Exploring an Unfamiliar Home (Maxi)

[MAXINE MCMANUS]

“Purple.” Maxi gave a little gasp with a big smile. “That’s close to mine! Mine’s blue,” she replied, knowing she sounded a little bit like a child. Maybe it was silly, but she was quickly getting past the sorrow of not having has her sister for so many years and focusing more on the fact that she was there now, right in front of her! Maureen fished her phone out of her purse and leaned in. Maxi did the same so she could see what Maureen was trying to show her. It turned out, she wanted to show her pictures of her family, and Maxi was genuinely interested. “These are my parents. My other ones.” Maxi was already getting used to it and she smiled brightly at the older couple on the porch swing, smiling with the border collie at their feet. “That’s Jenson, their dog. He’s a lazy old thing.” The younger sister giggled, still smiling wide. “Aww, they’re all so cute!” She hoped one day she could look that happy beside an aging husband…the only man she could picture was August and it made her smile to do so. How lovely that would be…Maureen kept scrolling through pictures before she came to one of a middle aged man who Maxi thought was handsome. “My brother. We threw him a surprise forty-fifth birthday party, but Jake had accidentally ruined the surprise. He pretended to be surprised anyway.” Maxi looked from the picture to Maureen, still smiling warmly as she saw how happy Maureen was to look at these pictures. If she could love these people, then Maxi could surely love them too. It was thanks to them she even had a sister at all to reunite with. Maxi looked back to Maureen’s phone. “That’s Jake. He’s on a traveling soccer team. They’re hoping he stick with it so he can get a scholarship. He loves it and he’s awesome. And Maddy with her cat, Puff and her mom, Sara.” They were all so lovely. “Wow, what a good-looking family! They could be in a magazine.” She grinned wide and continued to look at all the pictures her sister showed her of where she had lived for twenty-five years. It looked like such a quaint, sleepy but cozy little place to be. Scriptor Bay was a little too big to be called any of those things, but it was still a great place to live and grow up; even so, growing up somewhere like Friday Harbor must have been nice.

When Maureen ran out of pictures to show her, they both relaxed more into the couch and studied each other. Though she had gotten older, Maureen still looked very much like the little girl she knew when she was growing up. She wanted a picture now as proof that she wasn’t crazy, but before she could suggest it, Maureen spoke again. “I’d really, really like to see pictures. And videos.” Maxi grinned wider, ecstatic that she wanted to see them. “I want to remember them, Maxi. I want to remember you…I love my family, but…but I’m a McManus and I should know what that means. I already know what it means to be an Aberdeen, but I could be both. Could we look at them? Like…soon? I don’t know how long I’m going to stay, but I’d like to see them before I go back home.” As happy as Maxi was that her sister wanted to remember the life left behind, her heart fell at Maureen’s mention of leaving. This wasn’t her home anymore…she had a life to get back to up north…Maureen couldn’t stay forever. “But I’m going to visit, like, all the time when I do leave! We finally found each other and I want to be your sister again. I want us to be close…” Maxi’s smile grew again and she nodded, her smile spreading from ear to ear. “Me too. I want to be close too. It doesn’t have to be like it was before, I just want to know you again.” She perked a little more, sitting closer. “How about you come over to my house the day after tomorrow? We can eat junk food and watch home videos and look at pictures all day, as long as you want!” She giggled a little, liking the idea of it. Spending a whole day catching up with her sister…it was surreal and wonderful.

“My boyfriend might drop by at some point. We spend a lot of time together and I could see him being curious about you. I’ve told him stories about you. He’s a little brusque, but he might be different with you since you’re my sister. His name’s August. He’s a Gargoyle actually, one of the kinds of Guardians I told you about. Our relationship is a little taboo because Gargoyles don’t tend to date outside their species—they’re kind of snobs.” Maxi rolled her eyes playfully and shook her head. “But I think we’ve gotten past the point where that matters.” She smiled a little to herself and then shook her head, realizing she was rambling a little. “Sorry. If I’m every talking too much, just let me know.” She giggled a little and pulled her phone out of her purse. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to get a picture of you. Nobody’s going to believe me when I tell them you’re alive and in Scriptor Bay!” She held up her phone with a hopeful smile. “Would you mind?”

