terminal

Portrait

Every year, for Valentine's Day, which is when their mother

first found out she had Brynn growing in her belly, the family

gets new family photos - and these will be different because

Aviana doesn't have hair and she looks as sick as she feels;

Her skin is pale, her eyes are sunken, and her belly is bumpy

as is pokes out further than normal; Aviana tells her parents

that she doesn't want to be in the photos this year, but they

refuse to let her sit out - that's when Brynn asks if she can do

Aviana's make-up for the photos to make her feel pretty, and

they agree! Brynn and Aviana spend every minute of every day

leading up to the pictures trying different make-up looks;

The one that Aviana picks is bold with winged eyeliner and

shimmery gold eyeshadow; Brynn puts fake lashes on her tiny

eyes but they make her look beautiful - it makes her missing hair

and eyebrows look intentional! Aviana is thrilled when the day comes;

Lilly and Brynn wore make-up, too, so they looked more uniform,

just they always try to do; by the time they are in front of the camera

Aviana couldn't remember why she didn't want to be in the

family portrait in the first place - doing different poses and

making fun of each other for looking awkward; for the first time

in a very long time, everyone is having a good time and laughing;

They hadn't realized how much they missed being happy

together, in the same place, and that feeling of being a normal

family - how did it get so lost? As they were leaving to go

back home, Little Lilly couldn't stop talking about how

Brynn put make-up on everyone and how it was nice to be

together - and asked when they could go with Aviana

to one of her appointments; and Aviana watched as her

parents exchanged glances with each other before saying:

"We'll see when we can bring you with us," and Little Lilly

stopped talking about the family portrait completely, now

inquiring about the long drive, and what the doctors do, and

where do they eat lunch, but it doesn't feel annoying like

it sometimes could be when Little Lilly wanted to know it all -

about everything - she shared the same propensity for

questions that Aviana did - this time her queries were welcome;

Hearing Lilly ask to go with made Aviana happy, because it

was a reminder, it was proof, that she was missed by her

sister; Sometimes Aviana wondered if her parents missed

her, even though they were together so often, which added

to all those lonely feelings she had building up inside for months;

Then, randomly, Brynn interjected, "We could go on Fridays,

you know, since it's a short day anyway," and Aviana's heart

sank into her stomach, full from love she forgot she had;

This time her parents don't look at each other; instead

their mother simply says, "I'll call the school tomorrow;"

Aviana hoped against hope for a slice of the "before" life

her family enjoyed because it made her feel brave again.