My Sister Sarah and I – Conclusion

My Sister Sarah and I – Conclusion
My niece Annie had just walked through the door of her mother’s house, and she was a spitting image of my little sister before we lost touch with each other. Our mother had thrown Sarah out of the house, and neither my Dad nor I had seen her for almost thirty five years. The sight of my sister’s daughter had made me wonder if I was suffering from double vision!

I wasn’t sure how much Annie knew of Sarah and my background, which made me a little hesitant to mention anything that Sarah and I had discussed since my arrival in Idaho. That was probably the best idea I’d had all day. Mind you, it was still only 9:00 AM. Maybe it was my best idea because it was my only idea, so far that day!

“Well, well, well! I really do have a niece! A very pretty one, too, I might add!”. Sheesh, if I laid it on any thicker, you’d need a knife to cut your way back out of it! “I think, before I admit to who I am, I should find out what lies your mother’s been telling you about me, don’t you?”. There was no real pressure on my part that I could perceive, just your usual Cat on a Hot Tin Roof squirming.

“Brian, she knows most of our background, up until the time I moved down here”, Sarah put in, mostly for my information, and as an added lever to get my foot back out of my mouth. I just needed some clarification on one point.

“Sis, does that include our . . .”. I wasn’t in a hurry to drop labels, in case Sarah hadn’t gotten to that level of detail.
“Yes, big brother, including our. Annie knows I phoned you, and why. We spent a long evening talking, although I didn’t reveal all the gory details! Those are between you and me, unless you’re planning on writing a best-seller based on those details”. I saw that crinkle in the corner of my sister’s eye. “Damn! I’d better watch my mouth here! You just might do it, too! No! You wouldn’t . . . would you, Brian?”.

Chuckling softly, I told her that I didn’t have any literary plans, well not that included revealing information that was nobody’s business except ours. The look of relief on Sarah’s face secured that promise in stone.

“So, Uncle Brian? How long are you gonna be here? Long enough for me to get to know my . . . only uncle, I hope?”, Annie asked, then sat down in the chair beside me, and gave me that look. If I didn’t know better, I’d swear her mother was giving lessons!

“I’m not sure yet, Annie. About how long I’ll be here, I mean. That’ll all depend on how things progress back in Ontario, I guess. But I don’t see any reason why we can’t get to know each other. Can you?”. I left that one wide open for some stupid reason, and immediately wished I hadn’t. The innuendos were starting to come out, fast and furiously. It felt like it was time to change feet again. Fortunately, Sarah came to my rescue, before I choked on my boots.

“Brian, could you run out and grab us some more coffee? I thought I had another can of it here, but I can’t find it. If this is gonna turn into a typical Pelham gab-fest, we’re gonna need a big one”, Sarah almost pleaded. I welcomed the reprieve.

“Sure thing, Sis. Any particular brand?”, I queried as I sprung from my seat in a bid for a hasty retreat.

“Uncle Brian, I’ll come with you. I know what Mum likes, and where they keep it”, Annie volunteered.

I looked at my little sister inquiringly, and she returned a gaze of resignation. Before the two women got into a cat fight, I figured I’d find shelter from the pending storm.

“Annie, hold on, and I’ll get my purse. You’ll need some money. Brian, she’ll meet you in the car, okay? That’s if you can stand her chattering! She’s worst than me!”. I didn’t think such a thing was possible myself, but if Annie had gotten her mother’s looks, there was a good chance she’d also gotten Sarah’s wagging jaw, too.

I stepped outside and started to close the door when I heard Sarah sternly talking to her daughter.

“Listen Annie. That’s my brother, and I want you to promise me you’ll keep your grubby little hands off him! You hear what I’m saying, young lady?”.

“Oh Mum, quit being such a worry-wart! I’m not going to jump his bones, if that’s what you’re worried about! Although, for an old guy, he looks kind of . . . interesting!”, Annie sassed back at her mother. I suspect Sarah gave her daughter one of those evil looks only she can conjure when she’s really angry, because Annie added, in a squeaky voice, “Okay! Okay! I get it, Mom! Uncle Brian’s off-limits, right? But you have to promise me that’ll you’ll keep your hands off my guy, too! Chris is in town for the week, and he’s who I want to be with, anyway!”.

