FROM THE SHADOWS

FIRST MEETING

The creak outside my bedroom door is the thing that wakes me up on the morning of my sister's eighteenth birthday. After only getting four hours of sleep at most, it's the last thing I want to deal with. I haven't been getting a lot of sleep recently, being a new mom.

The sunlight filters through the light gray curtains on my windows, and I close my eyes, trying to fall back asleep for another hour or so.

Just as I start to drift back to the land of dreams, I'm woken up to a body landing on my bed with a huge jolt. My eyes snap open and I send a glare to my red-haired younger sister.

"Izzy, wake up! You promised you'd help me get ready," Clary whispers, being mindful of her sleeping niece that's only a few feet away.

I groan and rub at my green eyes tiredly. I push my own red locks out of my face and sit up, fixing a glare at Clary.

"Clary, by the angel, if you wake up Keelin, I'm going to slap you into next year," I threaten with no real heat behind my words.

To her credit, Clary glances over to the crib and gives me a sheepish smile. I roll my eyes and motion for her to get off my bed.

I get out of my bed as well and pull on an oversized sweatshirt that covers my sleep shorts. It may be the middle of August, but mom keeps the air conditioning really cold.

I link arms with Clary and grab the baby monitor off of my nightstand before dragging her back to her room.

We enter the painting and sketch-covered room. My sister has always been extremely talented at art. Meanwhile, I like to spend my free time training in the gym, whether it be a martial arts class or a yoga class, I find it calming and freeing.

I set down the baby monitor on Clary's vanity and go to raid her closet. I already picked out her outfit for her interview at the Brooklyn Academy of Art.

"So what are we going for? Business casual or more laid back?" I ask, wanting to double-check that the outfit I chose will be appropriate.

I continue shuffling through her clothes, waiting for her to reply. I look over my shoulder and find her sitting on her bed with her sketchbook open. Her hand glides across the paper and I realize she's not going to answer me.

Pulling out the outfit I picked out for her more than a week ago, I toss it on the bed next to her.

Clary looks at the pile of clothes and puts her sketchbook down. The outfit I chose for her is a long navy and white striped tank top with red accents and an army green jacket with rolled sleeves. I paired it with a pair of light wash jeans.

"This is perfect! What would I do without your sense of fashion?" She asks with a huge smile on her face.

I laugh and push her towards the bathroom across the hall. "Dress like an old cat lady, most likely."

She mock glares at me before heading into the bathroom. While she changes, I go over to her vanity and plug in her curling iron so it's ready for her to use.

I stare at myself in the mirror. I have dark circles under my eyes that look more prominent due to my pale skin. My red hair is a tangled mess and my green eyes sparkle. As I look at myself, I can't help but think I look happier than I have in the past year.

Wails come from the baby monitor and I shake my head. I grab the monitor and walk down the hall, back into my room.

I immediately scoop up my wailing baby girl into my arms and rock her gently. She looks at me with her teary emerald eyes.

"Are you hungry, sweetheart?" I coo.

I set her down on the middle of my bed and pull off my sweatshirt to reveal my tank top. I pick Keelin back up and walk over to the rocking chair in the corner of my room.