pause. “In fact, give me
those.” She grabbed the bra and
panties right out of Kennedy’s hands.
“What are you—“
Nicole turned and grabbed a similar pair
in green. “Now we’ve both got what
we need,” she said, grinning wickedly. “Come on, Kennedy, stop gawking at me like you just saw the ghost of
Christmas past.”
Nicole walked briskly to the register and
began paying for the clothes.
“Nicole,” Kennedy said, “I can’t let you
pay for everything.”
“Oh, hush.”
A moment later, the transaction was
complete and they were walking out into the cool, fresh air, Nicole handing
Kennedy her own separate bag.
“Thank you so much—you didn’t have
to do that.”
“I know, but I wanted to.”
They stood awkwardly outside the store,
the breeze ruffling Nicole’s beautiful hair as she watched the traffic passing
by. Kennedy was filled with a
sudden sensation of pure love for her sister, and gratitude that she’d been
allowed even this one small moment with her.
Her eyes began leaking, and although she
tried to hide it, Nicole turned and saw her crying.
“What’s wrong?” Nicole said. “I thought things were going well
between us,” she laughed, a little uncertainly.
“No, no, they are going well.” Kennedy sniffled, trying to wipe the
tears away but they didn’t seem to want to stop coming. “It’s just that I’m happy to see
you. I know that’s ridiculous, but
it’s how I feel.”
“It’s not ridiculous,” Nicole told
her. She looked up and down the
street, and then she started grinning. “Come on,” she said. “Let’s
get you a coffee or something.”
The two of them walked up to the corner
where a small coffee shop was located. As they went inside and stood in a small line, Kennedy looked at Nicole
again. “Where’s Riley?” she asked,
her eyes finally drying.
“Oh, Red wanted to have a father-daughter
day together, so he took her out to the park and I came here.”
They stepped up and ordered coffees.
“I’m paying for this,” Kennedy said.
“Don’t be silly,” Nicole said, starting
to pull out her card.
But this time Kennedy held firm. “Nicole, I’m paying.”
“Okay, okay.” Nicole sighed as Kennedy paid for their
drinks, and then afterwards she touched Kennedy’s forearm lightly. “Thanks for that,” she said.
“You’re very welcome.”
They got their coffees and sat down at a
small table by the window, watching passersby and traffic for a little while.
Nicole sipped at her coffee and watched
Kennedy closely. “Is it all right
for me to ask you about your parents—I mean, your adopted parents?”
“Sure, I don’t mind,” Kennedy said.
On the contrary, she was absolutely
thrilled that Nicole was even speaking to her, let alone showing interest in
her life.
“Were they nice to you?” Nicole asked.
Kennedy thought about it. The question should’ve been easy, but
just lately, it no longer felt so easy to answer just what she thought of
them. “I suppose, in their own way,
they were good to me.”
“Sounds complicated.”
“You read my mind.” Kennedy blew on her coffee. “The thing is, they were very
strict. I’m not sure if it’s
because they thought that I was vulnerable to temptation because of where I
came from—but they were relentless in keeping me under their watch.”
“They were worried about you.”
“Yeah.” Kennedy shrugged. “I never questioned it until I found out
I was adopted, and now I look back and question absolutely everything that
happened to me.”
“But being adopted doesn’t change who you
are. You’re still you.”
“I don’t know,” Kennedy said. “I ended up at MIT because I assumed
that my parents knew what was best, that all the things they told me were
important and all the ways they pushed me—that those things meant
something because they were my parents and I belonged to them.”
“But
those.” She grabbed the bra and
panties right out of Kennedy’s hands.
“What are you—“
Nicole turned and grabbed a similar pair
in green. “Now we’ve both got what
we need,” she said, grinning wickedly. “Come on, Kennedy, stop gawking at me like you just saw the ghost of
Christmas past.”
Nicole walked briskly to the register and
began paying for the clothes.
“Nicole,” Kennedy said, “I can’t let you
pay for everything.”
“Oh, hush.”
A moment later, the transaction was
complete and they were walking out into the cool, fresh air, Nicole handing
Kennedy her own separate bag.
“Thank you so much—you didn’t have
to do that.”
“I know, but I wanted to.”
They stood awkwardly outside the store,
the breeze ruffling Nicole’s beautiful hair as she watched the traffic passing
by. Kennedy was filled with a
sudden sensation of pure love for her sister, and gratitude that she’d been
allowed even this one small moment with her.
Her eyes began leaking, and although she
tried to hide it, Nicole turned and saw her crying.
“What’s wrong?” Nicole said. “I thought things were going well
between us,” she laughed, a little uncertainly.
“No, no, they are going well.” Kennedy sniffled, trying to wipe the
tears away but they didn’t seem to want to stop coming. “It’s just that I’m happy to see
you. I know that’s ridiculous, but
it’s how I feel.”
“It’s not ridiculous,” Nicole told
her. She looked up and down the
street, and then she started grinning. “Come on,” she said. “Let’s
get you a coffee or something.”
The two of them walked up to the corner
where a small coffee shop was located. As they went inside and stood in a small line, Kennedy looked at Nicole
again. “Where’s Riley?” she asked,
her eyes finally drying.
“Oh, Red wanted to have a father-daughter
day together, so he took her out to the park and I came here.”
They stepped up and ordered coffees.
“I’m paying for this,” Kennedy said.
“Don’t be silly,” Nicole said, starting
to pull out her card.
But this time Kennedy held firm. “Nicole, I’m paying.”
“Okay, okay.” Nicole sighed as Kennedy paid for their
drinks, and then afterwards she touched Kennedy’s forearm lightly. “Thanks for that,” she said.
“You’re very welcome.”
They got their coffees and sat down at a
small table by the window, watching passersby and traffic for a little while.
Nicole sipped at her coffee and watched
Kennedy closely. “Is it all right
for me to ask you about your parents—I mean, your adopted parents?”
“Sure, I don’t mind,” Kennedy said.
On the contrary, she was absolutely
thrilled that Nicole was even speaking to her, let alone showing interest in
her life.
“Were they nice to you?” Nicole asked.
Kennedy thought about it. The question should’ve been easy, but
just lately, it no longer felt so easy to answer just what she thought of
them. “I suppose, in their own way,
they were good to me.”
“Sounds complicated.”
“You read my mind.” Kennedy blew on her coffee. “The thing is, they were very
strict. I’m not sure if it’s
because they thought that I was vulnerable to temptation because of where I
came from—but they were relentless in keeping me under their watch.”
“They were worried about you.”
“Yeah.” Kennedy shrugged. “I never questioned it until I found out
I was adopted, and now I look back and question absolutely everything that
happened to me.”
“But being adopted doesn’t change who you
are. You’re still you.”
“I don’t know,” Kennedy said. “I ended up at MIT because I assumed
that my parents knew what was best, that all the things they told me were
important and all the ways they pushed me—that those things meant
something because they were my parents and I belonged to them.”
“But
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