Walking to the coffee shop, Natalya wondered if anything would have changed. It had been nearly a year since she had last seen Inna.
But as she pushed open the door to Café La Belle, her favourite coffee shop, she was instantly reassured by the sight of her sister, sitting at a table, sipping a latte.
Nothing had changed. Inna's short sleek bob and smart suit were typical of her. As was her choice of drink. And the fact that a small bag handbag sat neatly at her feet. Of course she hadn't changed. She was always reliable.
Dependable. Ordinary. Inna was a quiet office worker with a husband whose name Natalya could never remember. They lived in a suburban shoebox, with their Labrador and a toddler who was somehow never any trouble. Yes, her sister had the kind of life that people with no imagination dreamt of.
Privately, Natalya let herself be a little smug with the knowledge that she was the more interesting sister. She went to concerts, tried new restaurants and travelled. Back-packing around Europe had been her latest project. She convinced herself that this made her more well-rounded and interesting than her sister, for whom work and home were enough. But the trip had been disappointing, and she was bored. Unlike Inna, she needed a change.
She was snapped out of her thoughts by her sister calling out.
"Hey, Nat, pull up a seat!"
She sat down at her sister's table. They both leaned in and met in an awkward half-hug in the middle.
"How have you been? How are the kids? How's..." She paused.
Inna laughed lightly, let go of her and answered. "Frankie? He's fine. We're all fine. Well, Emma's a little nervous about her ballet performance on Saturday, but you know her. She'll do wonderfully on the day."
"Of course," Natalya smiled, letting the usual family babble wash over her.
"So? How are you? How was the big trip? I was expecting a tan or something?"
She shrugged. "It wasn't all it's cracked up to be. To be honest, I'm getting sick of travelling."
"Oh." That was off-script. Inna paused for a second. "What'll you do next then? You know what you're like, you'll be bored if you don't have a project."
She was right. Natalya sighed. "No clue. I wish I could just be content, like you are."
"Normal, you mean?" Her sister laughed again, "You just need find something that'll make you happy. Have you tried dating?"
"Don't." She groaned. "Tinder is full of the worst people, I swear."
Inna winked, "How said anything about Tinder? I'll help you out, I know so many great people."
