Nothing but the Truth

The Gonzales family came to visit Mom and I the summer I was fourteen and the twins were seventeen, the rare three months between my birthday in June and theirs at the end of August where there was only three years between us instead of four. Eric and Elias were both tall, with jet black hair, but that was about as far as the similarities went, like most twins.

Nightmares had been plaguing me since Miranda died, like you’d expect. I usually woke from them in tears and went into the kitchen to get something to drink before trying to sleep again. One night early in that summer, right at the end of June, this was the case.

I padded down the hallway in our small house, pulling down my oversized tee shirt. When I reached the kitchen, Elias was sitting at the table, mixing together some chocolate milk. As soon as I saw him, I blushed, patting down my unruly brunette hair.

“Hey, Marina,” he said softly. “Want some milk?”

“Sure,” I agreed in a whisper, sliding into the seat next to him. He stood up and grabbed a small cup from the cabinet, and I watched him carefully pour the white liquid into the glass before I asked, “What are you doing up?”

“I don’t sleep very much,” Elias confessed, locking his dark green eyes with mine. “What about you?”

“Same thing. Too many nightmares.” I looked away, hiding my expression. Showing too many feelings was the sign of the weak, or at least that’s what my uncle Charles told me. I believed him.

We were both silent, the only sound the spoon clinking against my glass. Then he handed the cup to me, and toasted me silently. It was so strange to me, that single gesture, but I laughed in spite of myself when he lowered his glass and revealed a white milk mustache.

“There’s what I like to see.” After the words came out of his mouth, he looked down abruptly, as if he hadn’t meant to let them slip out. That simple movement was terribly endearing, if only because it felt so familiar.

In a rare brave move, I placed my hand over his gently. When he looked up, I smiled, hoping to disarm him. When he slipped his fingers through mine, very carefully, I knew it had worked.

We sat there like that for quite some time, long after our drinks were gone. Elias and I didn’t say anything, didn’t move, as time seemed to stand as still as we were. It was strangely personal, finding words we didn’t want to say written on each other’s faces, but not unpleasant. Not at all.

When the clock struck three and broke the spell, I jumped, almost knocking over my empty glass. Elias caught it before it fell to the hard surface of the table, but he had to let go of my hand to do so. Quiet restored again, he smiled at me ruefully.

“Sweet dreams, Elias.” I bit my lip and cautiously brought my hand up to touch his hair.

He smiled. “You too, Marina.”

And for the first time since I was a little girl, I did have good dreams.