Sister's Getaway

Sheila couldn't believe what she had just heard and wasn't sure how to handle it. She didn't expect it on this day of all days.

When she agreed to this weekend getaway with her sister at Foxwood Hills State Park, she had no idea what would happen.

Both of them had decided that it was time to get together and get to know each other again. They had grown apart over the years with one of them living and working in another state and the younger in college. Their parents were concerned about the two of them too, so they decided that they would pay for the weekend getaway for the both of them. . It certainly seemed like a good idea. " Family is important and no matter where you are in the world, you will always be sisters.", they had said to her.

Felicity, the younger of the two sisters, had recently graduated from college and had spoken with Sheila about the getaway 2 weeks prior to the arrival and seemed reluctant at first stating that she needed to focus on her next steps. Sheila managed to convince her to come by telling her that it would be good to take a break from the hustle and bustle of college life and rest in the natural beauty of the park.

On the first day of the trip, Sheila took her Pacer to the park information and registration center and signed the two of them in and waited for Felicity to arrive. 

Half an hour later, Felicity came in and met with Sheila, then they journeyed to the cabin and rested for the remaining part of the night.

On the following morning, Sheila woke up to the smell of fresh bacon and found that Felicity was already up and had prepared a breakfast for them

Sheila got up contentedly, yawned and ran her fingers through her wavy brown hair and went into the kitchen.

"Morning, Sis!", Felicity said, while flipping pancakes on the flattop grill.  "I usually just have some yogurt and a toasted English muffin while I'm at school, but I thought I would go all out. How do you like your eggs?"

" Oh, surpise me!" Sheila said with a smile. She hadn't had a breakfast like this since the two of them were kids. Sheila was already surprised as it was, seeing her younger sister with a red hair cut in short bob. She had remembered a long, red pony tail when they were in high school.

Sheila took a seat by the bar while waiting for the breakfast to be done and took a sip of orange juice.  Watching her sister prepare breakfast with interest.

The two of them had breakfast together but still sat in an awkward silence. Shelia broke the ice with "That was a good breakfast, Fe. Mom would be proud, or jealous. I'm not sure which."

"You're saying that my cooking is better than Mom's?" Felicity asked.

"Well, let's just say that you can give her a run for her money!"

"Wait till you try my grilling!", Felicity replied pointing to the outside, where the bricked in grill sat. "The guys love my grilling and frequently ask for tips!"

"Well, they say that the way to a man's heart is through the stomach, so I'd say you're off to good start." Sheila said as she took a seat on the couch and yawned.

"Ah, I am afraid that there is more to it than that". Felicity began.

"Well, they also say, that cooking is an art form..." Sheila began..

"Yes, but there' s something else." 

Felictiy came to the couch but did not sit down. She paced the room briefly for moment, her upper body, trembling.

Sheila stared at her sister with her mouth open, ready to offer whatever support she could think of and almost jumped out of the seat to give her a hug, but she knew that it would be best to simply allow Felicity to just speak and say what was on her mind.

"I'm not Felicity anymore and I haven't been Felicity for a long time."

Sheila said nothing but held her hands open ready to receive whatever came..

"I'm Felix and I'm a guy"

So that was it. This why her sister had lost touch. Sheila sat there on the couch while the morning sun rose higher in the sky.

"Say something, Sis! Anything!"

Sheila said nothing at all; she just sat on the couch and didn't look at Felix. Felix sat down on the couch as well, hung his head down, his whole body shuddering with each breath. The sound echoed off of the vaulted ceiling, hit the rotating fan reverberating across the living room and kitchen.

A small droplet from Sheila's face fell to floor as she breathed a sigh. 

All at once.. both of them looked at each other, almost for the first time.

"I'm sorry" they both said at once, then gasped for a moment and laughed. Sheila got up and move towards her sibling and joined him in a much needed embrace. For a long time, they held each other close, as if afraid that something or someone would pull them apart. Sheila made up her mind then and there that this would not happen. 

" This was..... " Felix began. " Hard for me. I was ready to just leave as soon as I said it and never return. I was sure it would be over "

"Never, Felix, " Sheila said after wiping another tear away while another took its place. " I could never 'write you off' like that.

"I do have a question, though"

" Go ahead, " Felix said.

"Mom and Dad they......"

"No, I haven't told anyone but you and a few friends on campus. I haven't had the courage to tell them. 

They're very.... straight-laced you know."

" I know. I also know they love you very much. You don't need to worry about this idea that they would stop loving you. I don't think it's in their nature."

" Promise me that you won't tell them!"

" Felix, you know I have kept your secrets since we were kids. "

" Just promise me!"

"All right, I promise"

The rest of the day, Felix and Sheila spent time touring the area with it's majestic waterfalls and caves. Sheila enjoyed they time with her new brother never letting him know the truth that she could not tell.

Sheila had already known of the change in her sibling long ago because their parents had already told her. She lived for the day when she could release that secret and this getaway was just the first step.in that journey

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