"Sophie! Sophie! Come here!" Naomi Greenburg held the fragile pale pink paper her hands shaking. It couldn't be true. Their mom was dead.
"What in the world is going on? Your going to upset Dad he's already drunk as is." Sophie walked over to her sister a confused look on her face.
"Sophie look at this." She handed the piece of paper to her sister her blue eyes wide with shock.
'Dearest Sophie and Naomi,
First I want to say happy 18th birthday. I am so proud of you girls after all you've been through. I know it's been tough but I never stop thinking about you. I want you to go to the attic when your father locks himself in his room. There you will find a old trunk hidden under some blankets if my memory serves right. There should be a note inside for you.
Love always
Mom.'
"Who ever wrote this is a jerk. Playing a cruel joke like this!" She threw the paper on the bed.
"Sophie I don't think it's a joke."
"Oh really Naomi you believe everything!" Sophie had always been the realistic twin. Always looking at the realistic side of life never dreaming. Where Naomi was the opposite in everything from looks to attitude.
Where Sophie had deep brown waves and hazel eyes Naomi had tight blond curls and bright blue eyes. She was a dreamer for certain.
She believed everything and everyone which was her worst downfall and Sophie never let her forget it.
"Go get Mom's diary then. We can compare the writing can't we?"
"Good thinking. I think it's in the old writing room. I stole the key from Dad a few weeks ago when I needed that family history book. I think I still have it." Sophie ran off the her room and came back with a small bronze key and a large grin. She didn't want to admit it but she wanted it all to be true as much as Naomi.
"Got it!" She ran back her face red and flustered from searching around the room in a hurry.
The two girls opened the red rose diary carefully. As if it was made out of glass that would shatter any minute.
Holding the paper next to their Mother's last entree Sophie and Naomi compared the writing letter by letter.
"It's unbelievable...this letter is exactly like her writing Soph you have to give me that. Look even the i's are the same. She always put a circle on top instead of a dot."
"I think we should tell Dad..." Sophie nibbled on her lip and her eyes were filled with worry.
"No! Sophie don't! He will get angry and he is so unpredictable when he's angry."
"Then what should we do Naomi! Just leave it? If this really is Mom I want to know where she's been for the last 13 years!" Sophie just kept pacing something she had the habit of doing when she was nervous.
"I think we should look in the trunk Sophie. What would it hurt?"
"Fine we will look but if nothing's there don't get upset."
With that the two girls went up the stairs and into the attic to look at the trunk that had been up there for 13 years.
