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“Attention, passengers, this is the last call for American Airlines flight 171 with direct service to LAX. Boarding will close in five minutes.”
Reluctantly, I pull away from Logan. I’m the only passenger left at the gate.
“I have to go,” I say.
Logan pushes a lock of hair away from my face, saying, “All right,” and then kisses me on the forehead.
He walks me to the entrance and waits with me while the flight attendant scans my boarding pass and checks my passport. Then it’s really time to say goodbye.
Logan cups my face, giving me a gentle kiss on the lips. “I’ll see you soon.”
I rise on my toes so I can whisper in his ear, “I love you, too, by the way.”
And before I change my mind, I turn and run down the tunnel onto the plane, ready to fly home. Eager to make peace with my sister, and then be free to embark on the biggest adventure of my life yet… loving Logan and being loved by him.
* * *
Turns out I don’t need to go to my sister’s apartment and bang on her door to tell her I forgive her. The moment I step out of baggage claim at LAX, I spot her and Lana on the other side holding between them a gigantic cardboard that reads “Lara Croft”. They’ve even sketched a liking of Lara next to the name. In the drawing, the video-game icon is staring fiercely out from the cardboard. Guns ablaze, signature shorts and teal tank top on, long braid reaching to her waist. The only difference to the real one is the hair color that they’ve turned blonde to resemble me.
Luggage in tow, I run toward them. They run toward me, and we collide midway. I drop my rucksack on the floor and pull them into a three-way hug. The setting of the reunion is not what I had imagined, but the hug is as tight. And Lana being here only makes it better. All three of us are laughing and crying and I don’t even know why, but I know what I came home to say.
I pull back and stare my sister directly in the eyes. “I’m sorry for being a stubborn cow. I forgive you, fully, completely. Nothing you could do would make me love you any less. We’re twins and you’re stuck with me for life.”
The quivering in Summer’s lower lip worsens, and she covers her face with her hands. “No, I’m sorry. I ruined everything and for nothing.”
Lana and I exchange a look and we both hug her.
“I don’t deserve you,” Summer bawls. “Neither of you.”
It takes Lana and me a lot of whispered soothing words and reassuring gestures to convince Summer everything will be all right and make her stop crying.
I don’t mind. I’ve missed my twin sister, and I’m only realizing how much now that she’s holding me with the tenacity of a baby macaque.
Once she finally lets go, I suggest, “Why don’t we go celebrate that I made it home in one piece at a fancy bar? Drinks are on me.”
Summer shakes her head. “Sorry, I’m on strict orders to bring you straight home to Mom and Dad.”
I frown. “To Pasadena?”
“Yep.” She nods. “It’s the least you can expect after having the embassy call them to say you’d been kidnaped by rough militia 13,000 miles from home. It’s already a miracle I convinced them not to drive here in the middle of the night to pick you up.”
Summer takes a hold of my trolley while Lana picks up my rucksack from the floor and loops it on her shoulder. “Come on,” she says. “You’re getting the VIP treatment. Christian’s driver is taking us.”
I drop one arm on each of their shoulders. “Uh, our very own celebrity chauffeur, I could get used to this.”
And especially to our friendship being on the way to making a full comeback.
EPILOGUE
WINTER
Two months later
I’m back in Thailand. The Bangkok Museum of Art is about to inaugurate its most anticipated exposition ever—the unveiling of the ancient treasure we discovered in the lost city. No, I’m not visiting as a tourist. A certain broody archeology professor recommended me for the role of official photographer for the expo, meaning we’ve spent the past three weeks together in this beautiful country.
It hasn’t been the most exciting work so far, as I’ve spent most days holed up in the museum’s basement photographing every single archeological find that has been dug out of the lost city.
But at least no jungles this time, only five-star hotels and bubble baths for us. A short, idyllic break from reality.