[MAUREEN ABERDEEN]

“Me too. I want to be close too. It doesn’t have to be like it was before, I just want to know you again.” That was a relief to Maureen. She would have liked for things to be as they once were but she knew that wasn't possible. Plus she didn't really know how things once were so it was sort of a moot point. “How about you come over to my house the day after tomorrow? We can eat junk food and watch home videos and look at pictures all day, as long as you want!” She giggled and Maureen brightened. "Yes! Oh, that sounds so, so wonderful!" She gushed. "I'll bring ice cream!" She insisted feeling all warm and excited. She would have to shoot Simon an email later. He would be stoked about this news!

She liked that Maxi had a boyfriend, though she didn't like that he was brusque. She feared suddenly they might not get along, but she was calmed when she told her he might be different since she was Maxi's sister. "His name’s August. He’s a Gargoyle actually, one of the kinds of Guardians I told you about." Her brows raised. A gargoyle? Another kind of Guardian? She tried to recall what Maxi had told her about them but it was gone. "Our relationship is a little taboo because Gargoyles don’t tend to date outside their species—they’re kind of snobs.” Now she was really worried they wouldn't get along. Maureen was nice, though. Maybe he would just be nice? Snobbish or not? “But I think we’ve gotten past the point where that matters.” She hoped so.

“Sorry. If I’m ever talking too much, just let me know.” Maureen laughed with her and shook her head. "No I understand, it's completely okay." She promised. "Normally I'm a chatterbox, but I'm just a little, well.. you know. It's overwhelming. I just feel like words are escaping me right now." She was often very outgoing and easy to hang around which was why she was so good at her job. Then again she had a natural way with children. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to get a picture of you. Nobody’s going to believe me when I tell them you’re alive and in Scriptor Bay! Would you mind?” Maureen bit her lip and hesitated before nodding. "Just as long as a million people I don't know come knocking on my door after you show it to them." She said trying to sound lighthearted. "And also, you have to be in it with me. I sort of want to send it to my brother." She moved in close to Maxi, putting an arm around her shoulder and smiling as she looked up at the phone while Maxi positioned it so they could snap their first picture together in twenty five years. After Maxi took the picture she pulled away just a little. "Could you send that to me?" She asked and then told Maxi her phone number. "That way I can have your number, too."

[MAXINE MCMANUS]

Maureen looked a little hesitant at the idea of taking a picture with Maxi, but it didn’t hurt Maxi’s feelings. Maybe it was too soon to be asking for pictures again with her big sister. “Just as long as a million people I don’t know don’t come knocking on my door after you show it to them.” Maxi laughed and shook her head. “No, no! I won’t let them do that.” “And also, you have to be in with me. I sort of want to send it to my brother.” Again Maxi laughed and then nodded her head. “Deal!” Maureen moved closer to her and put her arm around her shoulders making Maxi feel warm and bubbly inside. It was almost like she could burst into tears again having her sister’s arm around her once again. Maxi held her phone up and smiled wide at the camera lens, tapping the screen to take the picture. She never thought she’d get another picture with her sister. Now it was going to be the background on her phone.

“Could you send that to me?” Maxi nodded and set it up to send the picture to her, taking Maureen’s number as she gave it. “That way I can have your number, too.” She grinned wide and looked up at her sister. “Yeah, of course! I’m saving your number right now.” Her fingers moved quickly across the touch screen to put in Maureen’s name: Maureen McManus (Aberdeen). Just in case she forgot what her new name was. When everything was taken care of, she placed her phone in her purse again and sighed, smiling once more at her sister. “Our first picture in twenty-five years. That’s crazy! We’re going to have to take hundreds more now.” She grinned wider, sitting back and resting her hands on her stomach.

“Our parents raised us Catholic. I have to say, I slipped in my church duties. I don’t think I’ve been to church in ten years. It’s not that I lost my faith or anything, I just wanted to keep God in my own way. There was a priest who came to the parish I used to be a part of and he was very gung-ho about no alternative families or gay people or gay rights and he was very against abortion and blah blah blah. I know those are the stances of the Catholic Church, but I don’t want politics with my homily. He also used to say things like, ‘The Catholic Church is the one true Church. This is the only Church with the way to Heaven and all other religions are abominations.’ I lost my taste for services after that since he did so many of them.” She shrugged her shoulders and looked back over at her with a smile. “Are you still part of the Catholic Church or are the Aberdeens of a different Christian denomination? Trust me, I’m open to pretty much any faith, so I don’t really care.” Her smile grew, wanting to know what faith her sister had taken up in her life, especially since it was such a large part of her life.