“I’ve never touched any of your boyfriends, and you know it!”, Sarah hollered. “Not that I wouldn’t be tempted. Some of them have been real cute! But the deal was, and always has been, that we don’t raid each other’s beds! That still stands! Got it?”.

“Yeah, I got it”, Annie acknowledged in a rather meek voice. I was sure glad I hadn’t gotten caught in the middle of that one!

Moments later, Annie hopped in the car with a sour look on her face, and a scowl on her lips.

“Problems?”, I asked her.

“Nah. Mum’s just in a bit of a mood, that’s all. I guess she just needs her morning coffee. Let’s go, before she has another hissy-fit!”.

We were out and back in a matter of ten minutes. As we got out of the car, I mentioned to Annie that her and I had some talking to do.

“What about? You and Mum? The fact that you two were lovers? I already know about that part, Uncle Brian, so you don’t have to bother. What else did you have in mind? To talk about, I mean”.

“Okay, bottom line. Your Mum was, is, and always will be, a very special part of my life. It looks like we might pick up where we left off all those years ago. Is that going to be a problem?”, I almost grilled her with one of those authoritarian voices.

“No, I guess not. Are you two sharing a bed while you’re here? Not that it’s any of my business, but it would be kind of nice to know. I mean, I wouldn’t want to walk in on you two when you were in the middle of something”, Annie confided.

“I did last night, and I’d like to again. But that’s your mother’s decision to make. After all, it’s her house”.

“Uncle Brian, there’s only been one man in that bed for all my life . . . well, two, including you. My Mum’s a pretty loyal person that way, and I admire her for it. I guess I’m a lot like her, in that regard. My boyfriend’s pretty special to me, just like Mum is to you. The idea of cheating on Chris has never crossed my mind, and I doubt it ever will. So both of you can relax, okay?”. Annie was silent for a few seconds before she added, “But if I wasn’t going with Chris, and if your sister wasn’t my Mum . . . “. I caught that sly, conniving grin on my niece’s face. Despite my better judgement, I gave her a good swat on her cute little ass.

“You just keep that to yourself, Missy. But Sarah is the woman I love, and I will not do anything to hurt her. Ever!”. Poor Annie looked like a lost school kid, rejected by the whole world.

Once inside, I found Sarah bustling around in the kitchen. She was baking something that smelled good, which made my mouth water. Walking over to the door, Sarah pulled me to her lips and kissed me with what felt like thirty five years of pent-up passion.

“Hmm! I’ll have to go out for groceries more often!”, I growled to her, my voice betraying my delight. Then I looked in her eyes, and she seemed unsettled. “Umm, little sister. Am I seeing worry on your face? Or maybe a touch of . . . I don’t know?”. Sarah stared at me wordlessly, but her concern was as plain as day. “Look, Sis, if you’re worried about Annie, don’t be. I’m a one woman man, and you know it. Deep down inside, I know you do. Annie says she has a boyfriend, and he seems like the kind of guy that can keep her under control, from what your daughter told me. Not that she told me much, and I didn’t pry”. I leaned forward and gave her a soft kiss on those sensuous lips of hers, then turned her towards the kitchen and gave her a light shove. She resisted just enough to be able to lean into me, turn her head, and kiss me on my jaw.

“Thanks, Brian. Maybe I did over-react, but it’s been a long time since we were together. I just wasn’t sure. Now that I am . . . “, and she waltzed back to the kitchen, with an added spring in her step.

Right about then, the phone rang, and Sarah answered it.

“Hello? . . . Yes, she’s right here. Just a moment”, then Sarah held the phone out for Annie.

“Hello? . . . Hi Chris! . . . Just about to sit down for a coffee . . . fifteen minutes? Sure, I can be ready by then. Should I bring anything? . . . Okay, Sweets! See you when you get here! Love you! Bye”, and Annie hung up the phone. I’d say she sat back down at the kitchen table again, but it was more like floated down than sitting. She had that silly grin on her face that only a teenaged female madly in love can produce. What was I saying? She was a teenaged girl, and by the look of it, one very much in love.

“Chris is on his way over.