Sophia, who art thou?

4. OLIVIA

3rd January, 2018

"Do you know what we're going to do about Ace?"

"Rehab isn't going to help her. Soph talking to her sure as hell didn't help. A therapist is probably the worst idea ever. Do you remember her senior year? God. What am I going to do with the kid?"

I know what Jade should do. She doesn't owe Ace anything. She's an adult now. And she's not as irresponsible as people think she is. Sophia can't mother her any more either. She needs to get out into the real world. She's been in it since she was about 14, but no one's let her experience it yet. I sigh as I sit down next to Jade on our carpeted floor. That's Jade's thing. She sits on the floor when she's upset. It's adorable. Not right now, though. She's massaging her temples, her short, soft curls brushing her cheekbones. I place my palm on her knee. Her restless leg syndrome's acting up again.

"Babe, she's not a kid anymore. I know you'd really like that, but Ace is all grown up now. She'll make mistakes but you're always saying we are who we are because of our mistakes, right?"

"Does she have to, though?"

I laugh. Jade is the most beautiful woman I have ever set my eyes on, but the genuine worry in her eyes elevates that beauty by tenfold and that's putting it lightly. Individually her features are mainstream; curly black hair, dark skin, dark brown eyes, soft plump lips, angular nose, soft cheekbones, soft jaw. But together, she's unbeatable. She should probably be a model. We always joke about how she should quit her day job as a chef. Sorry, head chef. She'd have my head for messing that up.

"Yes. She will stumble and she will fall but she will learn."

Jade's eyes zero in on mine. "Promise?" she asks, holding out her pinkie finger.

I lock my pinkie around hers. "Promise," I whisper as I pull her in for a kiss.

"Guys, I'm right here."

Jade reluctantly pulls back as she hears her little sister's voice echo from the next room. By the time, we shift next to each other, Ace is standing in the door frame.

"No, please. Don't stop on my account."

I laugh as Jade purses her lips, raising her palm to her face.

"You didn't forget I was staying with you, did you?"

"Of course she didn't, kid. Now go raid our closets like a normal little sister."

Jade looks at me as Ace walks away, rolling her eyes in the funniest way possible. "You're good with her."

"Of course I am, babe. I'm good with everyone."

Jade stifles a laugh. "You weren't exactly good with me when you realised that you were totally, irretrievably in love with me."

I can't help but blush. "I wasn't sure you'd be into me," I say coyly.

"I'll always be into you."

Just as Jade and I begin to lean in, Ace yells from the other room, "Yaas queens!"

I have a perfect comeback prepared but Jade beats me to it, "Va te faire foutre!" loosely translated to "fuck off", and I can't help but thank Duo lingo for preparing me for this moment.