Page 50 of Follow My Voice
I breathe on the window, fogging up the glass, and trace the letterKwith my finger. It reminds me of finger painting, which was one of my favorite techniques.
I hear someone clear their throat and I turn around. Kamila is at my bedroom door in her pajamas with two steaming mugs in her hands.
“Hot chocolate?”
I beam. “Is there anyone alive who can say no to hot chocolate?”
She nods. “Andy.”
“Andy doesn’t count.”
She comes into the room and sits beside me at the window, handing me a cup. For a moment we don’t say anything. It’s not awkward—it’s just us, two sisters enjoying a nice cup of hot chocolate. I take several sips before breaking the silence. “I know what you want to ask.”
She raises an eyebrow. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Kamila…”
“What?”
“You don’t have to pretend. I know you.”
She takes a sip from her cup. “I’m a new person. I’m trying to be less… invasive.”
“Asking people questions and analyzing their answers is part of who you are. That’s why you studied psychiatry. So go ahead and ask.”
“I don’t want to pester you, Klara.”
“Kamila, I admit that your constant questions can be annoying at times, but I’m used to it. I love you just the way you are; I wouldn’t change anything about you.”
Her eyes redden and she lets out a long breath of air. “Don’t say things like that, you’ll make me cry.”
I take her free hand and squeeze it.
“But, since you’ve given me the green light, I’m dying to know how your day went. You have no idea how worried I was when the storm suddenly hit, with you stuck on campus.”
“I did so well, Kami. I had a normal day—can you believe it? I can’t. I talked to people my age, made friends.”
“I’m so glad, K. I can believe it. You’ve fought hard to get where you are. It’s time to reap some rewards, like today.”
“Hey.”
Kamila and I turn to see Andy in the doorway.
“You’re having a pajama party and you didn’t invite me?”
“No, come on in. The entrance fee is a cup of hot chocolate.”
He opens his mouth to protest, but Kamila cuts him off. “No exceptions.”
Andy leaves and comes back a few minutes later with a cup in his hand. Kamila and I share an amused look as he sits on the bed since there’s no more room at the window.
“What? I wanted to join the PJ party.”
Kamila narrows her eyes at him. “We know that’s tea in there.”
I smile and the three of us sit enjoying our hot drinks.
“So, what did I miss?”
