Christian Woman
Heather was sprawled across the couch on her stomach. Her left leg was thrown haphazardly over the back of the sofa and her right leg was slightly bent. She flung her arms up over her head and pushed her face into the back cushion.
A thin satin sheet decorated with the moon and stars covered her from the waist down. She had fallen asleep fully clad in the long gray T-shirt and white sweatpants she’d borrowed from Jade’s drawer.
The sheet gathered at her hips served more for comfort than for warmth. Heather could tell from the inside of her sister’s blind-enclosed living room that the day intended to scorch anyone who stumbled into it. She squinted against the thin ray of sunlight that had found its way through a crack in the blinds.
She wished she didn’t have an appointment with Dr. Angel and considered skipping it to avoid the monstrous ball of heat lurking just outside the window. As a child, her big sister had tried to convince Heather she was an albino because her skin was so fair. Never a big fan of the sun, Heather would have preferred chewing glass to lying in the bright rays.
For years, she’d tried to make Lisa understand the sun only depressed her and depleted her of energy but her oldest sister refused to acknowledge her vampire tendencies. Instead, she had dubbed her Casper and openly teased her in front of her friends.
Heather simply insisted to anyone who would listen that her skin was creamy or milky white. It sounded prettier. Plus, she believed fair skin was better than the wrinkled leathery look anointed by a brutal and unforgiving sun. She found it ironic that Florida, the sunniest of all states, ended up revealing itself as their home by the time she turned twelve.
Heather managed to pry only one eye open, using it to watch her little sister walk out of the bedroom. Jade was dressed in a silky nightgown and matching maternity robe. Her hair had been thrown into a loose ponytail and her swollen belly was all that gave away her pregnancy. From behind, she looked as thin as a model and from the front she had the glow of an angel.
Jade walked into the kitchen and flipped the switch. Light illuminated the room and Heather felt comforted by the sounds of water running and cabinet doors being opened and closed. She wanted to believe her sister was measuring out and preparing to brew a huge pot of coffee.
“Coffee?” Heather called out weakly.
Her voice sounded hoarse as her vocal chords hadn’t awakened at the same time as the one eye and the caffeine craving. She hoped she sounded pathetic enough that Jade took pity on her decaffeinated soul.
“Are you planning to bring your guest a cup of hot coffee as soon as possible?” she asked.
Jade nodded and smiled.
Heather wriggled and groaned under the sheets as she considered bitching about the first thing that came to mind. She wasn’t a morning person and she wasn’t one to stifle her annoyances. She reminded herself of her vow to become more pleasant and closed her mouth before the first complaint flew out.
Jade had been sleeping in her bedroom the night before when she heard Heather’s cries and groans from the living room. Stubbing her toe in the rush to save her sister from the unknown, she had been surprised to find her still asleep. She couldn’t believe the sounds of agony that had come from whatever nightmare Heather was stuck inside of. As she watched her big sister fight an invisible enemy, Jade wondered what had disturbed Heather’s life so much that she couldn’t even find solace in her dreams.
Jade knew her sister had been seeing more of Dr. Angel over the last month. When she had asked her about it, Heather merely brushed it off. She had told Jade the doctor increased sessions from bi-weekly to weekly and offered nothing more. Heather was normally more forthcoming about her therapy so her lack of explanation told Jade she was withholding something.
Jade invited her sister to spend the night but not because she felt hormonal and violent as she had claimed upon the invitation. She knew Heather wouldn’t have stayed if she didn’t exaggerate her own fragile mental state because she hated to be away from her sons, especially overnight. Anxiety ravaged her sense of peace anytime she wasn’t within a solidly protective distance of her boys.
“Do you know why you have my good sheets on you?”