She avoided him for the next week. Ashamed of her actions and thoughts, she decided she could no longer trust herself around him. It proved to be quite a difficult task; he was not as easy to avoid as she had planned. Every day he was outside, shirtless, sweating, dangling irresistibly before her while he slaved away at his various mechanical projects, innocently weaving his way into her mind and toying with her emotions. She needed serious help, she decided as she desperately tried to keep her eyes from straying into the yard next door. No man had ever affected her like Anakin; not even her ex-boyfriend Rush Clovis, whom she had dated at Harvard for two years before breaking it off. Sure, Anakin was attractive, but Clovis had been too, with his intelligent green eyes, dark hair and broad, muscular build. It couldn't be looks alone, surely; Padme Naberrie was not as shallow as that.
I need to talk to someone, she thought to herself. She needed advice on what to do. As though the universe had answered her plea, her older sister Sola arrived that weekend, with her husband and daughters. Sola Naberrie was twelve years older than Padme, and they hadn't seen each other since her marriage eleven years ago. Padme had been thirteen at the time. With Darred, Sola's husband, constantly travelling with work, Sola had never stayed in one place for more than six months, and opportunities for reunions were difficult.
Padme was ecstatic when she saw her older sister walking up the driveway. With a grin, Padme rushed out towards her.
"Sola!"
"Padme!"
They embraced tightly, tears pooling in Padme's eyes as she wrapped her arms around her beloved sister's neck. It had been too long. When they pulled away, Sola's eyes were moist with affection and she stroked Padme's hair gently, smiling down at her.
"You've grown so much," she sighed, stroking her cheek with soft fingers.
"You haven't changed at all, sister." It was true. Sola looked exactly the same as she had when Padme saw her last. Her tall, slender frame made it difficult to believe she had birthed two children, but she was a beautiful as ever. The two Naberrie sisters had always been similar in appearance; same peaches and cream skin, same chestnut curls, same heart shaped face, only their eyes were different – Sola's a pale blue and Padme's a warm brown.
A tall, fair-haired man appeared at their side, his arm curling around his wife's waist and smiling at Padme with kind, hazel eyes. Darred, Sola's husband. He greeted Padme with an outstretched hand and she took it willingly. Little was known about Darred, except that his work made him travel a lot and he was of Swedish descent. When Sola had graduated school, she ran off, wanting to explore the world and all it had to offer – much to her father's disappointment. While in Sweden, she met Darred and they were married two years later. Padme was slightly jealous of her older sister; she longed to travel and see the world.
"Mama!" cried a child's voice, and a small, blonde girl wrapped her arms around Sola's legs, blinking up at Padme with large, blue eyes. "Who's this?"
Smiling, Sola kissed the young girl on her forehead. "This is your Aunt Padme, Pooja."
Pooja stared, wide-eyed, right up at Padme, mouth slightly open. "She looks just like you, mama," she pointed out.
"She is my little sister. Just like you are Ryoo's little sister."
Padme gave her sister a questioning glance, which was received with an encouraging nod, and bent down, eye level with her niece. She smiled, "Hello, Pooja. It's a pleasure to meet you," and outstretched her hands, welcoming her into an embrace. Another child, older but similar in appearance was at her side in moments. Padme beamed at her. "You must be Ryoo," she greeted. "I'm your Aunt Padme."
Ryoo was more wary than Pooja had been, and did not embrace her new Aunt, but gave an tentative smile instead and looked up at her mother.
"They're gorgeous, Sola," Padme praised as she stood up, Pooja's hand still clasped firmly in her own and unwilling to let go. Never before had she felt the need to be maternal, but seeing her nieces ignited a sudden protectiveness and compassion that she hadn't felt before. With her little neice's hand in hers, she thought to herself, someday, I want this… a family – this bond.
