If Wishes Were Horses, More Beggars Would Ride Them

I had been asleep for a few hours at least when I heard someone pounding on my sister’s door. I was startled and unsure what to do. After all, it could easily be William demanding I come home and study pre-med. It could also easily be a rapist, or a stalker. My sister could easily have a stalker, she’s a very beautiful woman. Finally curiosity, along with Miles’ sleepy yaps, urged me to pull off my covers and tip-toe towards the door.

I checked the little clock on my sister’s oven and learn that it’s only two in the morning. I carefully creep closer towards the door. The pounding continues again. I stand on my tiptoes to look through the peep hole and see a man standing on the porch. He’s not William, and he doesn’t really look much like a stalker, so I decide to open the door a crack and see what he wants.

“Hello?” I ask him, my voice groggy after being woken up.
“Hey! Wait, who are you?” He asks, presumably surprised that I’m not my sister.
“I’m Rose, I’m Violet’s half sister. Who are you? And why are you pounding on my sister’s door at two in the morning?” I ask the strange man, trying to sound as threatening as possible. It’s amazing how fast his attitude towards me changed once he realized who I was.
“I’m Milo,” he tells me unaware that I knew exactly who he was, “I’m your sister’s boyfriend. Is she awake? I need to tell her something really important.”
“Violet is sleeping, and I don’t know if you’re really Milo…so I’m not sure if I should let you in.”
He sighs, then pulls a plain black wallet out of his pocket and flashes me an ID informing me that his name is Milo Summers and he is a citizen of California.
“Oh,” I say as I open the door wide to let him in.

Luckily for Milo and I, Violet had woken up by now and was just now coming out of her room to see what was going on. When she saw Milo and I sitting across from each other at the kitchen table she wiped her eyes and took a second glance. When she was sure that Milo and I really were sitting across from each other at her kitchen table, she quickly mumbled something incoherently and went to get herself a glass of water.

Getting up from the table, Milo moves towards Violet and places a kiss tenderly on her cheek.
“Guess what babe?” he asks her.
“You finally got to meet my family?” Violet asks drowsily.
“No, not that. Well yes, I mean I met your sister here, but more importantly: Ganthem Records got us on the To Kill a Vulture Tour.” He says, like that should mean something important to everyone. Apparently, for my sister it does. Quickly I see a bitter look cross over her face before a smile covers it.
“That’s great honey, I’m really happy for you guys.” I haven’t been in touch with my sister for awhile, but even I know that there’s a certain bitterness dripping in her voice right now.
“That’s not even the best news,” Milo tells her ignoring, or at the very least pretending to ignore, my sister’s obvious disappointment, “Ganthem is giving us enough money to hire another merch guy at least.”
“So who are you guys thinking of taking with you?” Violet asks.
“Well, Angus wants to hire his friend Cody and Jack wants to hire some girl he met at a bar,” Milo explains.
“But…” my sister probes.
“But,” Milo continues, giving my sister a kiss on the top of her head, ”I’ve met Cody before and he’s not someone I would trust with money and as a rule I don’t trust women that Jack picks up in bars.”
“You’re a smart man Milo Summers,” Violet says as she pours the hot water she had made into a mug for more tea.
“I’m dating you aren’t I?” Milo beams as he wraps his arms around my sister and pulls her closer to him.
Violet smiles and they start to sway together as if dancing to a tune that only the two of them could hear. I study them from my seat at the kitchen table. Milo towers over Violet, tall and lean, with dark coloring and olive skin. Violet looks perfect in his arms, with dark brown curls and bright blue eyes against pale smooth skin. The two of them looked extremely happy, and even though I had only seen them together this one time in my life I could tell that these two crazy kids were really in love.

“Your children will be beautiful,” I tell them, interrupting their trance. They jump apart a bit and blush, then look at each other and giggle under their breath.
“Shouldn’t you be in bed already?” Violet asks me.
“I’m not the one with a job,” I respond sarcastically.
“Actually,” Milo cuts in,“I really should be going, but I’ll see you tomorrow for lunch, right Vi?” he asks my sister, squeezing her hand goodbye as he walks towards the front door.
“Yeah,” she answers him with a giant smile on her face,”same spot as always.”
Milo blows my sister a kiss, salutes me, then in a triumphant and somewhat giddy gesture closes the door tightly behind him and disappears into the cold black night.

“Well,” I look at Violet,”he seems nice.”
“Yeah,” she says starring at the closed door dreamily,”he is.”