Nora is gone

This was supposed to be the happiest day of their lives. A vacation before college, before they say goodbye. Nora and Alexa were twins. Very close twins, the kind of twins that wore the same clothes for way too long. Alexa was set to go to MIT. She was always the overachieving sister, Nora decided to start her own business and she was ready to move 1 block away in an apartment building near her local community college. Nora wanted to get out of the house, but she never held onto anything for long, her mother worried she would switch her majors so many times she would get kicked out of college. Alexa just said that Nora was too good to be tied down by any decisions. Small or large. 

Alexa and Nora had never spent time apart. 2 weeks before Alexa had to leave they decided to go on a trip. Alexa packed everything they needed, while Nora picked locations. Then Alexa got to pick where they actually went. 

“One week, we have one-week, maybe even less” Alexa started to laugh as she talked to Nora

“And?” Nora questioned, letting a small smile curl from her right cheek. 

“We can’t make it to Egypt and back in one week” Alexa explained 

“Well then I guess we will just have to stay forever,” Nora responded. 

They decided to go camping. A 2-hour drive, and some light packing. Nora insisted they find something Egyptian. Alexa explained that there would be nothing Egyptian in northern Illinois. 

As they headed out onto the road Nora started to talk about her future. She was going to be a marine biologist who wrote poetry and taught kindergarten. Alexa laughed once more before her smile turned downward. “What do you really want to do?” she asked 

“I don’t know, no need to look that far into the future,” Nora responded

“It’s 2 weeks away, what do you mean?” Alexa asked, with concern in her eyes

“I’ve never made a decision that far in advance” Nora replied, she knew that wasn’t true, but she wasn’t ready for Alexa to know yet, she was never ready. 

30 minutes into the car ride and they sat silent, then a song came on. Their favorite song since birth (or so they say). “Cat’s in the Cradle” blared from the car speakers, but their pitchy screams still sounded louder. 

1 hour and 30 minutes into the car ride and they couldn’t stop laughing. Between the giggles and gasps for air, Nora began to speak “I love this” 

“I love it too” Alexa responded as her laughter died down. 

They finally arrived at the camping ground. Nora ran into the trees to find the perfect campfire wood, Alexa attempted to pitch a tent. For a soon to be MIT student she lost that fight badly. When Nora came back to the camping ground she found Alexa sitting on the ground, two metal camping rods in her hands. The look of defeat plastered on her face. Nora ran to her side and started to build a tent. “Huh,” Nora said as she put the tent together. 

“Engineer,” Nora said, “I’m gonna be an engineer!”

Alexa smiled as she adjusted the tent once more.

They sat at the campfire and talked about life. Nora seemed aloof. As if she never worried about the future. As Nora stared at the flickering embers she stood up. She took a large breath and then walked to the tent. Alexa put the fire out then followed Nora. When she walked into the tent she saw Nora searching through her back. Like a battle with her backpack, Nora violently shuffled through the bag until she found the object of her desire. A small stuffed animal. Alexa knew exactly what it was. Nora looked at Alexa. “Take it,” she said softly. 

“I can’t just take it” Alexa responded “You said nobody could even touch Buttons except for you.”

“I know, I know” Nora responded “But listen, you are leaving and you need something to remember me,” Nora said as she pushed the stuffed animal closer and closer to Alexa. Finally, Alexa took the small stuffed animal and held it close. She could see the bittersweet relief in Nora’s eyes. 

They sat there for a while. Until they eventually went to sleep. When Alexa woke up in the morning, she began to pack. Nora didn’t know that she was leaving for college in a day, not 2 weeks. She was almost done packing by the time Nora was awake, only the tent was left. They finished packing up the car and left, Nora was confused about leaving early. Alexa was never one to explain when she knew it would make Nora so sad. 

As they drove back home, the misty air seemed to clog their throats. They didn’t speak. Alexa could see small drops of tears fall down Nora’s face, she didn’t want to talk about it. Alexa never wanted to admit it, but she never wanted to talk when Nora was crying. She never knew what to say, she never knew how to stop Nora from… 

They finally got home, Alexa took her pre-packed moving bags and was getting ready to leave. She looked at Nora, sleeping on the couch. Unaware that Alexa was leaving. Alexa shed a single tear as she closed the living room door. With a painful heart, she started the car engine and drove away. 

When Nora awoke she looked for Alexa. If she didn’t have Alexa, she didn’t have anyone. 

Halfway through the drive, Alexareceived a call. Singing along to T-Swift she answered the phone. She stopped, her body paralyzed she forgot how to drive. After 2 seconds, she collected her head enough to drive. She turned the car and sped home as fast as she possibly could. Turning her 30-minute drive into 20. She knew she couldn’t save Nora, but she had to. She had to get to Nora. She had to say goodbye before it was too late. 

When she finally got home she saw the ambulance parked outside her house. She ran up to the truck. “Please miss, take a seat, the best thing for you to do is let the EMT’s work,” The ambulance driver said to her. She sat outside on the porch, waiting for anyone to come walking out of the house. 

With all of the thoughts pounding through her head, one thought wouldn’t stop ringing inside her brain. Why was this the only decision Nora could ever make? She watched as the EMT ran out of the house with Nora on the stretcher, Is she breathing? The EMT paused, he stopped moving the stretcher, he felt her pulse, he looked away. No. Not Nora. Alexa couldn’t control her tears. The tarp came out. She didn’t want to accept that by then it was too late.