sister. Maggie was her family. She had not just lied to everyone around her. She had lied to herself. Sighing, Sarah hurried up the stairs, where Maggie had once again begun to perform CPR on their guide. Maggie sniffled and scratched her nose, which broke Sarah’s heart a little bit more.

           “Get back to the devices. I’ll do the CPR.” Bending down beside Maggie, Sarah shrugged her shoulders. “We’re sisters, aren’t we?” Maggie stared at her. Unlike before when she found sorrow, this time, Sarah found a fear in her sister’s eyes. Fear and hope. Then slowly, a smile of Maggie’s own began to form on her face. She nodded.

           “Yeah we are.”

           Then there came a distant sound. One that sounded like a whistle of sorts. There was nothing there. Then the sound came again. Quickly, Sarah and Maggie looked around. Then they saw it. A small white boat heading out to sea. The sisters ran to the edge of their own boat and began waving their arms.

           “Help! Help us!” Maggie and Sarah said together. For a moment, nothing happened. Nothing happened except for the boat driving away from the girls. Then slowly, it turned. Then it drove toward them. On the boat were two men, younger than Maggie and Sarah’s guide yet old enough to be their fathers.

           “What are you girls doing out here?” said one of the men, whose hat hung from his neck, exposing the bald spot on his head. “Are you alright?” Sarah quickly explained their situation. When she finished, the other man jumped onto their boat and took control. The two men drove the boats back to the docks while one of them radioed for an ambulance to come.

           When the group reached the docks, an ambulance had already arrived. The paramedics quickly rolled the old man inside. One of the paramedics looked at the girls and smiled softly. “We’ll get him to the hospital and notify his family. He’ll be alright, thanks to you.” Then the doors closed and the ambulance drove away. Alone, the sisters stood by the water. They watched the traffic. Then they looked at each other.

           “I think I know what I’m gonna write for my maid of honor speech as a message to that fiancé of yours,” said Sarah. “‘Don’t lose this one. She causes heart attacks.” Maggie laughed aloud.

           “And I know what I’ll be saying when I’m your maid of honor. “‘Sarah Lane, the wild child, doesn’t know CPR. So don’t get her mad.” Sarah laughed with her. It was good to share a laugh. It was long overdue.

           “Well,” said Sarah, “this trip was somewhat of a bust. What do you say we make the most of this town and go sightseeing for a while? Maybe grab some lunch and a tan on the beach.”

           “A tan?” said Maggie. “I’ll be lucky if I don’t burn.” Smirking, Sarah swung her arm around Maggie’s shoulder.

           “Trust me. Your fiancé will thank me. Now come on. Let’s get outta here.”

           Together, the sisters strolled off into the sunset, ready to face the world and what it had to offer them.