[MAUREEN ABERDEEN]

“Our first picture in twenty-five years. That’s crazy! We’re going to have to take hundreds more now.” Maureen grinned and nodded. Yes, they would definitely be talking more pictures. She had a feeling that Maxi would want dozens of her, and she had every intention of showing her pictures of herself growing up once she came for a visit. Her phone jingled and she pulled it out again seeing the picture and saving the number. She couldn't WAIT to send it to TJ. She would have done it then but she knew her brother would call immediately and she wanted to spend as much uninterrupted time with Maxi as she could, not knowing how long she had until her long lost sister had to go. Maybe she would spend the night! The thought sounded more appealing than not to Maureen, which surprised her.

“Our parents raised us Catholic. I have to say, I slipped in my church duties. I don’t think I’ve been to church in ten years. It’s not that I lost my faith or anything, I just wanted to keep God in my own way." Maureen listened with fascination as Maxi spoke. She understood her sisters reasoning for leaving the church. She might have been less enthusiastic about it all if that were the case, but she didn't belong to a catholic church that preached that way. Her church was very open, and so was she. She had been raised to love all of God's children and if someone was doing something wrong and couldn't find God's light, you prayed for them. It never hurt to pray for someone.

“Are you still part of the Catholic Church or are the Aberdeens of a different Christian denomination? Trust me, I’m open to pretty much any faith, so I don’t really care.” She was feeling more and more comfortable with Maxi the more the girl talked. Despite their difference in religion, she felt confident that Maxi wouldn't judge her or get angry. Yes, there was still guilt, but that was to be expected.

"The Aberdeen's didn't know what I was so when they adopted me into their home they brought me to their church. They're Presbyterian so I was raised that way. They had me baptized and everything." She explained, finding it strange to call her parents the Aberdeen's, but she did it for Maxi's benefit. "I took to it immediately. We have a strong presence of God in our home. We thank God for our meals and we get together on holidays. I sing in the choir and still help with the Sunday school. I work at the Christmas bazaar every year." There was a smile on her face as she thought of it all. "It's not a large church but I grew up there. Everyone knows me and our family's struggles. When dad found me they had all prayed for my recovery. The clergy even came to the hospital to visit with me. I don't remember but I know he blessed me. My parents have always called me their miracle, that God had given them to me and I've followed that belief. It's comforting. I was spared for some reason. I'm still here and I probably shouldn't be. I just know I was being looked after on that boat.." She blushed a little and shrugged. "I'm not a religious nut or anything, just.. I'm a believer. If you wanted to come with me to church on Sunday you could. You don't have to, I just always make a point to go. I'm sure there's plenty of churches here in the city. I'm not picky, I just like being in a sanctuary on Sunday."

[MAXINE MCMANUS]

“The Aberdeens didn’t know what I was so when they adopted me into their home they brought me to their church. They’re Presbyterian so I was raised that way. They had me baptized and everything.” Maxi liked to hear about Maureen’s coming up in a Christian house. It suited the woman her sister had become, from what she knew of her anyway. She sang in the choir and the community was tight knit; she even volunteered in the church, which warmed Maxi’s heart. The redhead liked to do volunteer work too, but she found that she did less of it these days due to her workload and balancing her time with August. Maybe with Maureen back in her life, she would do more of that stuff. She could probably get Drew to help out too. He loved doing volunteer work, especially with kids. “My parents have always called me their miracle, that God had given them to me and I’ve followed that belief. It’s comforting. I was spared for some reason. I’m still here and I probably shouldn’t be. I just know I was being looked after on that boat…” She had a very good point and Maxi wondered if she wouldn’t start going back to church now. Hadn’t she prayed every day for a year for her family to be spared, protected, brought back to her somehow? It had taken twenty-five years, but God had answered those prayers. The least she could do was start paying her respects in a church again.

