Brazen Bachelor

Vicki stands again. “Stay here, I’ll show you.” She disappears down a long hallway, and I’m guessing she’s headed to a bedroom. When my sister returns, she’s carrying a book. Once she sets it down, I see it’s her photo album. This is the one place my sister kept memories from our childhood years, but it was one of those items she hid from me. I never understood why, but I guess now I’m about to learn more.

“What are you doing?” I ask.

She flicks it open to the second page. There are two photos stuck there along with a few flowers and stickers she included to spruce up the space. “This,” she replies, twisting it around. “Look through these and tell me what you see.”

I slowly move from page to page. Scanning each image, I feel the tears sting my eyes when I realize what she’s trying to show me. With every turn, there are always two photos—one of me separate from the photo of Victoria.

But there are glaring differences. In each one, my sister is dolled up, makeup, hair, even her clothes. None of them are natural. They’re all fake. Even her as a ten-year-old, where I’m playing with neighborhood kids, my sister is posing on the porch with a yellow soda and a huge smile on her face. But I know my sister. The smile isn’t real. It’s pasted on her pretty face.

“You got a childhood, Vi,” she whispers as I reach the end. The day she graduated. “I never did, because Mom and Dad wanted to parade me in those stupid beauty pageants. I was nothing more than a dress-up doll for her, and you, you were the lucky one, getting all the fun while I had to suffer through hours of primping for no reason. It’s not who I am, but that’s how people saw me.”

“So, you ended up basking in that life rather than fight Mom on it.”

“How would I have fought her? You knew what she was like,” Vickie tells me. “Nothing I could have said would’ve made her change her mind. She wanted to make me a princess, while all I ever wanted was to spend time with my sister.”

When I blink, the tears trickle down my cheeks. I sweep my gaze up to hers, finding my sister crying as well. I’ve never seen her break down, so this is entirely new territory for me.

“I hated you all my life,” I admit with raw honesty scraping my throat.

Victoria smiles sadly. “And I hated you.” I round the counter, going to my sister, and pulling her into my arms. All these years, we both had so much animosity toward each other when all we needed to do was be honest.

“I’m so sorry, Vickie.”

“Me too,” she whispers as we stand. I never looked at her. I mean truly looked to see what was under the perfect exterior. Just a broken girl wanting what I had.

It’s funny how life works. We always think others have it better than we do, but when we dig a little deeper, we find the ugly truth under a varnished exterior.

“Vi,” Vickie starts. “Are you coming to my wedding?”

“Of course.” I nod honestly before stepping back to look her in the eye. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” But now I need a new dress. Shit.

“Good, because I need a maid of honor,“ she confides with a shy smile I’ve never seen on my sister’s face. She’s always been so confident, but right now, I see my real sister.

“You sure you want little old me to be there being a pain in the ass on your big day?” I challenge playfully.

This time she laughs. “I would love it if my sister were beside me.”

“Then you’re lucky because I have it on good authority that she’ll be there.” I hug her once more because this new closeness eases my ever-present anxiety.

“And don’t worry about the dress. We’ll have a fitting. All I need to know is if you’re bringing a date.” I look at my sister, and for a moment, I wonder if Colton and I can make things work.

No. He walked out.

He left, so I shake my head. “Not unless I meet some hot guy in the next couple of weeks.” But even as I say it, my heart aches at the memory of him.

“You never know what could happen.” Vickie grins. “Now, let’s have a hot chocolate and catch up. I have a feeling after all the years of estrangement, we have a lot of talking to do.”

I settle in, happy to spend time with my sister.

But even as I feel at ease with her, my heart is still worrying itself over my relationship with Colton. Though I broke it off, I don’t want him to walk away.

I want him to fight.