CEASELESSLY (J. HALE)

1.3

"No, no, no." Irina slaps her forehead, arguing with someone on the other line as she paces back ad forth. She's always been serious, but I've never actually seen her this upset.

"I wonder who pissed her off." I nudge Kate. She jumps, startled, and looks away from her sister and back to me.

"Yeah, wouldn't want to be on the end of that phone call." Tanya agrees, sitting down on the couch next to me as Kate absentmindedly flips through the channels.

My phone buzzes, and I sigh as I feild yet another text from Allison, no doubt asking me where I am.

"Allison again?" Tanya inquires, her golden curls bounce as she turns quickly to face me. Her mouth is drawn in a tight line as she watches me waiting for a response.

"Yeah, I just don't know how to deal with her right now, you know, with everything that has happened."

"Well you can't avoid her forever." Kate rolls her eyes, watching an angry Irina curiously.

"She thinks she's doing me some big favor, like her coming home for the first time in years makes her mother theresa or something."

The look Kate gives me tells me I'm dead wrong, and she's no doubt wondering how I can be so moronic. It's not easy really, but when everyone else left, and for some reason my body refused to give up, Allison came swooping in from Florida. She hadn't visited or called since I was twelve, and I simply cannot comprehend having to live under her rules simply because she's the only person left with some kind of familial claim.

"You know Carmen and Eleazar would have fought for you, had you let them." Tanya puts a comforting hand on my shoulder, and I lean into her.

While Kate and I have always agreed on more, and been joined at the hip, Tanya was the one who did everything and anything to pull me out of the rut I got stuck in four months ago. I had never appreciated her before, but now I can't imagine life without her.

"And you know I could have never allowed your family to suffer because of me."

"We wouldn't have suffered, Cal, you have always been our sister." Irina joins the conversation from behind us, and I turn to face her "But speaking of sisters, that was Allison, she needs you home now, and won't take no for an answer."

I sigh deeply, the pit in my stomach growing as I think about going back to the house that suffocates me.

"I'm sorry, I tried to tell her no, but she won't understand. You do need to remember that she is suffering as well, and she's trying, really trying." Irina smiles down at me.

"I know she is, and I love her, I do. I just wish she could understand why I hate being in that house."

Nothing more is said as I pick up my coat and head out towards the garage. When Carmen had the house designed, she thought they would be adopting another girl from New York or something like that, so they had an extra garage spot added for her. When the adoption fell through, I somehow just managed to claim the spot.

"Good luck." Kate calls to me, and I wave her off, getting in my car. Kate opens the door from where she stands at the door into the house.

I reverse down the drive slow, wishing that instead of driving back to my house I could just drive into Canada and disappear forever. I tried once, but Allison managed to have every sheriff department in the area block me off and bring me straight back home. I was less than pleased with her to say the absolute least.

The drive home is pleasant, snow swirls in intricate patterns in front of me. For once it's beautiful instead of the usual white out conditions snow in this area brings. Despite it being dark it's like the night is clear as day, and I can't help but be content with it's beauty.