Stain My Rose With Scarlet Tears

I leaned closer to the door, desperate to understand what and who they were really talking about. The voices had gotten softer, making it even harder to hear now. I looked over at Bianca, her eyes were as wide as curious as mine were, she was looking at me, a small smile on her lips. “Do you think..?” I questioned, but she shushed me before I could finish the sentence, because the brothers had started to speak louder again. “When do you think it’ll be finalized?” Bill asked the curiosity in his voice quite obvious.
“I really don’t know. Jami said she talked to her lawyer yesterday, so the divorce is going to take a while.” Once I heard the word ‘divorce’, my head shot up, I looked at Bianca, whose mouth was hanging open with surprise and shock.

Without another word, Bianca and I stepped away from the door, jumping into each other’s arms, hugging each other in happiness. We weren’t happy that Tom was getting a divorce, we were just happy that he still loved her. There was still a possibility that they could be together again, it was what they wanted, and nothing was going to come between them again. “Do you think we should go in?” Bianca asked me nervously. I looked over at the door and nodded slowly, wondering if we should knock first. I didn’t have to ask it out loud, because Bianca knocked anyway. We waited a moment, nervous excitement in the air around us. I was urging for them to walk faster, though I know it was strange to knock on the door of my own apartment.

It was Bill who opened up, his frown changing into a smile when he saw me, just like when we were younger. I smiled too as he started to turn, walking back into the apartment. Bianca and I followed Bill in, walking to the kitchen, where Bill and Tom had been standing. We all stood there in silence for a few minutes, none of us really paying attention to anything around us. After a while, I couldn’t stand the silence anymore. “So,” I said, a little louder than I mean to, snapping everyone out of their thoughts, “Bianca and I have been talking… Don’t you think it’s time that we went on vacation again?” I asked, looking at my best friend as she nodded. Bill and Tom looked at each other thoughtfully. I found it amusing that they never really spoke in front of us, though it made me a bit jealous.

My sister Lea and I never really had that kind of connection. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t tell what she was thinking, or even close. Sometimes I wondered about that, she was my sister, I knew that much, we looked exactly alike. But we were so different in a lot of ways that it actually scared me. We didn’t have that close relationship Tom and Bill had, because we spend eighteen years of our lives in opposite worlds, not knowing that we had a twin sister. It barely had time to really sink in, and I don’t think I ever got used to it. I didn’t really have a sister for that long before she was taken from me, and sometimes the memory made it hard for me to be around Bill and Tom. I think lately when I look at Bill and Tom they make me smile, because only now, I start to remember the good times I had with Lea. It took me years, but I’ve learned to do it.

Bill and Tom turned away from each other, smiling widely. “When do we leave?” They said together. I smiled too. We didn’t even know where we were going, or how long, but we were going, that’s all that mattered. We really needed this; it can only do us good. I started laughing for no reason, feeling oddly relaxed. I couldn’t wait to leave the city behind. “Please, please, please can we go back to the Maldives? I miss it there!” Bianca begged, pouting at Bill and Tom. Tom turned to Bill when Bianca mentioned it, smiling hopefully. “That’s actually where I wanted to go! Please?” I looked at Bill, who was looking at me. I leaned against the counter, trying to hide my smirk.
“It sounds great.”

“Then it’s settled,” Bill said, rubbing his hands together, “We’re going to the Maldives. All we need to do is book a flight and hotel, and we’re off.” As Bill said that, he walked towards the living room where his laptop was and took it out. Bianca and Tom started to talk excitedly, but I wasn’t really paying attention anymore. By the looks of things, Bianca had completely forgotten about Georg’s existence when Tom was around her, or when someone mentions him. It was sweet that she was so in love with him, but Georg was that in love with Bianca and he was going to get his heart broken. I just wished she would put herself in his shoes, just try to imagine what that must feel like.

I walked over to Bill, sitting down on the armrest of the chair. I placed one hand on his shoulder, making him shiver. He turned his head slightly to the side, glancing at me from the corner of his eye, a small smile playing on his lips. He turned back to his laptop a minute later, while I glanced over his shoulder curiously. Bill always booked the tickets for us, since I didn't really know how to do it. I jumped out of surprise when the doorbell ran, basically echoing through the apartment. Tom was already walking to answer it by the time I got up, but I followed behind him.

We had locks put on our front door for extra safety, ever since we’ve moved to New York I’ve been paranoid. I didn’t think it was very safe where we lived, so I had Bill put them on. I always had these nightmares about someone breaking in and hurting my family. That was one of my biggest fears; I never wanted my family to get hurt in any way, I would rather get hurt instead of them. I needed to help Tom with the locks, while he looked at me like I was crazy, I smiled when I got the door open, revealing Gordon, Simone, Lucy and Charlie.
“Tom!” Simone exclaimed, a wave of relief washing over her face, “We were downstairs and we couldn’t find you!” He chuckled as Simone gave Charlie to him. “Well I’m here now, so relax, Mom.” Tom said, kissing Charlie’s head.

Lucy ran in from behind Gordon and started hugging my leg until I picked her up. “Did you have fun, honey?” I asked her, carrying her to the couch where Bill sat. “Yes!” She screamed excitedly. I placed her next to Bill as she started going into a detailed explanation about everything she saw. It was quite interesting to hear actually, I haven’t been to a zoo since I was Lucy’s age, and it seemed as if she really enjoyed it. After she had told us everything she remembered, she leaned over and looked at Bill’s laptop. “Daddy, what are you doing?” Bill smiled as he closed his laptop. He leaned over and kissed Lucy’s head.
“We are going on vacation.” He announced. Lucy’s face lit up immediately as he said that. She got up, now standing on the couch.

“When?” She asked. He pulled Lucy onto his lap and kissed her. He looked up at Tom, then back at me. “Tomorrow.” He replied. My mouth fell open. I really didn’t think it would be that soon, but I wasn’t complaining.