I was twenty-six years old and I was still not being takenseriously by my family. They seemed content to baby me forever, even when I’d shown time and time again that I was just as adult as the rest of my siblings. They weren’t seeing it. But I was going to make them see.
Starting with skyrocketing my career.
Once I showed them what I could do professionally, they’d also start to see that I was all grown up now. That I was strong and could take care of myself. Stand up for myself. Wear the Fernandez name proudly. Like my sister did.
Unnecessary. Not a good time.
The words rang in my mind like a gong. Echoing with irritating persistence and reminding me just what everyone thought of me.
Even him.
I punched the bag harder, tired muscles be darned. And what seemed like too soon, I heard my sister’s voice calling out, “Time!”
On Ceci’s call, Clementine collapsed to a heap on the floor. She was a thin waif of a girl, her long limbs graceful but spider-like as she laid out. I stayed on my feet, hands falling to my hips as I sucked down air. Just like when I ran, I walked a slow cool down, this time walking the length of the mirrored room a few times. The path allowed me to catch my breath, shake out my muscles, and funnel my thoughts down from all over the place to being tucked back neatly into my head, I could usually organize them better after working out.
Tonight, the opposite was true. In fact, by the time I made it back to my sisters it seemed like my mind was one big scribble, tangled and turbulent in my brain.
“Something wrong, Al?” Clementine’s soft voice asked. She’d lifted to an elbow, but Ceci was trying her hardest to drag her up entirely to stretch.
“Not really,” I lied. Dropping to the floor in front of them, I twisted my legs in a casual formation as I leaned over and stretched my muscles.
Ceci scoffed. “Bullshit, Alta. Spill it.”
“You shouldn’t swear at work, Ceci!” I scolded. She just rolled her eyes and motioned her hands as if telling me to go on. I blinked at her, noting her excited expression. “And you shouldn’t be so happy at the prospect of something being wrong with me!”
“Ugh!” the little troublemaker whined as she laid on her back, her arms spread wide. “If it’s something serious, I won’t be happy. But if it’s just drama…”
“Then what? You want it?” Clementine snorted. “Haven’t you had enough drama for one season?”
“See!” Ceci sprang up pointing to Clem. “I can’t take being the most dramatic one in the family much longer. Someone’s got to save me from this hell.”
Clem snickered, and I found myself giggling softly. A couple of weeks ago, Ceci finally let the secret of her and Clementine’s older brother not only being in love with each other but being friends for over a year without any of us knowing get out rather… melodramatically at a family dinner. I guess she hasn’t been able to live it down since.
“It’s not so bad, Ceci,” I soothed. “Nobody even remembers it… all the way.”
“Yeah Ceci,” Clementine echoed, although her voice was mocking. “We hardly even remember how you assaulted your sister, broke three dishes, and declared your undying secret love to my brother all in one night. Not to mention the snot flying out your nose.”
“See!” she groaned. “I will never live that down. Fergy, can’t you just have another episode or something?”
“Oh yeah, I’ll be sure to find another way to get admitted to the hospital, Ceci. No problem,” Clem said sarcastically. It had been years since she’d fallen ill and was rushed to the ER, and thankfully she’d made a full recovery. Full enough that she could joke about it now.
To Ceci, Clem acted like she was insulted, but I could see the curl of an amused smirk on her lips.
These two were always like this. While Clementine was mostly sweet and even-tempered, she had this darker side that not many people saw. My sister, who was neither sweet nor even tempered, had taken a liking to her and now the two who everyone thought might kill each other when the arrangement of my older brother’s marriage came to be, were actually the best of friends… AndIwas still too nice for even one of the nicest people I’d ever met.
Great.
“So, Al?” Ceci asked, serious again. Blinking her into view I realized that I had zoned out. She raised expectant eyebrows at me. “Spill it. And no bullshit.”
I winced. “Have you spoken to Lis?”
Ceci winced too. “No. And I’m not going to.”
“You two really need to talk,” I said, unable to keep myself from throwing my hat in the ring for Melissa even though I was upset with her too. “You guys can’t fight forever.”
“Yeah well,” Ceci shrugged, her jaw going tight. I guess we were avoiding the subject then. “You were saying?”
“Well,” I looked down at my hands, suddenly feeling guilty. “We fought a little too.”
