We Loved

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"Hey!" I exclaim smiling.

"Hey? Hey?!" she cries. "Look, I know I've been a shitty sister, but that doesn't mean you can just- just-"

Sister. This is my sister.

Blaire.

I fight to hide the surprise from my face. The woman in front of me is far from anything I'd imagined to be my sister.

Dropping the coffee in the nearest bin, I hurry to envelope her in my arms. Perhaps because I need to, perhaps because I am supposed to. Her body stiffens, but after hesitation, she returns my hug. She smells like roses, cigarettes, and beer. She's a bit shorter than me, but reaches my height with heels. Her body is very weak now that I hold it, fragile to be crushed with but only a squeeze.

"I thought I lost you," her voice shakes.

I hold her tighter, I could tell it soothed her, but it was only an attempt to suppress my anger. If she cared, why wasn't she there? Why did strangers know my whereabouts before her? I am only pretending to be a sister, but she might be too. Perhaps we were only related by blood.

"I saw the news and when I opened my phone I found so many missed calls from you. I'm so sorry," she cried at her apology.

David said you ran away when you saw him. Where you really waiting to hear about me?

"It's alright," I mumble. It's not. I just need to stay in character. Avoid conflict, my head can't bear anymore anyways.

"I know you don't mean it." She breaks the hug and wipes her tears.

Caught off guard, I stare at her, hiding my fidgeting hands behind. "Why are you saying that? Of course I-"

"You always say things you don't mean when you think it's more responsible." Her eyes wander off to the side, face grim. "I know not being there for you at a time like this would never be okay. There isn't much I can do, but being there would've been just enough. I wanna make it up to you."

Failing to hide the surprise off my face, I frown, almost mumbling an apology for underestimating her. Her face is rounder than mine, eyes large and lined with her thick eyelashes. I thought it was eyeliner from afar. She doesn't look much like dad and I, she must have taken mom's side. This is my sister. This woman is my sister.

She places her neatly cut hair behind her ear. "So you're returning home. That means you can leave the hospital, right? Wanna drop by a café for a little?"

'Returning home.' That's just another place for me to go to, not much different than a café. My eyes fall to the now spilt coffee in the bin. "Sure," I say. "Let me just say goodbye to dad."

"Of course. I'll wait here," she mumbles leaning back against the wall.

I pause in confusion. Even after being gone for as long as she has, she doesn't want to meet dad. "You're not coming?" I attempt to push the subject.

"He doesn't wanna see me. You know that." She looks away.

"After all what's happened. You should know that nothing is taken for granted. You should get in there," I say. I don't know much about her relationship with dad, I care, but right now I need confirmation that she's really my sister.

She pulls her hair back and bites her lip looking around. "Fine. But if this goes south, you're paying."

I smile knowing I don't have any money on me. She knows too, right?