Raven's Sister

Childhood

"Please have a seat on the couch and make yourselves comfortable. I'm going into the kitchen to make that hot chocolate. Raven, would you like some as well?"

"No thank you." Raven answers as we both sit on the brown leather couch.

"Ok, I'll be back in a few minutes." she explains as she disappears around the corner into the kitchen.

{It seems a lot bigger inside than it did on the outside.}

I look around at the living room. It is a decent sized room. The walls are plain white but are mostly covered with pictures of kids and teens in front of a huge building.

{That must have been the orphanage.}

I continue to look around at the different furniture. The couch matches the loveseat and chair, all three facing towards the small tv in the front of the room on top of a dark wood entertainment center. There is a wooden coffee table a few feet from the tv but it is close enough for whoever sits on the couch or in the chair can reach it. There's only one side table and it sits beside the chair, completely covered with books. I look down at the lite tan carpet.

{It looks so soft.}

I turn around to try to see what else is in the house but there are two corners in the way.

{The left turn leads to the kitchen since that's the way she went so right must go to the rest of the house.}

"She has a lot of pictures." Raven speaks up looking at all the frames on the walls.

"Do you think that building is the orphanage?" I ask, studying the walls again.

"Yes, that was the orphanage." Lena answers appearing from around the corner with two mugs.

She comes over and sits on the chair across from us, and turns the chair so she is facing us. She sets down the mugs on the coffee table and slides one over to me. I look at it in awe.

{It smells so good, chocolate and cinnamon mixing together.}

The mug is topped with whipped cream, sprinkled with cinnamon. A cinnamon stick is peeking out of the cream ready to be eaten.

"Thank you, it looks delicious." I say as I pick up the mug and take a slow sip, "mmmm."

{It's so good.}

"Guess I made it the right way." Lena chuckles as she takes a sip of hers.

I take the mug away from my mouth embarrassed, "It is, thank you again. I haven't had a hot chocolate for I don't know how long."

"I'm glad you like it." she says putting her mug down.

Raven chuckles a little bit next to me. I look over at her and she's trying to hide her smile.

"What?"

"You got a little something, right here." she says pointing to her upper lip.

I wipe my mouth and whipped cream comes off, "Maybe I was saving it for later." I say sticking my tongue out at her and then licking the cream off my hand.

"It happened all the time when you were little Shadow....oh I'm so sorry."

The silliness leaves the room and we remember why we are here.

"It's ok, I understand. I was Shadow to you for nine years, nothing can change that."

She takes a deep breath and reaches over to open one of the drawers on the side table. She pulls out a very dusty photo album.

"I haven't looked at this in years." she says as she wipes the dust off and lays the book on the coffee table so Raven and I can see it. On the cover only one word is written, Shadow.