I sat on the bed waiting for Ela to come back. I kicked my legs idly, shoulders shaking slightly. Nervous anxiety sat at the edge of my senses. It wasn’t so intense that I couldn’t focus, but it was still there. I’d always lived with this anxiety though, and it was a beast I’d been hiding from for years. Dad’s advice had always been to get over it, but that didn’t really help.

Some days weren’t so bad and I could get by with little worry, but this was not one of those days. This was one day where the object of my anxiety was inevitable and too big to ignore. All things considered, with my body shaking how it was, I felt I was taking it rather well.

Tentatively, I tested my voice out. “H-hello?” I reached up once more to touch my throat. It was still strange to hear such a cute voice coming from myself. I raised both my hands up to my chest, balling them into tiny clenched fists. I squeezed them towards my chest and took a tiny gulp. “H-hello! It’s nice to meet you!” My voice trembled a bit as I started speaking, but smoothed out over the course of the sentence. I released the tension in my fists with an exasperated sigh. Anxiety flowed away in waves as I got up and walked over to the mirror. Seeing my body once more, I got nervous and broke eye contact.

I felt silly. It was my own eyes, I should be able to look at them. I took a couple deep breaths, hands dropping to my sides. My fingers played absently with the hem of my dress as I looked back into the mirror and towards my own eyes. I tightened my conviction, staring myself down. I held the eye contact, voice wavering slightly as I started speaking. “M-my n-name is Dawn S-sangrey. It’s, it’s very n-nice to meet you.” I gulped, clenching my eyes shut as I stuck my hand out towards the mirror, bowing my hand gently. My face was flush with embarrassment; more than that, though, finally getting it out felt exhilarating.

I straightened back up, glancing back towards my eyes. I felt my anxiety loosen lightly as I met my own Amber eyes. They felt a little less foreign than they had the first time I’d laid eyes on them. Tension flowed away gently as I giggled at myself. I raised my right hand daintily to my mouth as I giggled to myself. As I felt the mirth flow through me and I looked at myself in the mirror, I saw my eyes shine a brilliant shade of pink and yellow.

It wasn’t like they had emitted any light, and it had happened almost too quickly to notice, but I had seen it. I felt my tension ebb away, replaced by joy. The gentle, anxious shakes that had been present in my body suddenly stopped, a strange calm flowing through me. Shock was smoothed out into surprise and curiosity as I leaned in to get a closer look at my eyes. They had gained an almost supernatural sheen to them in that split second, but it had dissipated. All that was left was normal, beautiful eyes. Eyes that I was staring deeply into.

I felt my face tinge a deep pink for the second time in so many minutes as I stepped away from the mirror and looked away. I felt embarrassed, staring so deep into the eyes of a cute girl; even if that cute girl was me. With the shaking gone, I raised my hands into my vision. I looked them over, each gentle and slender digit falling under inspection. They were calm, I noticed. A gentle urge to fidget with my hands tugged at them absently from the back of my mind. The feeling hadn’t disappeared, it just felt like it was mostly sated for now.

I’m snapped out of my thoughts by the click of the door to Ela’s room opening. My head turns, anxiety creeping back up on me as the door opens. The anxiety dissipates once more as I see Ela step into the room, closing the door behind me. I can see tear marks streaking down her face as she walks over to me. I close the distance immediately, pulling her into a hug. She gasps a little at the sudden contact, but she doesn’t resist.

“Are you okay, Ela?” I pull away from the hug and look her over, worrying over my sister's well being. She just nods, laughing gently.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Why do you ask?”

“You’re crying.” I see Ela reach up and touch her cheek on one of the tear trails. She looks surprised as she feels the wetness of tears, quickly wiping her eyes with her arm.

“I didn’t realize, sorry. Just had a tense conversation with mom, is all.” She shrugs, making me drop my arms from around her. I’m still looking at her with concern as she fishes out her phone, presenting it to me. The screen has Aunt Ferns number on it, ready to call. “Got what I needed though, so, no sweat.” I leaned forward and gave Ela another hug. She didn’t stop me. The hug lasted for a couple minutes before we finally broke away. I took a couple deep breaths and made my way back to Ela’s bed, I sat down gently.

Ela took a seat next to me, holding the phone up carefully. I pulled my feet up from the floor, holding my knees close to my chest. “You’re sure this is a good idea, Ela?” my voice was shaky as I asked the question, but I didn’t stutter.

“Positive. I’m right here with you, Sis.” Ela gives me an encouraging pat on the back and I release my knees, steeling the bits of willpower I’d gathered.

“Okay then. Make the call, please.” I tensed my shoulders in preparation. She pressed the call button, switching it to speaker as the dial tone rang. There were several tense seconds where I was both worried and relieved that she wouldn't pick up. I was preparing my condolences at the failed plan when the phone clicked, the dial tone stopping completely. 

"Meadowlark counseling and spiritual therapy services, Fern Meadowlark speaking. How may I help you?" I could hear the cheery tone of my Aunt through the phone. The gentle rustling of papers accompanied her voice as she presumably did office work. I felt my voice catch in my throat; She had answered. I didn't need to speak though, because Ela spoke first. 

