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Me: Good Morning!
Christian: I was thinking of coming over today… Does that sound good to you?
I don’t know what to say. Do I want to see Christian? Yes. But also, I’m not quite ready to face the world. It’s been two days and I know I won’t last much longer. I miss him, the other half of my soul. I’m not even upset with him about the DNA test. Maybe I should be… but I can’t find it within myself to care.
Taking a deep breath, the scents of the rescue wash over me. Wildflowers and pine trees combine with the smell of grass to soothe my soul. Chaos and Bacon are lying nearby, sunning themselves in the grass, while the ducklings glide through thepond. Their little yellow bodies make me think of him, so I pick up my phone.
Me: Sure—I miss you too. Come over whenever.
My finger hovers over the send button, shaking. Anxiety clenches in my gut. What if he wants me to meet this other family? What if I disappoint them too?
I can’t take another family rejecting me. Punching my finger quickly along the phone, I delete the message.
Me: Not sure if today is going to work out.
A tear rolls down my cheek as I push send and Chaos ambles over to me in order to chew on the sleeve of my top. His fuzzy muzzle brushes against the skin of my shoulder, ticking the sensitive skin, and for the first time in two days a barely there smile ghosts across my lips. Reaching up, I give him some scratches as he flicks his ears back and forth, bumping his head against my shoulder.
“Looks like a love of animals runs in the family,” a familiar voice says from behind me. Peering over my shoulder, I see Rosie slowly plodding toward me, her face shadowed by the brim of a maroon baseball cap.
“Does it?” I ask, not knowing what to say. Honestly, I’m not even sure how she knew where to find me, or why she’s here.
Dropping down next to me, she picks at the blades of grass nearby. She tucks her knees into her chest and she rests her chin atop them, looking directly at me. Her rich brown eyes, which are only a few shades off from my own, bore into me, exposing all of my insecurities.Please love me. Please don’t be cruel.
“Yup!” she says, popping the p. “I’m the Lustre Lake vet, so maybe there’s something to genetics.”
She grins at me good-naturedly, as though inviting me to join her secret club. My heart yearns for it: a sister, a real family.
Bacon comes waddling over, and she pauses, looking between Rosie and me, trying to decide who to ask for a treat. She releases a little squeal of frustration, and I take pity on the piglet, reaching into my pocket to grab a snack.
Rosie pats her, and I can see the way she assesses the little pig’s condition.
“She’s doing better,” I rush to say, not wanting her to think that I starved the poor baby. “She’s gained weight and relaxed quite a bit since coming to the rescue.”
“I promise I’m not judging you. I think this sanctuary is absolutely beautiful. Your love for these animals shines through,” she says, and a warm glow blossoms in my chest.
“Thank you,” I reply, shifting uncomfortably. “I have to be honest; I have no idea what to say to you. Like, what do we even do now?”
Her gaze is still trained on me, and a part of me wants to just get up and run inside and slam the door. Family hasn’t meant much to me—besides Gran—just contempt and ridicule.
“I don’t know either. The whole thing was a shock. Briar and I have been twins our whole lives, so finding out that she isn’t my biological sister threw me. Not that I love her any less…” she trails off, sadness glossing over her features as she looks at the ducklings paddling our way.
“Is she doing okay?” guilt coils in my belly. I never even offered to put her in touch with my parents… or I guess actually her parents?
“Ummm, not really. She’s taken the news pretty hard even though we’ve all made it clear she will always be ours—blood or not. She would probably be upset I’m here… but…”
“But…” I prompt, swallowing hard.Is now when she tells me to stay away from them?
“But I also really want to know you. We’ve lost so much time together…”
“Maybe we can start small?” I whisper, my nerves still firing, but determination steeling my spine. Not all sisters are Lizzy, leaving bruises and unseen scars.
“I’ll take this at any pace you want to. My… our… parents are going to want to meet you as soon as you’re ready, but I’ll do my best to hold them off.” She smiles.
“They know about me?”
“Yes! And they are already dying to meet you and hug you and force-feed you pasta. I hope you like Italian food. Mama makes some of the best cuisine you’ve ever tasted,” she gushes. The love she feels for her parents is clear in her body language.
She continues, “Poor Christian’s been trying to answer questions about everything while also keeping your privacy. They’ve been giving him hell. And of course, I basically stalked him to find your place.” A spark of mischief glints in her eyes and she gives a shrug.
