Sometimes We Must Grow Stronger
Are You Thinking Of Me Now?
"Wow. You look terrible." Cass told her sister, as Audrey stirred in her bed.
"Gee, thanks," Audrey yawned as she sat up, pulling her legs to her chest, "I had a rough night. I kept waking up."
"Nightmares again?" Cass asked, visibly not wanting to push the subject. She knew how Audrey didn't like to talk about it.
"Yes. I'm fine, though."
"If you insist." She said, plopping down on Audrey's bed. She sighed. "No human should be up this early."
"Well, we have to," Audrey replied, getting up and walking to the closet, "Are you packed for Aunt Christa's house? We're not going back to the house after the funeral, and Uncle Ian is going to move the rest to a storage facility."
"Yeah, are you?"
"Pretty much."
There was an awkward silence as Audrey pulled out a black dress. Cassandra stared at the ceiling and sighed.
"I feel like shit."
"Do you want to talk about this?" Audrey asked softly, taking off her pajamas and pulling on her dress.
"No, not really." Cass grumbled as she sat up, "I just want today to be over with. It's complete bullshit that we have to go through with it anyways."
"I know." Her sister sighed, sitting next to her as she put on her shoes, "But it should be easier after the funeral."
"I hope so." Cass said dryly, as they both heard a knock on the door.
"That should be Christa." Cass continued, getting up.
"Hold on!" Audrey snapped, as she pulled on her cardigan before walking quickly to catch up.
Cass was already at the door when Audrey reached the front room. She opened it and sure enough, the girls' aunt Christa was standing there, trying to keep her composure.
"May I come in?" She asked, and the girls nodded, stepping aside.
"Sure, do you want us to put a few suitcases in the trunk of your car? We're not completely finished, but-" Cass started to ramble, before her aunt cut her off.
"It's fine, Cassandra. Look, girls, I don't know how to tell you this, but we found your mother's will." Aunt Christa said slowly, as she didn't believe herself.
"What did it say?" Cass asked apprehensively, noting her aunt's demeanor.
Aunt Christa sighed and continued, "Before I say anything, know that I am completely against what it said, but it was your mother's last wish. I wouldn't even give it a chance, if I was her."
"What does it say?" Cass demanded impatiently.
"It says that you two should move in with your father." Christa stated.
The twins were quiet for a minute, staring at their aunt in confusion, until Cass bluntly said, "bullshit."
"Excuse me?" Christa snapped, "Do you think I'd lie about this?"
"I said bullshit. There's no way that she would want us to move in with him."
"Excuse me, young lady. I don't want this any more than you do. I'd love to have you two stay with us, but I'm not going to go against your mother's last wish."
"Well, it's not like he would take us, anyways. He'll probably send us back to you within a week" Cass sneered, leaning up against the wall, "He hasn't wanted to see us before, and I sure as hell don't think he wants to see us now."
"I thought that, too," Christa sighed, "But a phone number was in the will, and I called it last night. Turns out, it was his parent's old house number, and they wanted to help. They gave me his cell phone number, and I talked to him for a while. I think he could tell that I haven't forgiven him."
Cass smirked, and Aunt Christa continued.
"When I told him that your mother passed away, he agreed to take you both in. He was able to reserve tickets online, and he'll be flying in today."
"Wait," Audrey finally spoke up, "He's flying in today? How did he get tickets at the last second?"
"Well," Christa muttered, "He's not exactly broke...and he probably has frequent flyer points on some air line or another."
"So, he's rich?" Cass asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I don't want to overexaggerate things, but yeah, he's been pretty successful throughout the years. But he hasn't always been this way, and there's no way your mother would've let him anywhere near you when he was at his worst."
"That doesn't matter," Cass snapped, "We've been barely scraping by, and he hasn't even made an effort to meet us, let alone pay child support."
"Your mother never asked for any." Christa shot back, "Anyways, he's flying in from California, so he won't be here until after the funeral."
"Great." Cass remarked.
Aunt Christa looked at the quieter twin, who was staring at the ground, taking everything in.
"Are you okay, Audrey?" She asked.
