Secret Sister Signs

1926: Sweet Like Honey

 For some reason, Thea felt nervous as she knocked on the rickety apartment door of Meril's. The last time they had seen each other was just over two weeks ago and had ended in a vicious battle with Rubio over who would be keeping Thea. But now she belonged to no one, and she couldn't have enjoyed the taste of freedom more. "Meril?" She spoke softly as the door squeaked open.

"Oh my god...Cyn!" She threw the door open and flung her arms around the other girl. She shakily laughed as she squeezed her. "Cyn! Cyn, you're real."

"Damn straight," Thea laughed lightly as she pulled away to study her. "Oh Meril," she clutched her hands and held them tightly. "You look better than ever."

"Better than you last seen me anyway," she admitted hoarsely. Thea flinched and lowered her head with shame. "Hey, it's okay, honey," she lifted her chin. "Won't you come inside? I don't have anything to offer you but a seat on the couch."

"Sounds plenty fine," she smiled and hurried in. Her story passed her lips before she even heard herself speak; the words just gushed from her heart as if a dam had been breached. Every secret she had kept from Siretta shot up like geyser for Meril who sat close and held one of her hands while she gestured with the other, pointing at the still red scars on her arm, gesturing as she described the explosion, and her fist curled as she relived her fury with the mob for destroying the fragile bloom of love that she and Rubio kept, then she rested her hand to her heart as she confessed her belief that her lover was... never to return.

"How can you be so sure, Cyn?" Meril asked her softly, brow furrowed. "What if he ain't dead?"

"Oh...Meril," she sighed and squeezed her hand. "The last time I seen Rubio, he had been so furious with his brother," her tone darkened as she went on. "And Mac Max warned me that if Rubio made one more mistake -crossed one more line- he wouldn't live to regret it," she scowled briefly, then cleared her throat. "I really believe he's...gone," her heart ached too desperately to say that he was dead aloud, but he had to be. "Rubio wouldn't have abandoned me, he would have been back," she hung her head as a cold grip of remorse coiled around her. "He always came back..."

"You really miss him, huh?" Meril's dark gray eyes were turned down at the corners with sadness.

"I really love him," she said with a soft, wobbly laugh. "Rubio just wasn't my first love...he was my -"

"Only," she nodded knowingly. "Yeah," she rested her hand on Thea's knee. "I know, kid...I know."

"Meril? What happened to you?" She tilted her head in wonder. "If I'm a story, then it seems like you've already read this book before."

She smiled a bit and shook her head slowly. "No, you're not a story I've read before. But you do remind me of myself when I was younger. We're kindred souls, Cyn. We burn with the same fire, I think," she squeezed her hand. "Sometimes the things you tell me sound like the same things I went through a long time ago -which is why I try to give you good advice- but then I have to remind myself that I don't really know how your story is going to end. All I know is that I don't want you to end up like me."

"I dunno know," she rested her head on her shoulder as she lit another gasper. "You ended up pretty good."

"Yeah?" She grinned as she lovingly brushed her bangs aside to kiss her forehead. "How do you know?"

"Because," she smiled more when she met her eyes. "I think you just hit the lottery." Meril cocked her head with confusion. "Siretta and I are trying to decide where to travel to," Thea explain. "I sold everything Rubio ever gave me. To tell you the truth, I think the wealth and the fineries were more for his peace of mind than mine, he hated having nothing..." She swallowed. "Anyway, my sister and I have hated this city since forever, so with the money we plan on getting as far away from here as possible and using the rest to buy our own house. We've never owned anything before."

"I hope you find something perfect," Meril said sincerely.

"Oh, we will," she winked. "Perfect for the three of us."

"What?" She raised her eyebrows in surprise.

"Siretta and I want you to come with us, think about it!" She insisted as Meril shook her head with disbelief. "You've always wanted to travel, we'd love to have you, and," she smiled and stood up to take the other girl's hands, pulling her up with her. "You're as much a sister to me as Siretta is. Meril, you've heard all my stories, you've helped me when I had nothing, and I am something today because of that faith you shared with me about womanhood, and unknowingly, you taught me about the depths of sisterhood me and my sister couldn't have ever figured out alone. You taught me that even if you don't have a sister of your own blood, you can still have one in a friend, and you're my best friend. I fuckin' love you, Meril."

"Cyn," she scolded, her eyes misting over with tears. "Don't make...make me cry," she tugged her hands away and swatted at Thea when she tried to take them again. She sniffled as she rubbed the back of her wrists to her eyes. "Damn it, now my make-up is smeared," she wobblily started laughing. Thea joined in happily, pointing at the other girl's running racoon rings. "But what if Siretta doesn't like me," Meril asked a few moments later when she composed herself. "I mean, we've never actually met, Cyn."

"Um, trust me," she stepped back to look her over. "She's gonna love you."

"Well," she absently smoothed her dark hair behind her ear. "This is all so sudden. I do have some money saved back though, I can pitch in a little bit."

"Still waiting to hear you say it," she cupped her hand over her ear as she waited with a broadening smile.

Meril started to laugh as she nodded. "Alright, alright! I'll go! I'll go!"

"Woohoo!" Thea quickly dove in for a hug. They both fell backwards onto the couch, cackling with uncontrollable laughter and kept their arms tangled around each other.

***

It was settled. The three girls had breakfast together the next day and, as Thea had thought, Siretta loved Meril. The two seemed to have everything in common. Hell, she kinda thought it was true love at first sight for her sister and best friend.

Eventually, they packed up what they needed and boarded a train that took them down the eastern side of the country, and then they boarded another train that chugged through the warm, Southern states in a series of days that past like dreams. By the end of the journey, each girl was as well acquainted with the other as if their lives had been spent together.

The train whistled triumphantly as it gracefully crawled to its final stop in the old-fashioned city of New Orleans at long last. Their heels confidently clicked across the weather-worn platform as they took in their surroundings, it was as though they had transcended time and realities on the rails and were taking their first steps in a new world filled rustic beauty and antique charm.

Thea marveled at the different pace of life the South offered that was foreign to New York or New Jersey. Everything was like honey, slow and sweet and one taste was enough for it to stick to a person. "I could get used to this..." She smiled with amazement.