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Latent Bond by MissLollyGag

♡♡♡

I nervously pace the floor of my bedroom, my typical anxiety amplified by the fact that I haven't seen my twin sister, Suzy, in a long time, and now she's on her way.

Suzy, the first-born twin who, upon birth, emerged reaching for the stars. Her chubby arms extended to the sky.

Well, that's what my parents say.

They love retelling the story everytime they host a celebration in Suzy's honour for yet another accomplishment.

No, I am not bitter. Her recognition is deserved. But I suppose being intelligent, well-liked, and attractive made winning at life come naturally.

My parent's recount of the story of my birth, however, was a tale that did not sound as miraculous. "Samantha was unwilling to leave," they say. "Happy to remain in the shadows and avoid the glaring light of life."

Evidently, I was content within the warm, dark womb rather than aspiring to the skies like Suzy. I frequently countered that I finally had space after my sister vacated the room. So why rush to leave?

Twins are by definition inseparable. But Suzy and I were polar opposites, just like day and night, or hot and cold. But that doesn't imply that we didn't get along. We simply had dissimilar personalities.

I am not a social butterfly, or physically affectionate. I appreciate my solitude, and talk only when I have something to say. So my parents were not surprised by my failure to achieve success in every endeavour they desired for me. But they were unprepared for Suzy's big shock. After accomplishing much in her life and making our parents especially proud, she announced that she would be departing the family home. Rushing off to abscond and marry, Brad.

Needless to say, when the other twin ultimately did something the parents disapproved of, I no longer felt like a dark omen in the house. It wasn't because she had physical vacated the home. But because she finally did something out of her own volition and not merely to appease others. I was incredibly pleased for her.

Of course her decision was utterly flawed. Terrible, in fact. She was a dazzling star destined for greatness, whereas Brad was a slacker. There was no chance of a happy ending with him.

So, after a two-year absence, my parents received the call.

Suzy was divorcing Brad.

And now I await the arrival of my sister. Her initial homecoming welcome left to me because my parents were on a cruise they could not afford to miss.

"Be sure to greet her while making it abundantly clear that she was wrong and we were right." The final words of my mother before she departed for her vacation.

I don't need the twin perception to know that Suzy feels humiliated. She is undoubtedly upset that her sole decision had failed. It's petty to rub salt in open wounds.

I am anxious as I pace my room. Nervous because I have never been emotionally tuned like Suzy. I am not skilled at delivering touching pep talks and I cannot guarantee that I can prevent her from returning to that deadbeat. Though, I blame my parents should that happen. They exhibited poor practice by leaving me to bear the initial burden of the very important welcome.

The abrupt and noisy slamming of the kitchen cabinet downstairs audibly announced Suzy's arrival home. Apparently, she retained a spare key and let herself in.

I descend the stairs stealthily and observe her sitting in a trance-like state on the sofa, her eyes fixed on the flickering flames of the fireplace.

Her odd stillness caused me to step on the squeaky bottom stair instead of avoiding it, which alerted her to the fact that someone had descended.

Her head snapped in my direction, and we make eye contact. We were identical in appearance; however, on this occasion, we shared no similarities. Her face, was marred with sorrow, complete with red-rimmed eyes that indicated that she had been weeping profusely. It tainted her beautiful features.

She hurriedly wiped away the tears that pooled within her lashes and walked to the kettle, popping it on for the second time.

"Tea?" She asked.

A momentary hesitation on my part is followed by a firm yes.

I take the seat directly across from where she sat and watch her attentively. Since I've never been good with emotions, sitting away from her was a natural response.

"Stop staring at me, Sam. I don't need your pity." Her words caught me off guard.

"Pity?" I repeat.

She ceased stirring the tea and glanced my way. The sadness deepening in her eyes.

"I expected to see the usual lack of expression on your face, Sam. But, it appears that even your emotionless demeanour wavers when you glance at my pathetic visage now. I acknowledge that I made a mistake, Brad is a lowlife. And my error has caused me to return home in shame."

Suzy approached me while carrying two cups of tea, depositing my cup on the table that separated us. She sank into her seat with her legs crossed and her fingers entwined around the scalding cup.

As she takes a sip, I remain silent, unsure of what to say. I am aware that I must console her. Surprisingly, I feel compelled to do so. But attempting to acclimatise my words was a torturous mental exercise that I was not accustomed to.

"Suzy..."

"—You don't need to try and comfort me, Sam. I know unbridled emotion is not your thing. May we merely sit? Sit in silence."

Her words deeply moved me. When did she become so perceptive of me? Even in her distress, she continued to consider my social discomfort. Was this a latent bond now forming? Or perhaps we always had a twin connection after all.

