A Drop in the Ocean

Chapter 21

Nearing home from venturing through the downtown district with Aimie, I was excited to see my sister.  I hadn't seen her in months, and that can change a relationship.  We were always so close, but time and distance can cause people to drift apart.  Not to mention my mother.  She was the glue that kept us together, and now everything was slowly falling apart.

I finally got to the house to see Rosie getting out of her rental car.  I quickly pulled into the drive and pulled her into a huge hug.  

"I missed you so much," I said into her hair.  I felt her smile.

"I missed you too," she chuckled.  We linked arms and walked inside, her luggage dragging on the pavement up to the front door.

"Guess who's home!" I yelled after I opened the door.  Grams and Mammy came around the corner, huge smiles filling their faces, and they cheered as they pulled her into a huge hug.  Brian came around the corner with a laugh and did the same.  We all helped her get situated in her room, and I sat on the bed while she set things in the dresser.

"Are you happy to be here?" I asked, my phone sitting on my bed as I texted Luke and Cal.  She nodded.

"Of course.  I missed the quiet and family," she replied, putting her three pairs of pajamas in the top drawer with socks and underwear.  I smiled.  

"Hey, I'm going to go make some tea.  Do you want some?" I asked, hopping off the bed, almost slipping on the hardwood floor with my socks.

"Sure, two sp-" she started.

"Spoonfuls of sugar and a quick flick of the wrist.  I'm on it," I finished.  She laughed while I bounded down the stairs, quickly making my way towards the kitchen.  I filled the kettle with water and got two brightly floral printed teacups out of the cupboard.

"Whatcha doin'?" Brian said, coming into the kitchen, grabbing a glass from the cupboard next to the sink.  

"Making tea for Rosie and I," I replied, putting two spoonfuls of sugar in both of our cups.  I set the cups on the saucers and waited for the kettle to whistle.

"Sounds lovely.  I may make some for myself later," he commented, filling his glass with ice cubes and pouring water into it before walking out of the kitchen back to whatever he had been doing before.  The kettle whistled, and I quickly pulled it off the stove.  I hated that sound so much.  I slowly poured the boiling water into the tea cups and quickly stirred around once in Rosie's mug to help stir in the sugar.  I put in the Nutcracker tea bags and slowly made my way upstairs to deliver the warm beverage.  Making it to the attic, I noticed that the large window was open, and my sister was not in the attic.  I set the tea on the dresser and found her outside on the room, a cigarette in her hand.  

"You know, I have a friend with lung cancer," I said, stepping out onto the snowy roof.  She spun around, the smoke rising from the stick in her hand.  

"Yeah, I know.  But there's this thing called an addiction, and I can't really do anything about it," she replied, turning back towards the view of the town.  I stepped out and stood by her in silence.

"Hey, can I bum one from you?" I asked.  She gave me a look.  I rolled my eyes.  "You know that I only smoke sometimes, and only when I'm with you."

"Yeah, I remember.  I just thought that seeing your best friend all laid up in the ICU would change your mind, but whatever," she told me, taking the pack out of her back pocket and handing me one.  I took it and stuck it in between my teeth before taking the owl shaped lighter from her hand and lighting it.  I took a long drawl, the smoke filling my lungs, causing instant relief from all that had been weighing me down.  I exhaled and felt at peace. 

"What happened to us?" Rosie asked finally.  I gave her a perplexed look.

"What do you mean?" I questioned in hopes of getting clarification.  She shrugged.

"Well, I just mean, like, when we were little, we would just sit up here and be kids and watch the city.  But now, we spend the days smoking cigarettes, getting so drunk that we can't walk, and feeling like shit.  I mean, I can't tell you the last time I was genuinely happy," she commented before taking a drawl from her cigarette.  I nodded.  I didn't need to say anything.  She knew exactly what I was feeling.  She sometimes acted like she didn't care, but God, she cared more than anyone else.

"I've been clean for three weeks," I blurted.  She turned to me and smiled.  She pulled me into a hug, careful not to set my hair on fire while I did the same.  Pulling away, she kissed me on the forehead.

"That's good.  It's dangerous," she told me.  I nodded.  Taking a drawl from the cigarette, I looked back towards Vail.  Rosie took one last good smoke and threw the cigarette onto the roof, stamping it out with her foot.  "Hurry up with that.  It's fucking cold out here," she told me, rubbing her hands up her arms to prove her point.  I chuckled and took one more drawl before doing the same with my cigarette.  We quickly climbed back through the window, latching it tight to keep out the cold and the memories of our conversation.