the deal. I signed the lease on this small two-bedroom home and welcomed my twin sister home.
Now, we’re roommates. And friends. And I’m so thankful. I turn the water off and step out of the shower to dry off before putting on a pair of ratty old sweatpants and a t-shirt. In the other room, I can hear Deanna’s voice. Aurora must have arrived while I was showering.
“All clean?” Deanna looks up as I reenter the living room.
“Yup. Much better.”
“I heard you had a run-in with the garbage,” Aurora grins as she stands up, her long brown hair swinging gently with the motion. She comes over and gives me a hug.
“Yep. Be thankful you arrived after I got a chance to clean up.”
“Your gourmet meal awaits.” Deanna gestures to the coffee table in front of her. In addition to the bowl of popcorn, she’s set out a plate of cookies, a bowl of candy, and a big bag of chips.
“Looks perfect,” I say with a grin as I plop down onto the couch between her and Aurora. “Your culinary skills are really improving.” I nudge her playfully.
“Sorry my gourmet dish here isn’t fancy enough to make it into your treasured book of recipes.” Deanna sticks her tongue out at me.
“Hey, this is all the sustenance anyone needs.” Aurora digs her hand into the bag of chips gleefully.
“Ugh, Aurora you have all those amazing restaurants at your fingertips in St. Louis and you just don’t care do you?” I watch as she happily munches on the snack food.
“Nope. Food is your thing, Lilly.”
“Yeah, we’ll leave the cooking to you,” Deanna giggles. “When you open your big restaurant one day, I’ll just handle the marketing side of things. The food is your area of expertise.” She leans back on the couch and kicks her feet up.
“And I’ll handle the books,” Aurora adds. She works as an accountant in St. Louis. “How’s school going?” She turns to Deanna. Since my twin returned, she and Aurora have bonded, which has been nice for me. It’s like having two sisters, almost.
“Good. I actually signed up for another course, an introduction on writing for public relations. Like press releases and stuff, I guess.” Deanna has started a distance learning program, planning to get her B.A. in communications. She’s got her sights set on a career in marketing.
“You’re sure that won’t be too much?” I ask, feeling a tingle of worry.
“Nah. It’s better to keep busy. I talked it over with my sober coach and she thinks it’s a good idea.” Deanna pauses to take a sip of the can of Coca-Cola she’s holding. “And I want to finish this degree as soon as possible. I feel like I’ve wasted so much time, you know? I’m so behind in life already.”
“That makes sense,” Aurora nods and shoots me a warning look. She’s well aware that I still stress about Deanna and often reminds me, just like David used to, that my sister is an adult, who has to live her own life and make her own mistakes.
I nod, trying not to show my concern. I know sobriety isn’t easy. But Deanna’s been going strong. She still has a sober coach from her program in Nevada, a woman whom she can call if she’s feeling stressed. And…she has me.
“Mom was saying earlier how happy she is that you’re back.” I switch the topic.
“I never thought I’d say it, but I’m happy to be back too.” Deanna looks thoughtful. Her eyes are clear and her hair is glossy, pulled back in a neat ponytail. “Parkville is the right place for me…right now. Not forever,” she puts up a warning finger as she says the word, “but, for now.”
“I’m happy both of you are back,” Aurora chimes in. “But yeah, you two can’t stay here forever. The world is waiting! I can highly recommend St. Louis.” She grins. Knowing that I have my sights set on a bigger city, she’s already made a strong case for St. Louis.
“I haven’t ruled it out,” I tell her.
“Me either,” Deanna says. “St. Louis might be the right fit for me. Not too big, you know? I’d be afraid to get lost again in a mega party city like New York or Los Angeles.”
“Yeah, St. Louis partying is nothing compared to those cities,” Aurora nods. “I bet you’d like it there.”
“I’ll take a closer look when I’m ready,” Deanna goes on seriously. “Parkville is good for now. And I mean, anything beats rehab.”
“Are you