Just Remember to Breathe (Thompson Sisters)

the smile and wave, and when she came through the gate we hugged. She was at least six inches taller than me, and that combined with the heels made me feel like I was still twelve years old.
    “Oh, Alexandra, it’s so good to see you! I’ve missed you so much!”
    “I’ve missed you, too, Carrie.”
    “We’ve got so much to talk about; I’m so happy I got to come visit!”
    I smiled, still uncomfortable. “Are you hungry? Should we go get some lunch?”
    She nodded. “Yes, let’s do that. I’m traveling light today, we don’t need to pick up any bags.”
    “Great,” I said. “We can get a cab back to the university and eat at Tom’s?”
    She grinned, nodding happily. “I’d love that, I haven’t been there since I graduated! I had a lot of good late nights there.”
    I smiled back at her. “Yeah, me too.”
    So, into the cab we went. On the way into the city, we chattered about inconsequential things. Classes. She was working on her PhD. in behavioral ecology, or something like that. Carrie had always been a bit of a science fanatic. Given that the rest of us were heavy in the humanities, it made her a little bit of a freak in the family, but I’d always thought it was in a good way. She and Dad had a blowout when she selected her major. He’d intended her to follow him into the Foreign Service.
    I was proud of her for defying him. Having one ambassador in the family was plenty, I thought, and sometimes I was sick of him and Mom trying to control our entire lives. The only one of us free was Julia. She’d finished her Bachelor’s degree at Harvard, then basically gave Dad the finger and ran off with her boyfriend Crank.
    Yes, really. Crank was a guitarist. In a punk rock band. They’d been happily touring the country for the last five years, and always brought a level of entertainment to family get-togethers during the holidays. By comparison, Carrie’s rebellion was rather minor.
    Finally, we arrived at Tom’s Restaurant and got a seat in the back. Our waitress, Cherry, came over and brightened when she saw me. “Alex! You’re back again? That’s twice in one day.”
    I laughed, just a little, and said, “This is my sister, Carrie. She went to school here, so it’s kind of a homecoming for her.”
    Cherry nodded in acknowledgement, then said, “Well, we’ll try to make your visit worth the trip! Do you guys know what you’d like to drink?”
    We ordered, then sat back and looked at each other. For a second I had a mental image of two cats, fur puffed, tails twitching, getting ready to pounce.
    I was the one to break the impasse.
    “So Dad sent you to report back on me?”
    She grinned, then sighed in relief. “Yes. Of course. I should have realized you’d figure that out pretty quick.”
    “It was pretty transparent,” I replied.
    “They’re worried about you,” she said.
    “Because of Dylan.”
    She nodded.
    “Well, you can report back that there is nothing to worry about. Dylan and I are in love; we always have been. But before now there was never… it was never a possibility. Not with us separated all the time. Now we’re not separated, and I’m happier than I’ve ever been in my life. Dad can go take a flying leap if he thinks he’s going to interfere.”
    Carrie’s eyes widened. “Wow,” she said. “Tell me how you really feel.”
    I chuckled. “Seriously, though. There’s nothing to worry about.”
    “I know that,” she said. “Except for Julia, you’re probably the only one of us really grounded in who you are. I’m not worried at all; I just want to know all about it! It’s so exciting that you two are finally together, isn’t it?”
    I smiled, feeling warm all over. “He makes me happy, Carrie. Really, truly happy.”
    “If I promise not to repeat a word to Dad except what you approve, will you tell me about it?”
    I nodded, suddenly pleased. Carrie and I had never been close. The difference in our ages, and her ability to intimidate everyone around her, had always placed distance between us. And I wanted to be close. She was my sister.
    So I told her the story. Some of it she knew, of course. Everyone in my family knew something significant had happened during the trip to Israel three years ago, because I’d come home devastated. I’d cried for almost three days, which was hardly the homecoming anyone else in the family had expected. Then I’d bought a package of photo paper and printed out all of my pictures from our trip. Dozens and