Maureen caught her eye as she blushed and Maxi was a little confused. “I’m not a religious nut or anything, just…I’m a believer. If you wanted to come with me to church on Sunday you could. You don’t have to, I just always make a point to go. I’m sure there’s plenty of churches here in the city. I’m not picky, I just like being in a sanctuary on Sunday.” Maxi smiled wide. “I’d love to go to church with you! I was just thinking I’d like to go back. I’m not sure where the Presbyterian church is in the city, but we could go to the Catholic church. I know that priest is long gone now and I’ve heard that the priest that just got rotated there is straight from Ireland with an easygoing demeanor to match.” She giggled a little, remembering the Irish priests she encountered on her travels and how surprisingly relaxed they were. “Or we could find the Presbyterian church. It’s up to you. I just…I prayed every day for a year for you or Mom or Daddy to come back to me. I prayed that God would spare one of you and somehow bring you back to me. It took a long time, but He came through. I think it’s high time I start going back to church to thank Him.” Her smile was soft and her hand reached out for her sister’s again. She’d missed her so much.

“I studied abroad in Ireland. That’s why I made the comment about the priest. They’re all so laidback over there.” She smiled more, thinking back to her time there. “It was back in my junior year of college. One of the boys we grew up with lives over in England permanently now, so we saw each other a lot while I was over there. It was a blast. I’ve got a lot of little tokens that I bought over there, included this gorgeous Celtic cross I have hanging in my kitchen. Have you ever been abroad anywhere?” she asked curiously. Canada was a hop, skip, and a jump away from where Maureen lived, it sounded like, but Canada wasn’t really abroad in Maxi’s mind…which was strange because she considered Mexico abroad. She was curious to know where her sister had been, if anywhere, though, and what she had seen.

[MAUREEN ABERDEEN]

“I’d love to go to church with you! I was just thinking I’d like to go back." The answer pleased her and she smiled, not because she wanted Maxi to find God once more, but for the opportunity to share in her rejoice. God had made a miracle happen; he'd brought her home to Maxi and that was worth thanking him personally. Her prayers had finally been answered. She had no problem attending a catholic church. Any church would do, really. “Or we could find the Presbyterian church. It’s up to you. I just…I prayed every day for a year for you or Mom or Daddy to come back to me. I prayed that God would spare one of you and somehow bring you back to me. It took a long time, but He came through. I think it’s high time I start going back to church to thank Him.” She was glad when Maxi took her hand, wanting to reach out and take her sisters, but she had beat her to it. "I would be fine going to any church with you." She told her honestly, her voice soft and sweet.

She listened with fascination as Maxi told of her travels abroad. She couldn't help but wonder if she would have been on that trip to Ireland with her. There was a strong possibility of that. "One of the boys we grew up with lives over in England permanently now, so we saw each other a lot while I was over there. It was a blast. I’ve got a lot of little tokens that I bought over there, included this gorgeous Celtic cross I have hanging in my kitchen. Have you ever been abroad anywhere?”

Maureen blushed a little and bit her lips. "I've been to Canada several times." She explained, which was probably a given since she was closer to Canada then to Maxi, but that wasn't really abroad. "I was invited to do missionary work in Brazil but I never went. I've always been a little fearful of straying too far from home. I didn't know where I came from and I guess I have this fear of being lost again." She said softly, her tone almost bashful. "I know it's silly, but I just feel safe close to home. Coming this far alone was difficult, but I've come a long way in twenty five years. I used to to need to be picked up from school, terrified of walking home on my own. I was a nervous kid. Well, adult I guess.. I wanted to travel and the world fascinates me but I don't know if I could ever get on a plane. Boats are hard enough." She laughed, biting her lip. "But it's fine! I'm completely okay with it." She insisted not wanting Maxi to feel like she'd missed out on anything. "It was one of the reasons I chose to stay with Simon. I would have loved to go with him, but leaving my parents and straying so far just scared me. I'm a homebody. I love being with my family." She smiled softly, squeezing her sisters hand to let her know she was still her family, and she was loving spending time with her even though she hardly knew her.

