Two Fish

fifty seven || alaska

Alaska didn’t realise how tired she had been until she stepped through the front door and was hit with a wave of exhaustion that almost knocked her to the floor. Her mother came out of the kitchen with a glass of wine in her hand. She put it down on the table in the hallway.

“Hi, sweetie,” she said, pulling her into a tight hug. “I’ve really missed you.”

“Really?”

“Mmhmm,” she said, nodding. She pushed Alaska’s hair off her face. “You know, I never would have thought it but the house feels empty without you here, actually. Even if you do spend all your time in your room.”

“I missed you too.” Alaska hugged her mother again and closed her eyes, almost nodding off right there. “I’m so tired, though.”

“I’ll bet you are, sweetie. You get a good night tonight, ok?”

“I’ll try.”

“It’s good to have you back, hun. I was thinking maybe the two of us could do something tomorrow? No Minnie or Noah.”

Alaska nodded and yawned. “That’d be nice,” she said, finally keeping her eyes open to tear herself from her mother. “Night, Mum. Love you” She dragged herself upstairs and collapsed onto her bed the second she had changed into something vaguely resembling pyjamas, which involved simply stripping down to her t-shirt and knickers. Minnie came running in, despite it being way past her bedtime.

“How was it?” she asked, jumping onto her sister’s bed.

“Go away,” Alaska mumbled, irritated that Minnie had dragged her from being halfway to sleep. But her sister was persistent.

“How was it? Come on, Lassie, I want details.”

“Fine, great, I’m tired. Shoo,” she said into her pillow. Minnie snorted and retired to her room. Alaska rolled onto her back to pull her duvet over herself, sighing her exhaustion. It wasn’t long before she was asleep, relieved to be back in her own bed. It felt like far more than just a couple of nights that she had been away in Elver’s aunt’s rickety house with its slightly uncomfortable bed. Sleep came easily when her body was enveloped by the comfort she knew.

*

The morning came too soon. Rather, the rude awakening at nine o’clock came too soon when she had been given permission to sleep in. It was the weekend, after all, and the holidays, and she was in desperate need of recovering from her time away.

“Lassie. Lassie. Lassie.” Noah’s monotonous tone bore into her mind and sliced through her unconsciousness. She groaned. He was in her room, somewhere. “Lassie.”

“Ugh. What?”

“Are you awake?”

“I am now.” She rolled over and scowled at her brother. He never came anywhere near her bedroom. “Why are you in my room?”

“Uh. Sit up.”

She did. He was in the doorway, looking bored as usual.

“What?” But she could barely keep her eyes open.

“Lassie,” Noah said again, his voice finally having more of an impact on her almost comatose mind.

“Why are you in my room?” she asked again, groaning and rolling over. She swatted her brother away as though he was right next to her rather than by the door.

“I think something’s wrong with your fish.”

That got a rise out of her. Alaska shot out of bed and was by the tank in a matter of seconds, oblivious to the fact that her pyjama t-shirt didn’t quite cover her knickers.