I thread my fingers through her identical ones and smile.
It’s the first time I’ve let go of my shackles and every weight that used to hold me down.
My family.
She’s my family.
We’re the same.
Same strawberry blonde hair, although hers is shorter. Same skin that appears tanned but isn’t. Same huge blue eyes that mirror the deep ocean and the vast sky.
We might have lived apart, but we’re still the same.
We still look at each other like we’re mirrors, like we’re halves split into two different bodies.
From today onward, my life will be different. I’ve finally found this peace, and I’ll do whatever it takes to protect it.
We sit on an old bench in a cottage. It’s humid with the scent of pine and grass drifting through the half-broken window. The forest surrounding us feels like a protection against the outside world.
This is our haven.
Our sanctuary where no one can find us.
It brings back memories from the times when Reina and I used to hold each other and hide.
Back then, we made no sound. We barely breathed.
We have a lot of catching up to do. I can’t wait to hear all about how she’s been all these years.
A crunching sound of boots on the ground filters in from outside the cottage.
We jerk upright at the same time. Our hands become sweaty, and the peace from earlier evaporates into thin air.
“Are you expecting someone?” I sound as spooked as I feel.
She nibbles on her bottom lip, her body shaking. “You know, I told you…”
“What?”
“I run with a bad crowd, Rai.”
I grab her shoulders and bore my eyes into hers. It’s strange to stare at myself. “We’ll go to the authorities. No one will hurt you anymore, Reina. We’ll be together like we promised.”
She holds out her pinkie, eyes shining with unshed tears. “Pinkie swear.”
I laugh at the childish gesture and grab her pinkie with mine. “You’re supposed to be twenty-one, but whatever. Pinkie swear, you little girl.”
“Hey! I’m five minutes older than you.”
“Yeah, whatever.”
A bang sounds on the door. Both of us flinch.
My heart pounds against my ribcage so hard, it’s the only sound I’m able to hear.