As soon as she’s within reach, Maya throws herself into my arms, and I effortlessly catch her. The funny thing about Maya and me; we were never very affectionate as kids. But now, I don’t think I ever want to let go of her.
She’s the one to pull back after several moments, and I’m finally able to get a good look at her. Her hair has grown quite a bit since I last saw her. It falls just above her waist now, and it’s a bit darker than I remember—likely due to the bitter winter season. Her cheeks are bright pink from the biting cold, and her lips are chapped as can be, but she’s grinning ear-to-ear.
“Welcome to the snow, Sis!” I exclaim through laughter. She doesn’t fit in with the cold at all, like a sunflower in a field of ice.
“It’s colder than I thought,” she admits, her teeth audibly chattering. “It’s beautiful, though! Wow…” She spins around slowly, taking in every detail of the place, and then her eyes return to me. “I can’t believe you live here.”
“It’s a long way from Ohio,” I acknowledge thoughtfully, clasping her shoulder. My chest tightens. She’s actually here. “I missed you, kid.”
Maya’s eyes gleam with mischief as she nudges me. “Don’t tell me you turned into a sentimental sap trapped out here in all this snow.”
My mouth twitches up, but I manage to keep a straight face. “Never.” I start to say something else, but I’m distracted by Darcy finally catching up with us. She stands next to Maya andlooks up at me with what could only be described as ‘barely contained disdain.’
“Cody,” she greets monotonously.
I smile cordially. “Darcy.”
She looks beautiful, I have to admit, though it’s no surprise. She has always been beautiful. However, she has changed since I last saw her, but just barely. She looks older, but not necessarilyold. She’s grown into herself. Her hair, once red, long, and curly, now falls in loose waves to her shoulders, still as fiery as ever. Her skin is fair and smooth, just like I remember, with splatters of freckles across her nose and cheeks. The major noticeable difference lies in her eyes. They used to be big and round, as green as springtime grass and filled with constant love. Now, they are narrowed, darkened, and hardened. My throat tightens when I remember what Maya said happened with her fiancé, but that quickly disappears when her scowl deepens.
I don’t know what I was expecting, but I’m caught off guard by her. It has been so long since I saw her; it’s almost like she had become nothing but a figment of my imagination. Now, though, with her eyes drilling into mine, she is entirelytooreal.
When I realize I’m staring, I readjust my attention to my sister.
“Sorry I couldn’t be there to pick you up at the airport. My boss is already pissed at me. There’s no way he would’ve let me off today.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Maya assures me. “We had fun flirting with the cab driver.”
“Well, that’s a comfort.” I grimace at the thought and start to go big brother mode and comment on stranger danger, but the older lady with the death wish clears her throat and taps my shoulder.
“Excuse me? Would you perhaps like to do your job before I report you?”
I turn back just long enough to glare at her. “I am reuniting with my sister. I have told you everything you need to know, and you are insistent on ignoring me. I’m afraid I can’t offer you anymore help apart from the advice that the world doesn’t revolve aroundyou.”
Maya stifles a giggle and Darcy rolls her eyes.
“You can’t talk to me like that!” the woman objects, wagging her finger in my face again like I’m a misbehaving dog. “I will be talking to your boss about this.”
“Be my guest.” I fake a smile. “Now, do you mind? I’m trying to have a conversation here.”
The woman huffs and walks away.
Maya breaks out into a fit of laughter, but Darcy’s expression is unreadable.
“How have you not gotten fired?” Maya asks.
I shrug. “Must be my God-given charm.”
Darcy snorts. “Oh, please. What charm?”
I narrow my eyes at her, and she squares her shoulders. It’s like high school all over again. “I have charm. YouknowI have charm. Don’t lie to yourself, Darcypops.”
Darcy barks out a laugh, her eyes flashing with fire. “You cannot be serious,” she says with a scowl. “Charm? You just treated a paying customer like they were an inconvenience to you. That’s not charm, it’s just being anutterasshole.”
I scoff. “Oh, is that right? Well, guess what? Takes one to know one.”
“Wow,” Darcy mocks. “That was a good one, slugger. You sure got me.”
I won’t yell at a girl, I won’t yell at a girl, I won’t yell at a girl.
