Megan’s fingers traced the rim of her mug. “I’ve been thinking about it nonstop since that day. About how it all got so out of hand. About how I’ve treated you for, God, probably years. And I realized that I want the perfect wedding, yes, but it can’t be perfect without my big sister standing beside me.”
My throat tightened unexpectedly. When was the last time she’d called me her big sister?
“I talked to Mom too.” Her voice gained strength. “I told her that if she so much as side-eyes you at any wedding event, she’ll be banned from the whole thing.”
I nearly choked on my coffee. “You threatened to ban Mom from your wedding?”
She lifted her chin defiantly. “I did. I meant it too. This is my wedding, and I want you there.”
“Holy shit, Megan.” The words escaped before I could stop them. “You actually stood up to Mom? About me?”
“I should have done it years ago.”
Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes, which irritated me. I didn’t want to cry. I wanted to stay angry, stay protected behind the walls I’d built. But hearing Megan defend me, even belatedly, cracked something open in my chest.
Her own eyes grew bright. “I know I hurt you. I know saying sorry doesn’t fix it. But I’m hoping... I’m hoping you might consider giving me another chance. As your sister. As your friend.” Her voice broke completely. “Please, Mia. I can’t get married without you.”
I set my mug down carefully, my hands trembling slightly. Part of me wanted to say yes immediately, to close the distance between us and pretend that none of this had happened. But I couldn’t do that. Not yet.
“I’ll think about it,” I said finally.
Her face fell slightly, but she nodded. “That’s fair. More than fair, actually.”
“You need to understand how much it hurt.” My voice came out stronger now. “Not just the wedding stuff. Everything. The comparisons, the comments about my weight, making me feel like I was somehow less than you. I can’t just get over that easily.”
Tears spilled over, tracking down her cheeks. “I know. I’m so sorry, Mia. And honestly, I’m sick of the way Mom sets us against each other. I’m sick of having to work so hard to be perfect so that Mom doesn’t pick on me like she picks on you.”
I stared at her. “That’s, uh, that’s quite the revelation.”
“Like I said, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking.”
My anger began to soften around the edges, making room for something that felt dangerously close to understanding. How long had we been seeing each other all wrong?
“I really will think about it,” I said, and meant it. “But things have to be different.”
She wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand. “They will be. I promise. I brought you something else too.” She held out the gift bag, her hands shaking slightly.
I accepted the bag and peered inside, pulling out a small framed photo. It was one I’d forgotten existed, from when we were kids. Maybe I was eight and she was five. We were in the backyard, both covered in mud, grinning at the camera with our arms thrown around each other. We looked genuinely happy. Like sisters who actually liked each other.
Megan’s voice was barely a whisper. “I found it in Mom’s old photo albums. I remembered that day. We’d been digging for buried treasure in the garden and we found an old bottle cap. We were so excited, we thought we’d struck gold.”
I traced the glass with my finger, remembering. “You insisted we split the treasure fifty-fifty.”
“I was very concerned with fairness back then.”
“You were.” I looked up at her, seeing echoes of that five-year-old in her adult face. “What happened to us, Megan?”
“I don’t know.” Fresh tears spilled over. “I think Mom had a lot to do with it. It wasn’t until all this wedding stuff happened that I realized how bad she really is. But I want to find our way back. If you’ll let me.”
I set the photo on the counter, my chest tight with emotions “I said I’ll think about it. I mean that.”
She nodded, gathering her purse with trembling hands. “That’s all I can ask for.”
MIA
Istepped through the main doors of Catalyst Digital, clutching my coffee with one hand and my purse with the other. Emily was right beside me, animatedly describing her latest art commission disaster.
“And then she says, get this, she says, ‘I was thinking maybe more blue? And could you make the mountains look happier?’ Happier mountains, Mia. What does that even mean?”