Her head slid back against the soft cushions, and she peered towards the ceiling. It was her attempt at concealing the fresh tears that streamed down her cheeks. However, I saw them. The glistening streaks that stained her pale skin.

The thing with perfect people like Suzy is they usually never have a need to cry. So witnessing her weep was a hard watch. It further awakened the familial bond I did not believe I shared with her. A bond that I thought didn't exist because we were so dissimilar.

The seat next to Suzy dipped, and she turned to see that I had occupied it. I fixed my gaze on her sorrow-filled eyes and further stunned her by extending my hand and blotting the tear from her cheek.

"I am glad that you now agree that Brad is an asshole." I remark.

Her lips curled up into a smile. "I remember saying lowlife. Not Asshole." The fact that she was offering me a small smile motivated me to persist in my efforts to alleviate her grief.

"Lowlife, asshole, same thing." Her smile widened further. "I know we are distant. And for sisters who shared the same womb, our twin connection stinks."

I finally coax a chuckle from her dry lips.

"Yet, despite the fact that we did not form an instant bond as expected of twins, we remained fond of one another. I truly felt that."

"—I did too." She agreed.

I smile.

"So believe me when I say, I do not pity you, Suzy. Others may. But why should I?"

"—Because I've come crawling back to the family home after a failed marriage. Because I now have the condescending words 'I told you so' hanging over my head while being looked at as a failure."

"Being perceived as a failure and accepting that you are one is what matters most. Look at me; I've lived in your shadow my entire existence. A failure observed by many. It doesn't mean I believe it. You have a tale to tell. And the most courageous people always have tales. You exercised initiative and followed your heart. Who cares if your decision didn't turn out the way you hoped? You jumped into the unknown and tried an adventure. Simply take this experience and gain knowledge from it. Use it to strengthen you as a person, to fortify your character, and bounce back. No experience is failure, Suzy."

She gazed at the hot tea within the cup she still tightly grasped and shed additional tears. This time, she wept not for Brad, but for me and the sorrow I felt because I was continually in her shadow.

"I never intended to keep you in the shade, Sam. And I swear, I've never seen you as anything other than remarkable."

The instant appreciation I felt upon hearing her words of affection was a form of love language I had never knew I needed. The bloom of sibling love that I felt as a result of a few utterances made me realise that perhaps we needed to communicate more.

"Mother always said I was born with arms outstretched, reaching for the stars." Suzy smiled as she spoke.

"I recall the story." I sigh, anticipating a repetition of the same tale I'm tired of hearing.

"But Mother was wrong."

I fixed my eyes on hers. I have never heard this part before.

"I was not reaching for the sky. But for my sister. The doctors separated our entwined bodies when we were born, and I don't no why, but we've never been close again. But, truth be told, Sam. I've been pining for your embrace ever since."

At that moment, the mental walls I had constructed as part of my introverted psyche began to crumble. And physical contact no longer seemed so undesirable.

I leaped towards Suzy and drew her in close. The warmth I felt shattered my guarded heart, the heat of her love radiating from both of us and rekindling our sibling bond.

However, it quickly became so heated that it was

bordering on scalding. I persisted, ignoring the phantom pain. Yet, it grew too unpleasant and I rapidly retreat, experiencing real physical discomfort.

"Ouch!" I shrieked.

"Oh, gosh. Sorry Sam." Suzy expressed regret upon realising that the hot tea was overflowing onto my legs during our tight embrace.

She raced upward, grabbed a towel, and blotted my sweatpants of excess tea. However, she halted her movements when they appeared familiar.

"Hey, are these my pants?" She probed, arching a brow.

I rise up rapidly. "Um, no... I don't think so." I flash her a sly grin while retracing my steps towards the staircase.

"Wait a moment. That is also my favoured hoodie!" She scorned, now awoken from her grief. "What else have you removed from my room while I was away?"

With the intention of fleeing should she charge, I begin to ascend the stairs while keeping a close watch on her.

"You departed from the house and left the big room unoccupied. So don't get mad when I tell you—"

"—You better not have, Sam!"

My wide grin revealed her worst suspicion.

She sprinted towards me in a fit of rage, and I darted upstairs, aiming for the biggest bedroom in the house, which was formerly hers.

"You have stolen my bedroom!" She pounded on the door just as I locked it.

I leaned my forehead against the wood with rapid, laboured breathing, and sensed her scowling presence on the other side.

"Well, I'm not going to stay in the small room when such a large unused space exists. Of course I took it!" I chuckle.

"Oh, you will pay!" She yelled. "I'm going to drag you to all the parties and add you to all my chat groups that discuss dull topics. Oh, and I'll physically hug you every morning!"

I retreated from the door and positioned myself on the bed's edge, considering whether a spacious room was worth my twin sister's endless embraces.

After careful deliberation I made my decision.

"Bring on the hugs, Suzy!"