Audrey looked up and managed a soft smile, "I'm fine."
"Okay, well, we should get going."
"Gee, thanks," Audrey yawned as she sat up, pulling her legs to her chest, "I had a rough night. I kept waking up."
"Nightmares again?" Cass asked, visibly not wanting to push the subject. She knew how Audrey didn't like to talk about it.
"Yes. I'm fine, though."
"If you insist." She said, plopping down on Audrey's bed. She sighed. "No human should be up this early."
"Well, we have to," Audrey replied, getting up and walking to the closet, "Are you packed for Aunt Christa's house? We're not going back to the house after the funeral, and Uncle Ian is going to move the rest to a storage facility."
"Yeah, are you?"
"Pretty much."
There was an awkward silence as Audrey pulled out a black dress. Cassandra stared at the ceiling and sighed.
"I feel like shit."
"Do you want to talk about this?" Audrey asked softly, taking off her pajamas and pulling on her dress.
"No, not really." Cass grumbled as she sat up, "I just want today to be over with. It's complete bullshit that we have to go through with it anyways."
"I know." Her sister sighed, sitting next to her as she put on her shoes, "But it should be easier after the funeral."
"I hope so." Cass said dryly, as they both heard a knock on the door.
"That should be Christa." Cass continued, getting up.
"Hold on!" Audrey snapped, as she pulled on her cardigan before walking quickly to catch up.
Cass was already at the door when Audrey reached the front room. She opened it and sure enough, the girls' aunt Christa was standing there, trying to keep her composure.
"May I come in?" She asked, and the girls nodded, stepping aside.
"Sure, do you want us to put a few suitcases in the trunk of your car? We're not completely finished, but-" Cass started to ramble, before her aunt cut her off.
"It's fine, Cassandra. Look, girls, I don't know how to tell you this, but we found your mother's will." Aunt Christa said slowly, as she didn't believe herself.
"What did it say?" Cass asked apprehensively, noting her aunt's demeanor.
Aunt Christa sighed and continued, "Before I say anything, know that I am completely against what it said, but it was your mother's last wish. I wouldn't even give it a chance, if I was her."
"What does it say?" Cass demanded impatiently.
"It says that you two should move in with your father." Christa stated.
The twins were quiet for a minute, staring at their aunt in confusion, until Cass bluntly said, "bullshit."
"Excuse me?" Christa snapped, "Do you think I'd lie about this?"
"I said bullshit. There's no way that she would want us to move in with him."
"Excuse me, young lady. I don't want this any more than you do. I'd love to have you two stay with us, but I'm not going to go against your mother's last wish."
"Well, it's not like he would take us, anyways. He'll probably send us back to you within a week" Cass sneered, leaning up against the wall, "He hasn't wanted to see us before, and I sure as hell don't think he wants to see us now."
"I thought that, too," Christa sighed, "But a phone number was in the will, and I called it last night. Turns out, it was his parent's old house number, and they wanted to help. They gave me his cell phone number, and I talked to him for a while. I think he could tell that I haven't forgiven him."
Cass smirked, and Aunt Christa continued.
"When I told him that your mother passed away, he agreed to take you both in. He was able to reserve tickets online, and he'll be flying in today."
"Wait," Audrey finally spoke up, "He's flying in today? How did he get tickets at the last second?"
"Well," Christa muttered, "He's not exactly broke...and he probably has frequent flyer points on some air line or another."
"So, he's rich?" Cass asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I don't want to overexaggerate things, but yeah, he's been pretty successful throughout the years. But he hasn't always been this way, and there's no way your mother would've let him anywhere near you when he was at his worst."
"That doesn't matter," Cass snapped, "We've been barely scraping by, and he hasn't even made an effort to meet us, let alone pay child support."
"Your mother never asked for any." Christa shot back, "Anyways, he's flying in from California, so he won't be here until after the funeral."
"Great." Cass remarked.
Aunt Christa looked at the quieter twin, who was staring at the ground, taking everything in.
"Are you okay, Audrey?" She asked.
Audrey looked up and managed a soft smile, "I'm fine."
"Okay, well, we should get going."