Mirror Image

Sixteen

Lacey bounced with impatience as she waited for her father to come down to the car. Saturday morning was her time with Papa Juan and the gardens. Her roses were in dire need of care since she'd taken the last weekend off while Zee and her dad moved in. It seemed like a lifetime had passed since then. She missed her Tuesday and Thursday two hour shifts between school and gymnastics practice too.

Talking every night, the twins shared their school days with Sara, who was sympathetic to all the problems.

"Don't take it out on your adoptive parents. They love you and they loved your real parents too. Can you imagine what they went through losing two of their best friends in such a tragic accident? Your dads are still your dads. You're lucky. I have no idea if mine is even alive. He took off before I could form proper memories. Mom has one picture of him. A mug shot from when he was arrested at a protest."

Zee told her about the dance audition for the cheer squad, and how she learned the new routine before practice ended, earning her spot on the dance team.

Lacey was so high on Thursday night from her gymnastics practice at the local club, she could barely contain herself. Feasting on triple chocolate fudge ice cream, she told them about two breakthrough moves that were finally consistent. The front flip on the balance beam had eluded her through the entire summer, and suddenly it was perfect every time she tried it. Then the triple twisting layout into a split jump came together at the end of practice. She landed it twice.

"You shouldn't be eating chocolate this close to bedtime!" Zee exclaimed.

"Cut her a break. You weren't any better yesterday when you made the dance team. And not because no one would say no because they are all scared of you." Sara said as they discussed the day. Nightly hour long zoom sessions were working out great.

"Seriously though, Dad and Papa Juan unlocked the door to the attic today. First chance they had to get a look upstairs and figure out where those footsteps were coming from. We could have sworn there was someone up there. The lamp in Dad's sitting room would sway and we were hearing thumps." Zee told them.

"So, don't keep us guessing," Sara prodded.

"There was something up there. There's a window right above where the hanging lamp is. And take a wild guess. The window was broken,

and the screen was busted out. We need a wildlife expert."

"What?" Lacey asked.

"Yeah, that and an arborist. You know that huge maple at the back of the house?"

"The one that has the glorious red leaves coming now?" Lacey wanted a confirmation.

"Yeah, it's just starting to turn. Papa Juan says we'll have an early winter. It has a branch that reaches right under that window. If I were as strong as you are, Lace, I'd be able to climb right up and into that window."

"So. what did you find in there? Don't keep us in suspense," Sara complained.

"Well aside from a lot of acorns, from the oak. There's been someone living up here. There are clothes, blankets, even pillows and they were arranged on an old bed frame and mattress that are stored up there. Papa Juan was so upset with himself for not noticing the broken window, but you can hardly see it from the ground with the way the tree has grown," Zee said.

"I know," Lace agreed. "Papa Juan shouldn't blame himself."

"Any idea who it is?" Sara asked.

"We think it might be a girl, but she won't be getting back in again. Dad called a contractor and had a rush job done to board it up."

Lacey thought about what her twin was saying and asked, "What makes you think it's a girl?"

"Female supplies if you get what I mean. And a brush and comb set, silver ones that were set out beside a mirror on a little table. We had a squatter."

"Man, that's creepy," Sara said just before their timer went off. Time to head for bed.

Friday night, no Zoom call. Terry and Percy had taken them out on a double date. And she didn't want to admit it, but Terry looked good in his crisp white short sleeved shirt and blue jeans softened to almost white at the knees and thighs, showcasing his muscular legs. His bronze skin, and tightly curled black hair complemented his full lips and hawk like nose, which balanced a strong chin.

His mother was African American, and his father came from a long line of Iroquois Mohawks. He inherited his father's nose and liquid chocolate eyes. His mother had startling green eyes from somewhere in her mixed ancestry. Terry had always been in her life. They ran a farm outside of New Hampton raising organic foods, from goat milk to herbs, berries, and vegetables.

They offered a sample of goat cheese to her mother at a town fair, and Terry's mom and Deanne hit it off instantly. From the stories their mothers told at every birthday party, Lacey and Terry played together that first day, and screamed when they had to go to their separate homes.

What she wanted to figure out, is why were things changing with Terry? He was her brother, her friend, her aerial partner along with Percy, but he'd been looking at her with such intensity lately. His touch wasn't just a comforting pat anymore, and the tug at her heart when he pulled out a chair for her, was anything but sister like.

She stopped bouncing in the front passenger seat when her father climbed in.

"You are getting your driver's license, Lacey."

"I guess I don't have an excuse anymore. Things are getting too busy for you at the office. And I've got so much going on, I need to be able to get myself to practice and school."

"Exactly. Ready to go?"

"Yeah, what kept you?"

"Another call to the prison where your uncle Theodore should be incarcerated. We're getting the run around trying to confirm where he is. They hum and haw, and now they're telling us he's been transferred to another facility. He was ill and in the hospital for a while. The whole timeline doesn't make sense."

"Wait a minute, are you telling me they don't know where he is?"

"We'll get to the bottom of it, Tiger." He started the car and backed out of the garage.

Goosebumps stood up on Lacey's arms and she rubbed her hands up and down them trying to ease her anxiety.

"What if he's escaped?"