Talia couldn’t watch for long before she swore out loud. She staggered back to her bed, and laid down.

“That mirror drains my mental energy too quickly. Either I have to wait to use it, use when only necessary, or don’t use it at all. I still want to have my time with Connie at night!” Talia pouted, and yawned before she closed her eyes.

Talia still hadn’t figured out that everything within that room had a purpose, and all would benefit her in the long run.

*****

“You’ve already got the materials ordered, correct?” Connie handed Ginger the invoices, and had her look them over. “The prices aren’t bad, but why is the paint so expensive?” Ginger frowned.

“Smokers.” Connie said only a single word, and Ginger could understand.

“So this paint is resilient, and will allow it to be washed?” Ginger pointed to the entry. Connie nodded. “That is a good selling feature. It’s one of the problems homeowners have in this market. A smoker can make all the paint get coated in nicotine and smoke stain residues. I’ve cleaned my own place after I moved in, and the water was gross.”

“You don’t smoke?” Ginger shook her head. “It’s a good thing that you don’t. It’s hard on the lungs, and your stamina. I like natural scents, not tobacco.” Connie said casually, and didn’t realize that she fed her two admirers a bit more information about herself, and they filed it away carefully.

“Is that why you like doing the dishes, Talia?” Coral asked in surprise.

“Yeah, I like the lemon or citrus scents of a clean home. I also like cinnamon, and ginger. Those are also scents that help people to believe that not only is your home clean, but also a home. When we sell this house, those scents will help us to put that image in the customer’s minds.” Connie smiled as she sat back on the couch. She frowned slightly.

“What’s wrong, Talia?” Ginger noticed her frown as soon as she lifted her eyes from the invoice.

“We’re a business. We’re sitting on this couch like it’s our office. We should probably use a table with some chairs and sit at the table so we can discuss things like we’re in a meeting.” Connie scratched her head, a little bit unsure, but Coral put her hand on her knee. Connie looked down, and seemed to come to a complete halt. Ginger grinned a bit, and did the same to her other knee.

“I don’t think we should.” Coral said firmly.

“I agree with Coral. If we formalize it too much, we won’t accomplish much. The way we sit now, we have already concentrated on the issue we face. Now that I’m going to join you two in this business, we need to keep our focus on the houses, the market, and all that goes with it.” Ginger smiled. “Have you decided on how to start the next house?” The ladies removed their hands and sat back. Connie blinked, and cleared her mind, although she looked a bit off her pace.

“Since you have the experience, I’ll let you know why I believe this is the right kind of house. First, this house was one of the cheapest in this neighborhood. Second, it has good bones, and a great foundation, but it’s a bit out of date. And third, it’s in a good neighborhood, with more expensive houses around it. That’s what we need. The cheaper house in a good neighborhood that is undervalued. After our updates, this house will rise in value by at least forty percent.” Connie took out her paperwork.

“According to what I invested as the down payment, and the mortgage payments so far, I am up to thirty thousand out of pocket expenses, with a hundred thousand left on the mortgage. I believe it should be worth around two hundred thousand by the time we’re done. After the expenses of materials, and our own working capital, which means the efforts each of us put in, I believe we’ll be able to have fifty thousand as our profit margin.” Connie laid it all out quickly.

“So, you think we’ll spend another twenty thousand in expenses?” Ginger said quietly.

“Working capital, Ginger. The money you need to be paid in order to not over extend yourself. This will keep your income flat until we have enough capital in the company to start paying out the profits. Do you agree to a forty, thirty, thirty split?” Connie asked with a small smile.

Ginger’s mouth fell open, and she glanced to her right. Coral’s eyes looked dazed. She turned and saw a look in Ginger’s eyes.

“I’ll go low, and you go high.” Ginger said in a whisper as she leaned in to her ear. Coral nodded.

“Yes, but we should wait until tonight. She’s all business during the day.” Coral whispered back.

“What are you two doing?” Connie asked them, and found a smile like a sly cat on Coral’s lips.

“Ginger just wanted to ask if we were eating here or out tonight. I said we’ll eat here.” Coral made a quick half truth. They did plan to eat tonight, but not food.

“Oh.” Connie frowned slightly, but cleared her face. “Also, I should explain a few things first. Ginger does not know this, and neither does Coral. Only a few people know this about me.” She looked at Ginger and Coral with a serious, and strangely vulnerable expression on her face. It was like she expected for things to not turn out as she wanted.

“What’s wrong?” Coral became concerned right away.

“The one you know as Talia is not me.”

*****

“Fraternal twins?” Ginger asked. “So is that why you lost your temper like that?”

“Yes. I was going to break his arms. The laws are quite clear. If you raise your fists to fight, you don’t have to wait and receive a punch before it’s considered self defense.” Connie said firmly.

Connie didn’t know, in the past, that wasn’t the case. That was a more recent addition, a common sense addition, where the one defending themselves could act before the blows were exchanged. Due to her unbending will, in another part of the country, legislators began to debate that very piece of legislation, and implemented it decades before it was meant to exist.

Just as the author was able to overlay their own twisted views on this world, Connie was also able to straighten, and realign this world into a more advanced state. The law wasn’t her creation. It was just introduced long before the world saw the necessity of it.

“If my sister had been there, she might have been bullied, and that made me almost want to beat him into the ground. My sister and I look almost exactly alike.” She said, and smiled fondly. “But I should say that we aren’t blood related sisters.” Connie said a bit sadly.

“I don’t understand. How can you be sisters, but not sisters?” Coral was confused.

“We look almost exactly alike. Different parents, yet the same names. Except for my nickname. We both have the name of Talia Anya Collins. She goes by Talia, and I go by Connie. We met a while ago, realized that we were fated to know each other, and became as close as sisters.” Connie said softly. She smiled a bit sadly.

“So where is Talia now?” Coral asked quietly.

“My sister went away, as her fragile state made it difficult for her to endure that bully. I took over for her, and now I am going to make her life easier for her. This business is for her.” She lifted her eyes. “And the ones I know she would love.” She smiled. Ginger frowned slightly.

“So you have permission to do this?”

“I have complete control of her finances and property. I made the move to sue on her behalf, invested her money, and now invest in her property. When she comes back, I hope it’s not too long, she’ll be a rich woman.” Connie could feel the eyes of Talia on her from inside her space.

“Why do all this for her? What do you get out of it?” Ginger asked quietly.

“I get to see my sister healthy and happy. What more could I ask for?” Connie said with a satisfied smile.

“But what if she just decides to cut you out?” Ginger said in a low voice. Connie then said the one thing that made Talia focus on her even more.

“She’s my sister. I saved her life, and she saved mine.” Connie smiled wide. “If she comes home tomorrow, and takes everything I’ve worked for, then it’s hers to take. I did it for her. I can walk out the door, get a job, make a living, and start over."  That was the truth.  If Talia returned the following day, fully able to protect herself and not let the destiny of that book kill her, Connie would step out of the way and let her take back her life.

"I don’t need her money. I just need her to be healthy, and alive.”