Words Have Two Meanings

XV

Lydia didn't wake up magically feeling on top of the world. Being curled against Mila's body as she roused was a dream come true, but it wasn't the cure for whatever demon possessed Lydia last night and made her drink half of the bar.

Mila held true to her promise and accompanied Lydia to the Flat White Cafe, but only after forcing her to take a shower and giving her clean clothes to wear. She did God's work and even though Lydia's in sunglasses and a beanie, still too sensitive to fully expose her eyes to the sunlight, she's better than she was.

Now they're approaching the cafe, and though Lydia still feels like shit, she's mostly just worried about Mila, who she's certain is the love of her life, meeting her brother, a real-life demon.

"Should I be worried about your brother?" Mila asks. Her voice is tinged with nerves, and Lydia wants to laugh at her discomposure. "Is there anything I should know or be warned about?"

Lydia shakes her head. Her brother is a devious thing, but he's always perfectly cordial when meeting new people. "He'll talk about his daughter a lot."

"I love kids!"

She knows Mila has siblings, they've talked about it time and time again, but the idea of Mila with kids is cataclysmic to Lydia's psyche. She's barely awake and already Mila is too much for her.

"Well..." Lydia manages to choke out, "he has a lot of pictures."

They make it inside, and Julian spots Lydia before she spots him. He's waving her down before she can even prepare herself for his energetic, and most likely interrogating, conversation. Instead of greeting her with a hug and kind words, he only glares at her. "You're late, little sister."

"I'm hungover."

"I'm not surprised. You're a bit of a lightweight." Julian responds, and Mila chuckles behind Lydia. Under any other circumstances, the sound is Lydia's second favorite song, but now she knows it can't be good. Julian's eyes laser focus in on where Mila's standing diagonally behind Lydia. "And who is this?"

"Julian, this is my friend Mila," Lydia introduces listlessly as she falls into one of the chairs. "Mila, this is my terrible brother, Julian."

Julian all but ignores Lydia from that point on, placing a lovely grin upon his face and setting his hand out to shake. "It's nice to meet you, Friend Mila."

"The pleasure's all mine, Terrible Brother Julian," Mila returns. "Lydia's told me a lot about you."

"Oh, has she?" Julian eases himself gracefully into a seat, glancing at Lydia as he lowers. "What about? The time I chased her around the house with scissors and threatened to cut her hair or when I told her wrestling was staged and she told our mum I was drug dealer as revenge?"

Mila laughs at that, loud and melodious. Lydia can't even bother to be irritated at the sound. If anything, Mila's laughter could cure her hangover. "Neither actually. All the stories painted you in a better light."

"Well that's surprising."

Lydia frowns. "I don't completely hate you... what news!" She blames the alcohol for her bitterness.

Mila waves her off. "Ignore her, she didn't sleep well last night."

The look Julian flashes at her holds meaning, and she knows that the next time they're alone together, she's going to get an earful from him.

"So I hear you have a daughter you never stop talking about," Mila brings up, and Lydia is once again thankful to have this woman in her life.

"I do!"