[MAXINE MCMANUS]

“I’ve been to Canada several times. I was invited to do missionary work in Brazil but I never went. I’ve always been a little fearful of straying too far from home. I didn’t know where I came from and I guess I have this fear of being lost again.” Maxi listened attentively as Maureen explained why she never strayed far from home. Just coming to Scriptor Bay had been hard for her and as a kid she didn’t like to walk home alone. It made her feel bad for her sister that she was so anxious about travel. She couldn’t bring herself to get on a plane, which Maxi could understand; a lot of people didn’t like flying. “Boats are hard enough.” She laughed and Maxi gave a wider smile, but it pained her to hear Maureen was still afraid of boats. Maxi was too, but it was also a loathing of the water that kept her off the ocean—the water had taken everything from her and she wouldn’t give it the satisfaction of her pleasure. Maybe she would get over that childish dislike now that she had Maureen back. “But it’s fine! I’m completely okay with it. It was one of the reasons I chose not to stay with Simon. I would have loved to go with him, but leaving my parents and straying so far just scared me. I’m a homebody. I love being with my family.” Her sister squeezed her hand and smiled softly and Maxi couldn’t help but smile wider. It was amazing how alike they were even after all these years.

“I’m the same way. I couldn’t be like Jamie, my friend in England, making a home so far away from my true home. No place could be home to me the way that Scriptor Bay is. They say home is where the heart is, and my heart is here. Even when I was having a blast in Ireland I couldn’t wait to come back home. I told my boyfriend that back when we first met and I think he thought I was nuts.” She giggled a little remembering it. “He’s always wanted to travel, but being a Gargoyle politician, he can’t really leave Scriptor Bay. Plus, he couldn’t go far anyway because he turns into stone during the day. Well, when the weather’s not like this. I’ve been thinking that maybe we could take a trip to Mexico or something, though. Even Hawaii would be acceptable, I think, just as long as it’s not Scriptor Bay. The flight wouldn’t be long and we could catch an evening flight. I wouldn’t mind lying out on a beach by myself while he was stone during the day.” A cute shrug followed by a laugh emphasized the playful nature of the thought, but she had wanted to plan a trip with August. Maybe when things were back to normal or at least calmed down…maybe then she could suggest it.

Her eyes turned back up to Maureen, smiling brightly again. “Maybe you and I could travel sometime! I have to admit, I’ve only been to Canada once a long time ago. I’ve heard Victoria is beautiful. And I’m definitely coming up to meet your family soon. I just have to meet them.” She smiled wider, her hand still in Maureen’s. Giving a little sigh, she cocked her head to the side slightly. “So what questions do you have for me?”

[MAUREEN ABERDEEN]

“I’m the same way. I couldn’t be like Jamie, my friend in England, making a home so far away from my true home. No place could be home to me the way that Scriptor Bay is. They say home is where the heart is, and my heart is here." She agreed with that; home was where the heart was. She knew her heart once belonged to this city, but it didn't anymore. It belonged in Friday Harbor and she wondered if she could share her life between the two places. The city wasn't really her cup of tea, but then again she hadn't exactly given it a fair chance yet. She'd only just arrived! Still she couldn't help but wonder if Maxi would expect her to come back at some point. Maureen had always thought she would die there in Friday Harbor and that had been a comforting thought. Not that she wanted to die, but her parents had been born there, and so had their parents, and though she wasn't really an Aberdeen by blood, she had always considered herself one. At least as far back as she could remember.

She listened as Maxi spoke of her boyfriend turning to stone as if it were no big deal at all. She smiled a little but it just felt forced. There was definitely something strange about loving a man who turned to stone, literally. And she could never be with him during the day! The very thought made her sad. When she found her true love she would never want to be away from them! Maureen had adored Simon and they had enjoyed many afternoons together, but in the end it couldn't work out. She hoped one day he would find true happiness with another, though. But Simon never turned to stone.

