Chapter Two: A Sister's Embrace

 

Chapter Two: A Sister’s Embrace

 

            The apartment was cozy and small, with a homely touch to it. A large fireplace sat opposite the front door, a scrubbed wooden table sitting in front of it. Flowers were placed all around the house, giving it a certain fragrance. There were two small bedrooms to the right, where Lina and her mother slept. An undersized kitchen lay to left.

 

“She’s gone, you know,” came a soft voice from the windowsill.

 

            A pale gray cat leapt from the sill and trotted over to Lina, a sympathetic look on her face.

 

            “Lolita and your mother argued, and your mother left to pick up fish from the docks. Lolita’s down in the bakery kitchen, baking bread.”

 

            Lina sunk cross-legged onto the floor and placed Misty in her lap. “What was it this time?”

 

            “You, actually. Lolita said Rhea doesn’t pay enough attention to you,” Misty said, using Lina’s mother’s first name. “She said that Rhea needs to stop living in the past with your father and start living in the present with you.

 

            “Of course, then Rhea went on a rant about Lolita, Freya, and Orlena, and how all of them abandoned you to deal with your parent’s mess by yourself. Then she left.”

 

            “Soldeus above,” Lina cursed, using the sun god’s name. She stood, displacing the gray cat.

 

            “Where’re you going?” Misty snapped, cleaning her fur.

 

            “Down to talk to Lolita,” Lina called over her shoulder before leaping down the stairs and into the large, warm kitchen.

 

            It had a few windows, with a large brick oven and long wooden counters. Taking a large a large apple pie out of the oven was a pretty young woman with long, curly blonde hair and big blue eyes. When she spotted Lina, she smiled, dropped the pie on a counter, and pulled her into a bone-crunching hug.

 

            “Lina! Oh, I’ve missed you,” she said in her honey-like voice.

 

            Lina smiled. “I’ve missed you, too, Lolita.”

 

            Lolita had a rounder, more bubbly shape to her, while Lina and all their other sisters were sharp and angular. Lolita grinned again and went back to her pie, cutting it into small triangular shapes.

 

            “So, what’s been goin’ on? How’s that Richard of yours, eh?” She giggled to herself, winking.

 

            “The Richard courtship, has been terminated,” Lina said, knowing what was coming next.

 

            “Oh? Has it now? How many is that in the last month? About, six?”

 

            “Blessed Soldeus, Lolita! I have not courted six men in the last month!”

 

            “’Ight, you’re right. It was only five.” She doubled over, her tinkling laugh filling the room.

 

            “If you must know, it was only three in the last four months. Damien, Noram, and Richard.”

 

            Lolita mock-gasped, placing a hand over her heart. “Only three? Lost your game, have you?”

 

            Lina couldn’t help it; she burst out laughing, gripping the counter for support. “Okay, so I’ve courted half the Guard. I can’t help myself,” and the sisters laughed again.

 

            Once she had her breath back, Lina said, “So, speaking of men, how’s your Fulton?”

 

            Lolita’s cheek’s filled with color and she muttered, “He’s fine.”

 

            “Oh, come’n, you have to give me more than that.”

 

            “Well, it’s comin’ on four seasons now,” she whispered, a faraway glaze covering her eyes. “And I think he’s hintin’ at marriage.”

 

            “’Bout time,” Lina replied, laughing at Lolita’s expression. She sat on one of the stools by the counter, drawing in the spilled flour. The town bell clanged in the distance.

 

            “Blast, is it five already? I’ve got to be going, Lina. Come by the shop on your day off, will you?”

 

            “Of course, Lolita,” Lina said, hugging her sister and shutting the door after her.

 

            As she straightened up the kitchen, only then did she allow herself to think of the man at the bar. He had seemed too strange, and definitely not from Pagus or Raca. Why had he been staring at her so intently? Sure, she was pretty, but most men just came right up and spoke to her. He hadn’t really seemed interested in her that way, anyway.

 

            As Lina wrapped the pies, the front door swung open, and in walked a tall, thin woman with an angular face and wiry red hair pulled back in a tight bun.

 

            “Hello, Mother,” Lina called.

 

            “Hello, Lina. Put those pies in the window, would you?” She asked before walking up the stairs, without another word.

Author's Note

meh, kind of a crappy chapter :/