Midnight Kiss

1

When did you first realize that you were different?

My sister and I were inseparable when we were little. We loved playing tea parties and dressing up. But we were never allowed to leave the house or look out the window.
As curious little kids, we stepped out of the house for the first time when our grandparents were babysitting us.

We tiptoed out the door. Everything was so bright and colorful. But Ashley told me everything would be okay and we could play outside. And we proceeded to tumble in the grass giggling and running around the yard. I wondered to myself why our parents kept us from going out when it was so fun and bright. And then I felt like I was burning. I felt like I was being roasted alive.

I was crying in pain, and my sister wanted to know what was wrong, but I didn’t know what to tell her because I also didn’t know.

Our grandparents then rushed out of the house and rushed me to the hospital. And after that day, Ashley and I had never been the same.

For all these years, I have yearned for my sister's affection. But no matter what I did, she would either scoff or roll her eyes at me. And no matter how many times I tell myself that I should just ignore her, there's this small part of me that wants to be on good terms with her. To just make things go back to the way it was when we were kids.

I peeked out my door, assuring myself Ashley wasn't awake yet. Despite longing for the affection of my sibling, I didn't want to incur her wrath so early in the morning.

I scared my mom by rushing into the kitchen. She sighs and shakes her head at me but continues making breakfast.

I grabbed an apple on the counter and headed to the living room, hoping to find some quiet time before Ashley woke up. The memories of that fateful day when we stepped outside and everything changed still haunted me. The burning sensation, the pain, and the subsequent hospital visit had left a lasting mark on both of us.

Sitting on the couch, I stared at the apple in my hand, lost in thought. The sun streamed through the window, casting a warm glow on the room. I wondered if my sister felt the same way I did if she carried the weight of that day on her shoulders as I did.

As I took a bite of the apple, I heard her door creaked open. I looked up to see Ashley, her hair tousled from sleep, rubbing her eyes as she shuffled into the room. She glanced at me and then at the apple in my hand.

"You're up early," she mumbled, her voice still heavy with sleep.

"Yeah," I replied, trying to sound casual. "Just wanted some quiet time."

Ashley walked over and plopped down on the couch beside me. We sat in silence for a moment, the tension between us palpable. I could tell she was about to say something, but she hesitated.

"Look," she finally started, her gaze fixed on her hands, "I know things have been... different between us."

I turned to face her, surprised by her openness. "Yeah, they have," I admitted, my heart pounding.

She let out a sigh as if releasing a burden she had been carrying for a long time. She mumbled something under her breath and stormed back into her room. I was left staring at her spot, wondering what she wanted to say to me.

The weight of my sister's words hung in the air, a heavy silence settling over the room. I couldn't help but replay her abrupt departure in my mind, wondering what had caused her to retreat so suddenly. As I returned to my room, I couldn't shake the feeling that there was something she needed to get off her chest.

The routine of my daily life pressed on, as predictable as the sun rising each morning. It was a life filled with the monotony of school, chores, and the ever-present divide between my sister and me. I yearned for a way to bridge that gap to reconnect with her as we once had when we were children.

But things in life never really seem to go the way we want them.