My Sister's First Love

-2-

My favorite part of working at Happy Cups was the knitted cup hats we had to wear.

I think I just liked the fact that it was knitted, but it was a fun addition to the uniform, which really just consisted of a bottom of your choice and the company T-shirt.

I've been working there for the past year and it had been a relatively easy job. I made coffee, I served, and sometimes I cashed. The flow here wasn't the busiest so it was manageable most of the time. And when it wasn't my manager, Jean, helps out.

I made it downstairs before everyone else but I knew they'd be out soon. I took the chance to grab a granola bar and browse through the newspaper my dad had brought in early this morning.

"Up and at em' as usual huh?"

Toya practically crawled down the stairs, her eyebags more prominent than usual, and a permanent frown etched on her face.

She was neatly dressed, but the folders with her files were all over the place.

I raised an eyebrow at her, closing the newspaper.

"What time did you go to sleep?"

She plopped onto the couch, staring at the wall.

"I don't know, three? three -thirty?"

With furrowed eyebrows, I made my way over to her.

"How comes?"

She looked up at me with a deadpan, almost as if she expected me to know exactly what she was talking about.

"Was it the drunkenness?"

"No, Dionne," she scoffed. "I sobered up before I went to bed."

My parents padded downstairs, finally, and I pulled myself away from grumpy Toya. I quickly realized that it was the situation with Elias that had her feeling that way.

"Good morning, girls," my father greeted, walking over to kiss both of us atop our heads.

Toya groaned loudly.

My mother eyed her from head to toe, standing with a single hand on her hip.

"What were you thinking getting drunk on a weekday, Toya?"

"Mom," she held her hand out, placing the other on her. "This is why I need my own car. Can we not right now? I just want to get to work."

My mother pursed her lips but decided not to pay any more attention to Toya. Once she turned to me, she smiled.

"You always look so adorable in that hat."

I shook my head, knowing she was right, of course.

"Okay folks, let's get a move on!"

We all hurdled outside and into the minivan, but I wasn't completely seated before I snuck a few glances at Elias's house. The driveway was empty since Julia obviously went to work, and I silently wondered if that meant he was home alone.

I glanced at Toya, who rubbed her forehead and stared out the window towards his house as well. That must've been the reason that she stayed up last night.

I furrowed my eyebrows.

Did he visit her too?

I looked away and down at my lap, wringing my hands.

If that was the case then I was happy for her - for the two of them.

Elias must've just been confused last night - overwhelmed and bombarded with people and loud music and so on. He must've come to his senses.