Alternatives

Chapter 25:Arrival

Amelija looked at the terminal as the ship docked with her suitcase in her hand and a heavy load in her heart. Nikola noticed it, of course, and her increasing moodiness as they approached New York was starting to grate on his nerves. Amelija was normally so good at evading her unpleasant feelings and weaknesses; but this was not something she could, or wanted to, evade and so she was left trying to process them - which she was decidedly not good at. Nikola silently prayed for the sanity of her hosts in the future weeks.

"It'll be fine", he said. "She'll be delighted to see you."

"Of course, she will", Amelija frowned. "Why wouldn't she be?"

Nikola shrugged, having no intention to comment on that.

It seemed like forever, but the ship finally docked and pulled down its ramps for them to descend. Nikola helped Amelija with her suitcase as she looked around for a familiar figure in the crowd. She had no idea why her heart was beating so fast. Her sister would not leave her alone in a foreign land; she'd be here. The reason she couldn't see her must have been because of the crowd, or because the bright sun was shining into her eyes, or because this foreign, unnatural, unfamiliar landscape with skyscrapers was so distracting -

"Amelija!" she heard a voice in the crowd she'd recognize anywhere and anytime. She turned around, seeing Alina pushing through the crowd with impressive force, strands of hair dancing around her excited face. She looked exactly as she remembered her, apart from the fact her usual, boring clothes were now gone in place of a very gentle-looking, pale olive-green dress that even had white lace on the bodice and sleeves. Without thinking, Amelija dropped down her suitcase and ran with open arms toward her sister.

They clashed with alarming intensity as Alina laughed loudly and attempted to pull her up like when they were children; she only managed to knock the air out of Amelija's lungs and raise her off the ground half an inch.

"You're weak", Amelija laughed.

"Maybe you're heavy", she heard a reply. Alina let her go and before Amelija withdrew her arms, her fingers felt for two little metal points on the back of Alina's head and she swiftly pulled out two silver hairpins from her hair, sending it cascading down her back.

"Those are mine!" she hissed, holding them in front of Alina's face.

"You never wear them", Alina protested, holding her hair down against the wind.

"No? Maybe because they got lost halfway across the world?" she looked at her for a moment. "You look much better without them, anyway. You've even stopped dressing so matronly."

"You look the same", Alina replied. "Welcome to America."

Nikola strolled towards them, stopping to pick up Amelija's suitcase.

"Alina," he smiled as he kissed Alina's cheek. "It's good to see you again. You look lovely."

Alina looked at him like a dream she had as a kid had just come true. "Nikola! I didn't know you were coming! Oh, I was afraid I'd never see you again!"

"I'm everywhere", he winked. "I made sure your sister got here safely, and now I have to go."

"You're not staying? Maybe just for dinner?"

"No, no, I have a train to catch. I'll let you two make up for a lost time, and I might drop by before I leave for Europe again," he smiled. "I'm sure you'll have plenty to do in the next few weeks."

Amelija offered the pins back to Alina, who fastened her hair back into an updo before she caused a scandal. Alina pointed Amelija in the direction where their carriage was waiting and took her suitcase so Amelija could stretch and look around. The land was foreign, and people's faces looked foreign in some way Amelija could never explain. The air smelled differently, and even the sun in the sky was slightly… off. She looked around with interest while walking along next to her sister.