Layla had woken up first the next morning, at 10 am, a late start for the family. She sat around watching TV for half an hour. Layla knew she had a very vivid dream, but she just couldn't piece it all together, she needed something to remind her. She remember it was sunset and she thinks she was in Paris. She knew exactly where it was, as she had been in Paris when she was seven with her family. More parts of her dream started coming back to her and she finally got it.
It was was a bit cold out, but nothing long sleeves couldn't cure. Layla was seven and she was under the eiffel tower with her sister. Cecelia had a red beret on that she insisted she had to wear because it was what the French people wore. Pigeons were gathering, fighting over pieces of a croissant that Cecelia had throwing. When they'd gather, she'd chase them all and send them flying up into the air. She was urging Layla to join her, practically pulling her.
"Layla! Layla come on chase the birds! Layla! It's so much fun!" Cecelia urged.
Layla wouldn't move. She was deathly afraid of birds, she couldn't go any closer to them. She marveled at the way Cecelia could be in the middle of all those birds, and laugh. Cecelia just kept egging her on, and Layla hated that people could see her being so scared. So, she threw a piece of her croissant to the ground, and almost twenty birds flew down to it. This is it, she thought you have to do it, everyone is watching, don't freak out, do it! Layla took a deeo breath, and before he knew it, she was in the middle of a flock of pigeons, flying off into the red setting sun, and she was laughing and screaming at the top her her lungs.
"You did it!" Cecelia remarked.
"I did!" Layla replied, grinning.
"You did it! You really did!" Cecelia said. But this stumped Layla. Seven years ago, Cecelia had convinced her to do this, but afterwards she had said "I told you so!" And pointed, rubbing it in. In her dream, Cecelia had said something different, something really different.
Layla felt something in her heart. This was so weird, Cecelia hadn't celebrated the fact that Layla had done something she had never thought of doing, but in this dream, she did. Layla couldn't help but think it was a message. Cecelia was there, she was there with her, she didn't know how, but she was. Her sister had come to congratulate her.
Layla was shaken up, but, it was a good thing. She was shaken up with euphoria. She'd felt so alone for the past three years, her best friend had been taken from her and he family had left her, but really, her sister was there. She had been right there with her the whole time. Cecelia had been with Layla when she ran away, she guided her.
Layla realized she had been wearing the same sweatshirt since yesterday. She reached into the pocket to warm up her hands, when she felt something. She pulled out a small piece of paper and looked at it. It was Cecelia's lucky lottery ticket.
"You really did work." She said, looking at it.
Layla knew what she wanted to do today, what she had to do. Cecelia's grave wasn't too far away and she hadn't been there since the funeral. Today, she'd see her sister.
