Andrew had been born only four minutes before Katrina. But in every other way, she was the older soul between the two.
Anyone who knew Katrina well knew that she was an old soul inhabiting a youthful body. She saw the human experience through a unconventional lens; one that was filled with deep observations and contemplations about the transience they called living. She was a person who lived for the history of things: favoring records and Polaroid pictures, cherishing the lost art of hand written letters and the smell of worn book pages. She liked old buildings with exposed walls, loving that she could see the care that went into constructing something so magnificent.
She was an empath in her thoughts, words, and actions; feeling not only her emotions deeply, but feeling the emotions of others as if they were her own. She held a kindness in her heart for everyone, and she was self-less with her love.
It was for those reasons that Andrew wasn't stunned in the slightest when Katrina brought up the idea of her furthering her education.
The two had worked tirelessly for as long as they could remember, working hard to save money for the day they turned eighteen. The day they were no longer wards of the state and could make decisions for themselves. The day they didn't have to look to anyone for permission to live their lives. From the moment they were old enough to hold a job legally to now, they had worked full times jobs everyday. Andrew put in long, tiring hours with a construction crew; coming home covered in a thin layer of dust and sweat. Katrina typically pulled twelve hour shifts at a small diner a few blocks from their apartment; one of the last ones in the city of Columbus.
Together, the two of them had what was considered a decent amount of savings; being able to afford a small one bedroom apartment on the fifteenth floor of a run down apartment complex from the early 2000s. It wasn't in the best shape or in the best area, but it was enough for the two of them. A small slice of the world to call their own. And it had taken a lot of hours of work from both of them to make it a reality after they had dreamed about it for so long.
"I'll have to adjust my work schedule." Katrina voiced. "Maybe I can find a school that will work around it? Do the morning shift and do classes in the evening?"
Andrew stared at his sister from where he sat across the table. It was clear that she was lost in thought, trying hard to figure out to keep the stability of their situation and also chase after something that she so clearly wanted.
