Do you want to build a snowman?

Emma woke up as usual at noon. She went through her normal morning routine and then went downstairs. As she descended the stairs, she caught a glimpse of her older sister sitting in the living room.

“What’s that?” Emma eyed the white covert in her sister’s hands with curiosity.

“My acceptance letter” her sister replied.

“So, you’re going to college in a few months” Emma poured herself a bowl of cereal.

“Aww, will you miss me?” Ava teased her.

“I won’t.”

“I think you will.”

“I won’t.”

“Maybe a little?”

“I won’t miss you, Ava!” Emma said loudly than intended.

“Fine! Like I will miss you” Ava smirked.

They looked at one another and then they went in opposite directions.

................................

Ava’s news was both happy and sad news for their parents. They started getting their first daughter ready for college. New things were bought for her, a plan was made for her departure and the only thing left was for Ava to pack her suitcases.

She knocked on Emma’s door for help.

“Hey, can you help me pack?” she asked her sister.

“Why?” was Emma’s reply. 

“Well, I have some clothes I’m not taking with me, so maybe you’d want them? I also have a lot to pack.

“Okay, I’ll come in a moment.”

Ava was putting some dresses in a suitcase when Emma came into the room with a sweater in her hands.

“I thought you should have your Christmas sweater with you,” she said.

“Oh, my lucky snowman sweater.” Ava took it from her sister and put it with the rest of the clothes.

“The video of you wearing that sweater, singing to that “Frozen” song will never get old,” Emma laughed.

“Don’t remind me please,” Ava laughed too. “Speaking of “Frozen”, I just found the CD.”

Ava took a blue CD cover that was lying on the desk.

“Take it. Maybe you’ll want to watch it.”

Emma took it and murmured thanks to her sister.

“Shall we start?” she asked pointing to the suitcases.

…………………………..

“Emma! Come down to dinner please!” her mother’s voice came from the dining room. “Ava’s going to college tomorrow”

Emma got up from the bed and joined her family. They were all already around the wooden table so she took her seat next to Emma. 

“I can’t believe this is our last dinner together,” her mom said when Emma joined them.

“I’m not dying mom, I’ll be visiting sometimes” her sister replied.

“Yeah, why do you guys make a big deal out of this?” Ava took a piece of a meatball. They had spaghetti tonight, Ava’s favourite. Emma’s favourite was spaghetti too, but when her mom asked once, Ava said it first, so Emma told her her favourite was pizza.

“Your sister is moving out, Emma and we’re going to miss her, just like we’ll miss you if, when” her mother corrected herself because of the look Emma gave her. “Won’t you miss each other?”

The two sisters exchanged longing looks. 

“No!” they said in unison.

Now their parents exchanged looks that said of-course-we-believe-you.

The dinner went on for a while and when everyone was full, Emma stood up first.

“I’m going to my room then,” she told them.

“Honey, you’re always in your room, why don’t you spend some time with your sister?” her father winked at her mother.

“I don’t know… Sure, if Ava’s up for it.”

“Um-“ Ava was taken by surprise. “Okay, why not.”

……………..

They spend their evening reminiscing about their favourite cartoons, the time they used to share a room, their mutual friends and their mom gave them pictures from when they were little.

Emma and Ava laughed at the photographs, mostly at each other in the photographs, but not in their usual “insulting” way.

“Look how small you are Emma” Ava pointed to a photograph of the two of them building a snowman. “Do you remember that day?”

“Of course I do! It was my first time building a snowman” her sister replied. They were looking at the photograph without saying anything. Each remembering the moment.

“We’re going to bed girls’ their father called. “Ava you should get some sleep, we’re going early tomorrow”

“Goodnight!” their mother called too.

Their parents climbed the stairs as the two sisters sat in silence.

“Well, I think I should be getting in bed” 

“I’ll go to my room too then,” Emma said.

Their rooms were on the opposite sides upstairs, so they went upstairs together and stopped before the two doors.

“Goodnight Emma” Ava reached for her room. Then Emma ran towards her and hugged her tightly. Ava put her arms around her too.

Just then, their parents’ bedroom opened.

“Oh,” their mom came out to see them both in a loving embrace. “I thought you guys said you won’t be missing each other”

She smiled at the sight. Her daughters split up and backed away from each other so quickly, she already predicted their words: “WE WON’T”

“My mistake then” she smiled once more. “I wanted some water,” she told them and went into the kitchen.

“Goodnight!” Emma and Ava called at the same time and both went into their rooms.

……………….

Ava left in the morning, while Emma was asleep.

When she came downstairs, only her parents were in the living room. They were looking at the same pictures from the two girls. 

“Aw look at them in their little swimsuits, George” she heard her mother say.

“You guys are looking at the photographs too?” Emma asked them.

“They were on the table and caught our attention. Is it noon already?” her father stood up.

Emma reached for the photograph of her and Ava building a snowman. The one they talked about yesterday evening. She smiled at it but made a serious face almost immediately. 

“Mind if I take this one in my room?” she asked her mother.

“Of course not. You can take it” 

With the picture in her hands, Emma started climbing the stairs.

“Just don’t tell Ava please!” she yelled from upstairs.

“I won’t!” her mother promised. 

“Just as I won’t tell her that Ava took the same photograph and said not to tell Emma,” she said quietly to her husband and they both shook their heads while smiling.