"Hawaii sounds lovely." She agreed, of course never having been there, but she'd seen plenty of pictures and movies that took place there to know it was a stunning place. “Maybe you and I could travel sometime! I have to admit, I’ve only been to Canada once a long time ago. I’ve heard Victoria is beautiful. And I’m definitely coming up to meet your family soon. I just have to meet them.” She smiled warmly and nodded, at least about the second half of her sister's statement. "I've never been to Victoria. It's not really far but it's most convenient by plane from where I am. You could sail but it would probably take several days to get there. I wouldn't be completely opposed to giving that a try." She said honestly though the prospect was nerve wracking. "But I would love if you came up to meet my family. Maxi, they would love you! They're so kind and sweet.. they would probably adopt you on the spot." She laughed, almost teasing. Maureen knew that they would think of Maxi as a sort of daughter, and they would love to meet Maureen's true family. They had looked for them for a while, but life became chaotic with Maureen needing to be cared for and there were no signs of her family anywhere that they could find. The police didn't turn up much with their investigation and Maureen had settled into her life happily so she assumed they had given up their search.

“So what questions do you have for me?” Boy was that the question of the hour! Maureen shook her head and rolled her shoulders at the same time. "I don't even know where to start." She told her with a soft laugh. "I guess I already know I was catholic and my parents names, and what had happened, but.. what about the rest of our family. You mentioned grandparents? What was I like? What sorts of things did I do? What did we do? I just want to know about the world I left. Am I different now? I mean, I know I must be, but.. am I what you expected?"

[MAXINE MCMANUS]

“I don’t even know where to start.” Maxi gave a soft laugh with Maureen, knowing exactly what she meant. She didn’t know what to talk about either! There was so much to say and ask and talk about and yet it was all so overwhelming, she didn’t even know where to begin. “I guess I already know I was Catholic and my parents’ names, and what happened, but…what about the rest of our family? You mentioned grandparents? What was I like? What sorts of things did I do? What did we do? I just want to know about the world I left. Am I different now? I mean, I know I must be, but…am I what you expected?” Maxi laughed at the barrage of questions and shook her head. “I didn’t expect you, so I wasn’t expecting anything! But you have changed…not in any bad way, but you seem less outgoing than you used to be. It used to be that you weren’t afraid of anything and you’d walk up to perfect strangers and introduce yourself. I always admired how brave you were because I was always so shy. I wanted to be more like you. Now it seems we’re very similar! Not that it’s a bad thing at all.” Maxi smiled warmly, loving Maureen either way. “I think you could be a terrible person now and I would still love you because you’re my sister.” She meant what she said. Never in a million had she ever expected to see her big sister again, so it would be a treat no matter what kind of person she was.

“As for our family, it was pretty small. Both Mom and Daddy were only children, so we didn’t have any aunts, uncles, or cousins. Mom’s parents died when were really little, but we were close to Daddy’s parents. They were so sweet and Grandma always made us cookies and snuck them to us before dinner. Grandpa played the fiddle and he’d play while we danced and then he’d tell us Irish fairy stories. He spent some time studying over there when he was young and he liked to make us giggle.” Maxi smiled when remembering the way her grandpa’s green eyes would gleam when he told them about the leprechauns and changelings. The smell of fresh cookies was just at the back of her mind and she wished she could smell it again. It was such a warm smell…She was called back to herself as she looked back up at Maureen. It was such a shame Maureen couldn’t remember such happy things. She was just glad to know she’d had happy memories with the Aberdeens too.

“As for what we used to do…gosh, we did a lot of things.” Maxi mulled over the question, really considering it. “Our favorite game was hide and seek, but we loved to play freeze tag too and ghosts in the graveyard. We would play with other children like us who all went to the same teacher to be homeschooled. We also played guitar together and sang together. Daddy taught us the guitar and Mom taught us how to sing. We shared a room and as we were falling asleep, we would make up stories and always end up putting ourselves to sleep that way. Or we would sing…‘Kumbaya’ was one of our favorites, but we sang ‘Michael Row Your Boat Ashore’ and ‘Blowing in the Wind’ a lot too. Sometimes Mom and Daddy would come in to settle us down, but usually we put each other to sleep that way.” She leaned back on the couch, watching her sister with a kind smile. “You also used to do this thing when you wanted me to wake up where you would chuck a pillow at my face. Usually it was when I fell asleep on the couch and you wanted to play, but I would get so mad at you.” Maxi laughed at the memory remembering how her sister would laugh as the little redhead tore after her through the house intent on tackling her. “But after long days of playing outside in the summer or swimming in the pool, Mom and Daddy could often find us asleep on the couch together. Or we would pass out in the tree house when we were older. We had a lot of sleepovers in that tree house when of course no sleep happened. We’d tell ghost stories and scare each other and the girls who would stay over with us and we’d roast marshmallows over the fire before we retreated to our hideaway. Those were the best days.” Maxi sighed heavily, remembering what a wonderful childhood they’d had. The smile on her face was warm as her eyes turned back to Maureen. “What do you remember? In your dreams, I mean; what comes back to you? Does it happen a lot?”

