✅ Younger Twin [NaNoWriMo2023]

12 - The Way We Wear It

This bonus chapter is dedicated to Cassie. Thanks for your ongoing support!

One neighbour did come to say hi to Mum and Taylor while the little ones were running around the play area. Her name was Mrs Macrōn, and she was walking a spaniel she introduced as Tricksy. She didn't stay for long, but did observe that Triana didn't seem to be very confident of her footing on the tiny climbing frame.

"I know," Mum said with a shrug. "But she's enjoying herself, isn't she? I think she'll be happiest if we treat her like she's around Nik's age."

"So long as they're happy," Mrs Macrōn said with a shrug. "Maybe you should get them matching outfits too." And then she was walking away, talking to her dog again. Taylor found that she couldn't shake the mental image planted in her mind by those few words. It was a crazy idea; matching clothes were traditionally for twins, or close siblings at least. Not kids with more than a decade between them. Would there even be anywhere that sold the same style of clothes in such disparate sizes?

"Earth to Taylor?" Mum said, making her head jerk up again. "Lost in a world of your own, eh? I bet you didn't hear a word–"

That was when Triana fell from the climbing frame, and they immediately rushed over to see that she was okay. Even dropping a couple of inches like that must surely have hurt, but if anything Triana seemed to be smiling with even more determination than before.

"She's throwing herself into the role," Mum said, seeming a little concerned.

"Yeah. Did she let herself fall just so Nik could feel more grown up?"

"I don't think she's thinking about anything in so much depth. But it's like all her inhibitions are turned off now. She's running around enjoying herself like a real kid. Maybe more people would enjoy that, if they could stop thinking about how grown-up they're 'supposed' to be."

"Maybe. But I can't imagine her falling off something like that."

"You've got your head in the clouds, dear. Her skirt snagged on the next step. Maybe she needs something without so many loose corners for this kind of play. I think Alma might have had a point after all. We could get her some play suits like Nik's, and reduce the risk of future accidents."

"Yeah, I was just..." Taylor shook her head, trying to dismiss the mental images. But once that picture was in her mind, there was no way she could get rid of it. She had to say it, and hope that she could then mark the thought as something she had dealt with, never to be considered again. "I was just thinking of when we were close to that age. Well, until about seven or eight really. We were pretty chaotic, always full of energy, and the nuns were always saying stop before you fall. We never wanted to listen, and loved running around like two little tornadoes of destruction. That was allowed for the boys, and only got minor punishments, but we were supposed to be growing up into perfect maternal figures. So they dressed us in these things they called playsuits; but they were like miniature ballet outfits with skirts almost as wide as they were high. Made it impossible to climb trees without tearing them, and of course breaking the things we were given was one of the few sins they wouldn't let us off with easily. It worked eventually, I guess. But when Mrs... Marcon was it? When she said about getting them matching outfits, I can't stop imagining them in matching tutus and all the rest. Please tell me you're not going to do something like that."

"No, of course," Mum said through the laughter. "In my opinion, clothes for little kids should be practical and easy to repair, because they never escape unscathed. I'll be happy to offer a tutu if she wants one. Well, if either of them do, I guess, though I can't imagine that even occurring to Nik. But aside from giving them what they want, I'll choose the most practical option. How do you feel about matching rompers, though? Maybe if we give them the same clothes, you might not even be able to tell them apart."