“Super casual. You can wear whatever, as long as it’s cute and not motherly,” she says.
I glance over at her for a quick second with a look that is part anger and partially confusion. “Motherly?” I return my gaze to the road, wondering what the hell she means by that. I don’t dress motherly. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“Um hi, you wear cardigans. Have you ever seen another local wearing a cardigan?” I’ve never been one for fashion or caring about how I look. What’s the point? I want to be comfortable.
“Who cares? I get cold easily. Should I just be cold, so I look the part of being your sister?”
Lea groans. “Kai, come on. Just be normal tonight, please.”
“Normal? Please grace me with your definition of ‘normal.’”
“Look like you’re twenty-eight instead of fifty-eight, maybe?”
“Thanks,” I hiss.
“I have something for you to wear. Don’t worry.”
“I wasn’t worried,” I reply as we pull into our driveway.
“We don’t have long to get ready, so just don’t fight with me, okay?” She continues.
I won’t fight. I’m just about done talking about this. I’m going to grin and bear it for her tonight, and then she won’t have another excuse to drag me out against my free will until it’s closer to the wedding.
“Why is it that your idea of going out and having fun is making me look like a sleazy twit?”
Lea cocks her head to the side, looking at me like I have two heads, which I’m starting to wonder if I do, considering how many times a day she gives me this look. “You do not look sleazy or like a twit. It’s called makeup and a casual dress.”
“This dress is anything but casual,” I say, turning to check out what the back of me looks like in the mirror. “You can almost see my butt cheeks.”
“Almost doesn’t matter. You look amazing, and royal blue is totally your color. So don’t forget that. You need my nude pumps to go with that dress.”
“Oh, to make my bare, long legs look a little longer. Right, I don’t know why I didn’t think of that.”
Lea grabs my arm, pinching me within her grip, and turns me to face her. We’re eye to eye, being the same height. She grabs my chin, forcing me to look at her face. “I’m a grown woman, Kai. You raised me, okay? You’re done raising me. It’s your turn to live a little now. I want you to live, and I want you to have fun. You walk around like you have a pole stuck up your butt all the time. It’s not an attractive trait, and it doesn’t match the beauty on the outside. I know you see me as this little girl all the time, but you need to stop. Just listen to me, okay?” Lea doesn’t usually get serious with me. She doesn’t typically act serious much of the time at all. It’s hard to listen to her talking to me this way and understand that she’s trying to be real. “We’re equals now. Please, do me one last favor, now that you protected me these last ten years. Please, Kai.”
“What?” I ask, sounding mousier than I normally do when talking to my sister.
“Stand by my side. Let’s both be responsible. Let’s both live. Let’s both make sure we have the lives Mom and Dad would want us to have. Please?”
I want to tell her she doesn’t act very responsible, but then again, I don’t know what it’s like to let loose. I’ve been taking on more responsibility than I can manage since I’ve been eighteen. It sometimes feels like I’ve missed out on the best years of my life, but I would never change a thing, not when it comes down to making sure Lea’s life could continue with some sense of normalcy. Everything I’ve done these last ten years has been for her. I’ve focused on her. It felt like my job, but I did the job with pride, hoping I was doing good by her.
“Okay,” I tell her. “I’ll stand by your side. I’m sorry if I haven’t been doing that.”
“No, no apologies needed, Kai. You have been shielding me for so long that I’ve had the best ten years any person could have after losing her parents, and it’s because of you. Thank you.” She takes my hand and turns me to face the mirror, standing next to me. We look so much alike, but I can see the age difference. “Together like this. That’s how I want my sister, okay?”
I squeeze her hand and pull in a deep breath. “I can do that, but just know that Noa promised me that he would protect you and give you a good life, so I’ll have to kill him if he doesn’t.”
“He said that to you?” she asks.
I look over at her. “Yes. Last week before he proposed to you. He came to talk to me. He asked me if he could marry you.”
Lea cups her hand over her mouth and tears quickly fill the corners of her eyes. “He asked your permission?” she mumbles into her hand.
“He’s a good guy. I just want to get to know him a little more, I guess.”
“I thought you hated him,” she says.
“I had my up and down thoughts on him until he asked me if he could marry you. That was pretty much the most respect I could wish for from any man who wants to spend his life with you. I didn’t think anyone would be good enough for you. I was worried.”
