In Your Dreams

one

GISSELLE

I was on my way home from the gym. That was my usual getaway, being that my sister and I were the only ones in the family who took pleasure in exercising and toning our bodies. It was a lifestyle we refused to give up, no matter how many times our mother scolded us for leaving the house in the wee hours of the morning.

It was just us three. Mom, Ashlee, and I. We lived in a modernly furnished town home, downtown by the cooperate office buildings and malls, slightly farther from the tourist sections though.

Los Angeles, California has always been our home since we moved from Chicago, Illinois after our father past away five years ago from lymphoma. After his death, that's when Ashlee and I amped up the entire working out lifestyle. We were in shape now — noticeably defined abs but not too deep, as well as toned legs and arms. Five years had really changed us, physically and emotionally.

I pulled up to the town home, parking my gray Hyundai Elantra behind Ashlee's cherry red Dodge Dart. That was nothing new. As much as I hated parking on the side of the road, that was our sacrifice for residing in a town home downtown. Having such a beautiful view of everything really emphasized the fact that we definitely paid the price for it.

"Hey, I'm back." I announced, walking into the house with my keys in hand. I saw Mom with her back turned in the kitchen, stirring something in a bowl. Must be her brownie batter. My mouth watered just thinking about them.

She was well known for them back in Chicago. Everyone needed a batch and didn't hesitate to make trips to our home for a special order. My mom didn't like that though — having everyone know where we lived. If word got out about how much money she was making for baking and selling her brownies, we would have sure enough been robbed.

She turned around once she saw me and focused her attention back into her bowl. "Oh hey G, how was the workout?"

I walked over to her and peeked into her bowl. Brownie batter, just as I thought.

"Good as usual."

My mom was only two inches taller than me at 5 feet and 6 inches, which is one of the characteristics that always mistook us as being siblings. She was accented with mid-back jet black hair that she always kept pulled back into a ponytail, deep dark blue eyes that pierced through anything she made eye contact with, perfectly arched eyebrows, and a body to die for. Ashlee and I were practically spitting images of her, color coding with our soft butter pecan complexions.

"Where's Ash?" I asked, watching as she began sprinkling chopped almonds into the batter. I knew for a fact she wasn't selling this batch. She never sold nuts in her food, fear of causing death upon someone with a peanut allergy.

"In her room. I'm going out later tonight to Kristen's place." She added, not once looking in my direction. I rolled my eyes and folded my arms.

You know when you have that one family member you just can't stand, no matter what they do? That's how I felt about my mom's sister and my aunt, Kristen Gonzalez. It seemed as though she always had something to say, and ironically, it was always about someone else. The worst part was that she loved to prick and pry into Ashlee and I's social life. How were our friends? When were we going to get a boyfriend? How we were eighteen and nineteen with no partner that was stable in our lives? I rolled my eyes again, thinking about Tiá Kristen.

"How long will you be gone?" I asked. I wasn't up to anything, but I liked having all of the information so I wouldn't be questioning later. She glanced at me and then back to her mix.

"As long as I want, Gisselle. Did you forget that I'm a grown woman?"

I glared at her and scrunched my face. "Did you forget that I'm a grown woman as well?"