Age Recommendation: 18+
A little sister has a forbidden present for her big brother.
The longest day in my life started out with clear signs of being the shittiest.
Getting a call at 3AM from a distraught family member is pretty much a guarantee that everything is about to go downhill. Maybe subterranean.
Arriving at the source of the disturbance, tired and holding two coffees to find your sister sitting by in a shock blanket watching as people spray water at the smouldering wreck of her apartment is kind of stomach twisting. She didn't look like someone who had their entire life and career on track anymore. Just a twenty-something year old woman in shock.
"Here, Jaz. You probably need this."
She took it and looked at me like I had three heads, "You stopped for coffee?"
"Drivethrough." I said and sat down beside her, putting an arm around her shoulders and squeezing. "Sorry, I was exhausted. We didn't need two accidents today. Any ideas?"
Jasmine took on a kind of glassy-eyed look and I regretted bringing it up. I didn't know how to talk to someone who had woken up with their apartment on fire. Somewhere she'd been living for five years, just... Gone.
"I've still got the spare bedroom." I said quickly, trying to pretend I hadn't just deep-throated my foot, "Do we need to talk to anyone before getting you out of here?"
She shook her head silently, "I can... Cop told me to call someone. That's why I called you. I didn't... Know what to do."
"We'll sort it out tomorrow." I said sensibly and stood up, holding out a hand. "Least you don't have to crash on a couch."
The blanket slipped from her shoulders as she stood up, and I kind of felt my mind go blank for half a second. Her pale skin highlighted in the mix of moonlight and crackling fire. Her silk pyjama top falling off one shoulder, buttons only haphazardly done up.
I tried to bury that thought before it became even more embarrassing and shameful. Just because we were brother and sister didn't mean I was incapable of noticing she was a grown woman.
"Ow." Jasmine said, hopping on the rough gravel road. She was barefoot, of course. Stopping for shoes or slippers wouldn't have been the first thing on her mind.
I sighed, "Want me to carry you?"
"No!" Jaz snapped, way harsher than was called for. She flushed red for a moment, and bit her lip, before whispering. "Sorry. No. That'd be... Embarrassing. We're not kids."
"You're walking down the road in your sleep clothes." I pointed out, "Besides, I had to park around the corner. You're not going to hobble that far."
"I am not being carried. Deal with it." Jasmine snapped.
I put up my hands defensively, "You're the boss. Fine. Uh... Wanna walk on my feet, like when we were kids, then? Still embarrassing, but then everyone will just assume we're drunk."
She burst out laughing at the ridiculousness of the suggestion, "Drunk. So much better than newly weds. Fine, I'm too tired to argue. But if you drop me, I'm dropkicking something else."
I hadn't actually been serious.
Jaz positioned her feet atop mine, clinging to my wrists tight enough to hurt, and we tried to awkwardly walk passed all the emergency services to where I'd parked.
More than one or two people laughed at us, but like they thought it was sweet, and not crazy. Brother swoops in to cheer up his sister after her world burns down. Or something.
A hundred meters later, I couldn't agree.
© Copyright 2024, James Milne