[MAUREEN ABERDEEN]

Maureen was relieved to know she hadn't changed in a bad way, though she had, in fact, changed. She had been somewhat outgoing when she was a little younger, but the older she got the less outgoing she had become. She had become more of a homebody the more comfortable she became with the person she was becoming. "It used to be that you weren’t afraid of anything and you’d walk up to perfect strangers and introduce yourself. I always admired how brave you were because I was always so shy. I wanted to be more like you. Now it seems we’re very similar! Not that it’s a bad thing at all.” Maureen nodded, a half smile on her face. She was glad that they were alike now, but disappointed that she wasn't the type of woman her sister would look up to anymore. Then again, They had been children. Maxi had to grow up on her own and perhaps if they had done so together her sister would still look up to her. “I think you could be a terrible person now and I would still love you because you’re my sister.” She bit her lips and smiled again, tears welling her eyes. It had been one of the kindest things anyone had ever said to her. She didn't know how to answer that. She loved Maxi, too...or at least the thought of her. Maxi had eighteen years of memories to love; Maureen had maybe an hour.

“As for our family, it was pretty small." She listened to Maxi explain about her grandparents and though she smiled, the tears dripped down her cheeks. She wanted to remember these times; she wanted to know the smell of grandma's cookies and the sound of grandpa's fiddle. It wasn't fair it all had been taken from her! She had never cared about missing her old memories much, but now that someone was there to remind her, she wanted them back more than ever. Who was she? Where did she even belong anymore?

“Our favorite game was hide and seek, but we loved to play freeze tag too and ghosts in the graveyard. We would play with other children like us who all went to the same teacher to be homeschooled. We also played guitar together and sang together. Daddy taught us the guitar and Mom taught us how to sing. We shared a room and as we were falling asleep, we would make up stories and always end up putting ourselves to sleep that way." Each memory made her heart ache more. She knew she should be happy to hear it, but it only made her miss what she had missed out on more. It all sounded so wonderful, so perfect.. how could God have destroyed such a lovely family? What was the big plan? Did the Aberdeen's need her? Did Maxi need to be on her own to develop into the incredible woman she had clearly become? Why wasn't their path the same one?

“But after long days of playing outside in the summer or swimming in the pool, Mom and Daddy could often find us asleep on the couch together. Or we would pass out in the tree house when we were older." A tree house! She'd had a treehouse! "Those were the best days.” Maxi sighed heavily, and Maureen bowed her head, trying to conceal the tears that were running far more freely now. “What do you remember? In your dreams, I mean; what comes back to you? Does it happen a lot?” Maureen simply shook her head, sniffling and reaching a hand up to wipe her nose. "I don't know." She said honestly. "I never remember.. They happen so rarely and when they do it slips away too quickly when I wake to remember. Just vague, distant memories." She sniffled again, looking up pitifully at her sister. "I'm so sorry, Maxi.. I should have looked more, I should have tried to find where I belonged sooner. I didn't know you were here! If i'd known.." She covered her face. "I'm awful!" She insisted, brokenhearted by the entire ordeal. "I wish I could remember you.. and mom and dad and our grandparents.. I really, really do."

[MAXINE MCMANUS]

When she saw Maureen shake her head and wipe her face and nose, Maxi felt awful. She hadn’t meant to make her sister cry. “I don’t know. I never remember…They happen so rarely and when they do it slips away too quickly when I wake to remember. Just vague, distant memories.” Maxi’s brow furrowed as she looked at her sister, tears filling her eyes again at Maureen’s pitiful look. Remembering the good times wasn’t meant to make her sister sad, but she must have reminded her, again, of what she couldn’t remember no matter how hard she tried. She was a terrible sister for making Maureen feel so bad. “I’m sorry, Maxi…I should have looked more, I should have tried to find where I belonged sooner. I didn’t know you were here! If I’d known…I’m awful!” Maxi’s big blue eyes got even bigger as she watched her sister, confused about whether to laugh or to cry or both. She let out a little laugh and put her arm around her sister’s shoulders. “Oh no!” she cooed, a tear slipping onto her cheek. “I wish I could remember you…and mom and dad and our grandparents…I really, really do.” Maxi’s face scrunched up for a moment, her lip trembling as she looked at her sister. A sad smile came to her face as her tears ran onto her cheeks.

