Southern Storms (Compass 1)

“Your new home. As you know, Nathan and I have recently gotten into flipping houses, and this was our latest flip in the cutest small town known to mankind. We were about to put it on the market but decided to hold off so you’ll have somewhere to stay that’s just yours.” She was talking as though everything she was saying wasn’t complete insanity as she walked forward toward the front porch. “The yard hasn’t been done yet, but the landscapers will come start on it in a few days, and there is little to no furniture. Okay, there’s nothing inside, but I ordered a few pieces I think you might like and they are arriving over the next few days. I picked out a washer and dryer that will be delivered, and for now, there’s a top-of-the-line, old-school blue refrigerator in the kitchen that you have courtesy of Nathan and me from our garage. I also had Nathan run to the store and get you some essentials—a nice queen-size blow-up bed, some dining items, a cheap kitchen table, all the bathroom basics, and—”

“Why would you do this?” I choked out, completely stunned and confused by all this undeserved kindness Yoana was showing me. “This is insane.” I didn’t deserve this. I couldn’t stay in a house they were about to put on the market. I couldn’t take so much from my sister when I had given her so little over the past year.

If anything, I’d taken the most important things from her life already.

“Why would I do this?” she asked, surprised by my question. She placed her hands on my shoulders and narrowed her eyes. “Kennedy…you’re my sister. I’d do anything for you.”

When I thought of earth angels, my older sister was always the first one to come to mind. Yoana was a saint beyond saints, a doer of good. Hearts like hers were so few and far between. She was beautiful both inside and out even though most people noticed her outer beauty first. Yoana McKenzie Lost was the spitting image of our mother. She had Mama’s tight black curls, espresso skin, doe eyes, and the deep dimple that carved out her left cheek. Whenever I missed my mother, I was lucky enough to be able to look into my sister’s eyes.

Me, on the other hand—I was the perfect blend of both my parents, the embodiment of their love story. I’d received Mama’s smile and Cupid’s bow. I had Daddy’s crooked, slender nose and his chipmunk cheeks. Mama and I had matching birthmarks on our shoulder blades and the same dimple in our chins. My loose honey-colored curls were a mixture of both of my parents’ genetics.

And my eyes? They belonged to my father. I had Daddy’s golden-kissed eyes that had slivers of browns and greens dancing within their irises. Whenever I missed him, I looked into my own mirror. Some people would look at me and call me biracial but I simply called myself Aaron and Renee’s daughter.

My sister and I were the living, breathing proof of our parents’ epic story—their greatest love of all. Even though Daddy wasn’t Yoana’s biological father, there was no doubt that he was her dad. When my mother was lost and all alone with a two-year-old, Daddy swept both girls off their feet, and he loved Yoana as if she was his own the moment he laid eyes on her.

It takes a special kind of man to love a child that isn’t his by blood. There was never a split second when my father treated Yoana any differently than he treated me. Sometimes, when I was younger, I even felt as if he loved her a little bit more than he loved me. He didn’t do it on purpose, of course, and the older I grew, the more I understood. Yoana had a missing link in her life’s novel, and Daddy made sure she knew her storybook was still filled with love even though she’d never know her biological father.

She was his daughter—maybe not by blood, but most definitely by heart. Their hearts beat in sync, and sometimes, I could’ve sworn Yoana had Daddy’s smile.

Not a day passed when I didn’t miss my parents, but luckily, I had my sister to hold me up now. I wished I had realized that sooner. Instead, I had pushed her away because I figured she blamed me for the accident.

It was because of Yoana that I felt as if the overcast sky that’d been following me around for the past year was finally clearing up to sunny days and calmer nights. For the rest of my life, I’d owe her for the unconditional love she bestowed on me.

They showed me around the house, leaving me shocked by how beautiful it was, especially based on the before photographs they’d shown me. When it was almost time for them to go catch their flight for the honeymoon, Yoana made sure to give me a to-do list for while they were gone.