Dear Kayden,

Chapter 3

Desmond

I sit at the airport, leg bouncing, anxiously awaiting the arrival of my sister, Eveleen. She's coming to visit for a few weeks from our home in Ireland, where she still lives with our mom. I moved away a couple of years ago for school, and Eveleen usually comes to visit once or twice a year. She has always said that she wants to move here with me someday, but she's still in high school so she hasn't had the opportunity to yet. For now we have to settle with visits.

The two of us have always been close since we were kids. We're the only two siblings in the family and our dad was never really much of a dad, so we had to learn to take care of each other even though she was almost three years younger than me. We grew up side by side, learning all of the experiences life has to offer a child together. We never grew apart much unless you'd count the brief period of time where I was in high school and she wasn't, so I was doing different things with my time and my friends, but at the end of the day we could always still be like we were as kids.

I glance up at the monitor that tracks the arrivals and departures of the planes. Her flight has landed and it says they are at the gate, so she should be walking out any minute now. As if on cue, my phone buzzes and I look to see that it is a text from her saying she is exiting the plane and heading my way now. I stand from my seat and walk closer to the area where she will be, and a few minutes later I see her ashy brown hair bobbing through the crowd, a pair of headphones draped around her neck and luggage in tow. When the crowd disperses enough, I hurry to her and envelop her in a hug.

"How's my kid sister doing?" I ask, my smile beaming.

"Tired. Jetlag is a real bitch," she says, though she smiles as she says it.

"Here, let me take that," I say, reaching for the handle of her suitcase. I pull it behind me and lead her to my car, loading her luggage into the trunk. "What do you want to do today? I know you're probably pretty exhausted. We can just hang out at my place and you can take a nap if you want," I suggest as we get into the car, and she seems to agree with that idea.

"A nap would be absolutely amazing right now," she says with a laugh.

"Well the car ride will be about an hour and a half if you wanna try and get some sleep in," I tell her, and a few minutes after I start the car and begin driving she does just that.