“I know, Maureen…I know. I can’t imagine what it would be like to not be able to remember. But trust me, I don’t blame you. Not for one, single thing…what happened to you was horrible and it wasn’t your fault. How could I blame you?” She rested her head on Maureen’s shoulder as if to ask for forgiveness for making her feel so bad. “Don’t worry, Maureen. There’s a chance you could still remember. The important thing is that you’re back and there’s a lot here that might jog your memory. If it doesn’t, then you’ll be Maureen Aberdeen and I’ll love you anyway.” She smiled at her sister, tears still on her cheeks. “I’m just glad you’ve been happy. And in spite of everything, I’ve been happy too. If I can help you remember, then I’ll do whatever I can to do that. But even if you never remember, we can still be sisters and build our relationship up from here. Neither of us can change what’s already happened, but we can’t blame anyone for that. Please don’t cry. I’m sorry I brought up those memories. Even if you can’t remember them, we can still have lots of happy memories together. We’ll just have to make them from scratch.” Her smile was wider and warmer and she rested her head on Maureen’s shoulder again, hugging her sister. She was still waiting to be woken up from this wonderful, incredibly sad dream.

For a couple minutes Maxi just sat curled up to Maureen, trying to calm her from crying. Maxi legitimately held no hard feelings towards Maureen. It would be so unfair if she did! No, she was happy that her time away from home had been comfortable and joyous. She owed the Aberdeens everything for taking such good care of her sister, for saving her from their parents’ awful fate. As soon as she was able, she would let them know the debt she owed them that could never be paid. “I feel like I’m in a movie. Don’t these things only happen in movies?” she asked, smiling up at her sister. “I never thought this would be possible! Maybe they should make a movie about us.” She laughed lightly, hoping it would cheer Maureen up. She hated to see her so upset.

[MAUREEN ABERDEEN]

Maureen leaned easily into the other girls embrace, surprised at how comforted she was by it. She needed the hug and there was something strangely familiar about Maxi. She was still a stranger but she couldn't squelch that nagging feeling deep down that it all felt right somehow. It was where she was meant to be, she could feel it in her sister's arms now. “I know, Maureen…I know. I can’t imagine what it would be like to not be able to remember. But trust me, I don’t blame you. Not for one, single thing…what happened to you was horrible and it wasn’t your fault. How could I blame you?” She knew it wasn't her fault but that did little to mask her guilt for not trying harder.

She continued to cling and sniffle on Maxi as she continued to console her, soothed by her kind words and hopes that she might remember, and if she didn't they would surely be building many new memories together. She already knew when her parents passed she would likely try and move closer to Maxine, even if the thought of permanently leaving Friday Harbor frightened her. She was slowly embracing the idea that she had another life, another family, and it was real!

“I feel like I’m in a movie." Maureen gave a teary laugh and sat up, wiping at her now reddened eyes and nodding. "Don’t these things only happen in movies? I never thought this would be possible! Maybe they should make a movie about us.” Maxine laughed and Maureen mirrored the action. "They could put it on Lifetime." She teased knowing it would be the perfect movie for Lifetime. She wiped her face again and smiled. "Sorry, I'll get better at this. Don't stop telling me stuff because I'm a wreck. It'll be happier to me soon once the shock sort of wears off, yah know?" She said, trying to ease Maxi if she feared that Maureen would always act this way. She didn't want to discourage her sister from sharing memories, and she wanted to know, but it was overwhelming. When she woke up that morning she had now idea what the day was holding in store for her!

"Anyway!" She gushed trying to change the topic away from her down mood and onto something brighter. "I want to know more about the city and what our house was like." She sighed happily as Maxi obliged her request and she felt her spirits lighten some. She finally found out where she truly belonged.

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