"Hi Aunty." The rustling halted, but we could hear the jostling of the phone as Aunt Fern probably adjusted it in her hands.

"Elaine? Is that you? It's so good to hear from you, dear! You've never called me before, how did you get my number?" She asks, perplexed.

"I asked mom for it. I, uh… Probably should have asked for it sooner honestly. We both miss you." Ela adds, remorsefully.

"It's no worries, dear! You're calling now, and that's what matters. Speaking of both of you though, is my nephew there with you?" She asks. Ela looks at me, but my voice won't come forward. I look back at her and she seems to understand, because she continues for me.

"Actually, auntie… That's what I'm calling about." Ela says, looking thoughtful. She must be thinking how to word it. Panic enters Aunt Fern’s voice as Ela stalls, though.

"Oh no, did something happen? Is he okay?" Her genuine worry for me melts some lingering worries in my heart. 

"Well, something did happen, but… Probably not like you're thinking." Ela looks at me for approval. Instead of giving it, I open my mouth.

Finding purchase on the words I want to say, I barely stutter them out, "H-hey A-Auntie." I brace myself for the response.

"Wait, who was that?" Fern asks, confusion in her tone clear. Ela clears her throat gently before continuing.

"Auntie, that was my little sister, Dawn. Your niece." Ela's voice silences all three of us after finishing her sentence. She had said that with an edge I hadn’t been expecting; a veiled threat of what would happen if she wasn’t nice to me. The proceeding silence was so deathly quiet that I worried for a second we had given her a heart attack. Soon, though, we could hear the rustling of papers and the squeaking and scratching of furniture on the wooden floor in her office being moved roughly.

"Auntie?" Ela asks tentatively.

"Huh? Oh! Yes, sorry! Sorry, a little scatterbrained right now. Um, Dawn, was it?"

"Y-yeah?" I squeak out anxiously.

"So proud of you dear, whatever voice training you've been doing in the months since I saw you has been working out great!" My anxieties fade away at that, my voice coming back a bit. "I'm actually closing up shop for the day, I'd love to see you two soon! Your father isn't at the house, is he?"

"Uh, no, dad's on a trip." Ela says carefully. "Don't you live an entire day's drive aways, Auntie? Can you just close up shop like that?"

"Oh, well, I'm sure your mother mentioned that I'd probably need to come down when she gave you my number."

"Uh, no, she didn't mention anything. That's part of why we needed to call you, Auntie." The rustling at the other end of the phone stops as she tunes in closely.

"Your mother doesn't know?" Aunt Fern’s voice is almost a whisper as she asks the question.

I spoke up finally, stumbling over my words as I tried my best not to go nonverbal, "N-no, um… S-something happened t-t-to me. S-something that we c-can't explain? We hoped that you m-might, might know something that c-could help?"

"What happened?" Fern’s voice is serious as she listens intently.

"Dawn woke up looking very… Different today. In a way that I could really only describe as…" Ela looked into the middle distance for several tense seconds before finishing the sentence lamely, "magical."

"Shit. Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit." The cussing erupts from the speaker of the phone, the bustle from the other side of the phone returning with vigor. "I'll be there tomorrow morning, I'm leaving now." I can hear the slamming of a door from her end. "Whatever it was that happened… You need to tell your mother. Tell her I'm on my way too. I love you both very much." She sounds worried as she says this all. "And Dawn?"

"Y-yeah?"

"Stay strong, sweetheart. Proud of you, always." I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes at the sentiment. Something about being told that she was proud of me almost broke the dam holding my tears back.

"Th-thanks A-Auntie." I was glad it seemed the end of the call was arriving, because I wanted to go back to signing.

"I'll see both of you soon. Take care of each other." And with that, we could hear the click of her hanging up. Ela put her phone away, leaning against me as we sat on her bed. She threw an arm around me and I leaned back into her. I gulped the tears down after a few moments, thinking through the encounter.

"I'm n-not sure if we got the answers we w-wanted out of that call." I said, laughing.

Ela pulled away from me, biting her lip nervously. "I don't know, I think we'll get our answers tomorrow. It seems like she knows something." I nodded at the thought. She hadn't batted an eye when Ela had mentioned that I had potentially gone through something magical. Tomorrow couldn't come soon enough. 

"What now?" Ela asks. 

"Don't know," I signed absently, I didn't look up from the floor; I was too lost in thought.

"Aunt Fern said we should tell mom. Frankly, I agree. You can't hide from mom forever. Probably not even the whole day…" Ela said, rubbing my shoulder soothingly. I just nodded in response, not knowing what I could even say. "Also, mom invited my girlfriend over for dinner. If she's able to come, I want to be able to introduce her to my little sister." I look over to Ela and see her giving me a goofy smile. Despite myself, I smile back. The happiness felt contagious as I felt my thoughts slow enough to form a proper response.

"OK" I sign. I could say it verbally if I wanted to, but I felt like I should save as much willpower as I could for when I talk to mom; I felt like I needed it.

A knock at the door interrupts the both of us. We turn our heads to the offending noise and the nervous voice of our mother comes through the door. "Elaine, Daniel, can we talk? I just got a message from my sister saying that she’s coming down."