One (Sarah Crossan)

Naked

I shampoo my hair and

leave conditioner on the dry ends

for a few minutes

while Tippi scrubs herself down with a sponge

and wild lavender

body wash.

I lean away from the strong smell

so she won’t get any suds on my arms or face

then

step under the water jet

and use a fresh bar of almond soap

to rub myself clean.

‘Isn’t it weird to see each other naked?’

our twelve-year-old

cousin Helen asked

last year

over Thanksgiving turkey,

which made Grammie

gag on a roast potato.

Tippi and I shrugged,

shook our heads

while everyone waited for an answer,

pretending they weren’t,

and Tippi said,

‘When you share a life,

seeing your sister’s boobs

doesn’t really feel like a

big deal.’