Sisters by chance - The beginning

Shoping Spree

Sofia's POV

After living with them for almost a week, we are beginning to find a comfortable routine. After we all started sleeping in the same room and bed together, we all feel so much better. It's a bit tight with three adults in Jacob's bed, but it works! It was unusual and far too warm to sleep in a t-shirt at first, but after Jacob put a fan on and we kept the windows ajar, it was much better. I have also taken the duvet out of the cover to keep myself cool. In the evenings I am rocked to sleep by the sound of their breathing and in the morning I wake up to the fact that they are gone. We eat breakfast when they return and then Lucas and I get to spend the day together.

Once Police Inspector Decker had informed my relatives, they surprised me by coordinating a call with me. My uncle and aunts met up and called me together. It was a desperate, sad conversation, with many tears and sadness over my family's fate. But their joy over the "misunderstanding" around me and that I am still alive was a joy like no other. They were very understanding of my need for distance from my hometown. They told me they were planning the funeral for the week after the next one and wondered if I could come home by then? I helped them by phone to finalize the details of the funeral. They offered to change the funeral into a private event to spare me from meeting strangers. When we hung up, it was with a promise to stay in touch.

On the evening news, it was reported that the young woman who was presumed dead, Sofia Bell, is alive and that her next of kin were informed by the police. By Friday morning, Police Inspector Decker was interviewed on the morning news. I'm seated with my arms around my legs on the couch. Looked at and listened to how he explained everything, but, of course, without giving too many details. He tells the whole country: "How incredibly lucky I have been who escaped death. And how important chance can be for an individual!" I shudder, how can he make it sound so simple? It was anything but simple. When Lucas and Jacob came home from training that morning, I hadn’t made our breakfast. Instead, I'm still sitting and staring at the TV. They give me their traditional sweaty kiss on the forehead before they go up to take a shower. I quickly pull out some bread, cold cuts, and fruit from the refrigerator.

When Jacob comes down the stairs he is dressed casually instead of wearing work clothes.

"Are you going to work like that?" I wondered.

"I have taken time off today! We are taking you to town. Do you like shopping?"

I'm not a shopping girl, but after a time with a very limited supply, I even shriek with happiness.

After devouring my breakfast in a couple of bites, I run up to brush my hair and put on the light blue dress with small white dots on it. When I was done and entered the kitchen again, Lucas and Jacob is still eating. With an annoyed sigh, I sit back down and waited. Both chuckle at me, making me frown.

"We need to make a list, you know, of what you need." Lucas points out as a responsible adult and takes a bite of his sandwich.

"Everything!" I said briefly and put my finger on his chest with a fake serious scowl on my face "I need everything!" Jacob gets up and goes to the drawer, the one with 'everything in it', the drawer where you put stuff that doesn't have its place. When you cannot find a thing, you can always check the drawer! We also had such a drawer in our kitchen, but ours was stuffed. Jacobs is half empty. He takes out a pad and a pencil before returning. He very dramatically writes EVERYTHING, in large letters on a page before he tears out the page with an equally dramatic flick and hands it over to Lucas with eyes that shine with complacency. Lucas looks at him with a scowl, and I giggle at his silliness.

After that, we actually write a list of everything. Jacob adds a note about lace lingerie that makes me look seriously at him. When I attempt to cross his nonsense, Lucas takes the pen and decides that we're done! Two against one sucks sometimes…

It takes two hours to get to the nearest city. The car trip was quite uneventful. We listen to music and realize that we have relatively different tastes in music, so we take turns choosing. I'm somewhat of an omnivore, but I have many favorites. Both Lucas and Jacob seem to prefer country music, which is pretty cute. And I have to admit that they play some good songs.

But I need 'Rock' or 'Metal' of some kind, Queen, Metallica, Volbeat, anything!

---

The mall is huge and it's full of people. At first, I was nervous. My face had been on the news for two days. But people are so busy with their lives that they don’t notice me, us.

We quickly find a hairdryer, but they convince me to get both a straightener and a curling iron. We buy makeup, skin products, and hair products. After that my joy has cooled down a bit, and I started to get tired. We stop for lunch and, for the first time today, I noticed that everyone was watching us. At first, I get worried, but then I notice that everyone is not watching me. Grown women and young girls alike stare uncontrollably at Lucas and Jacob, who seem completely unaware. When two girls my age confidently come to our table and stare like hungry vultures at what is mine, I cannot help but get annoyed. They are long, slender, and attractive. One has light skin, green eyes, and flaming red hair in soft waves, the other has dark brown eyes with jet black hair set up in a high ponytail. Both are all dolled up and have what I would call slutty clothes. They greet us happily and smile big at Jacob and Lucas. When the redhead starts spinning her hair around her finger and puts her other hand on her hip, I cannot help but snort.

“So, we haven’t seen you here before. What's your name?"

"Hey, no, we don’t usually come here!" Lucas answers, uninterested.

"I'm Jacob, this is Lucas and Sofia!" Says Jacob and happily points us out to the two strangers, who don’t even spare me a glance.

"My name is Ella, and this is Emma!" She continues happily and points to the girl with the black hair. "We wondered if you feel like going out with us tonight." She said while waving her hair away with her hand and giving her most radiant smile.

"How nice of you!" Jacob says happily, “What do you say, my little angel?! Do you want to go out tonight? ” looking at me.

“Oh, We don't mean her! ”Emma explained with a loud pitched voice and gave me the fakest smile ever.

"Oh!" mimics Jacob in a loud ridiculous voice, “Then no thanks!”

Lucas snorts but gathers himself in an attempt to hide his laughter. The two girls' faces fall flat, after several seconds, they turn on their heels and walk away with tense jaws. Lucas and Jacob start laughing, a rumbling sound that makes my knees weak. I cannot help but smile contentedly! I've never been defenseless or half-hearted when it comes to sour comments. But their little show was exactly what I needed. So we end the lunch and continue. I chose a pair of converse, hiking boots and some flats from the shoe store. They convince me that I absolutely need high heels as well. After a few ifs and buts, I picked a pair of simple black Mary-Jeans. I choose two pairs of jeans, they pick lots of dresses and skirts. When Lucas comes in with a black skirt that I recognize, I have to take a deep breath. My favorite skirt, the one that was ruined. I hold it in my hands and smell it gently. It smells like the store, not like home. But I take it anyway, maybe it will smell like home later. When we get to the lingerie department, I finally had to say enough. No one needs everything they picked out. I take mostly everyday things, but I let them choose two sets each before I take them with me to the checkout to pay. On the way out, we passed a bookstore. Without thinking, I trailed off and walked into the store. I go up and down the aisles, I feel the backs of the books and pull out one here and there and flip through those that look enticing. To sink deep into someone else's story and let go of the world around you. What better way to pass the time is there? In a corner of the store, there are pencils and drawing pads. Here, too, I feel the sides. The wonderful difference between the textures makes it itch in the fingers and the thought of charcoal against the rough paper I am holding now makes me shudder.

Someone clearing their throat behind me wakes me from my daydreams and makes me jump.

Lucas and Jacob stand and look at me with big questioning eyes. My cheeks burned with embarrassment and I mumbled a little pardon. When I lower my eyes, I see everything I have unknowingly picked up and look up at them confused. Jacob takes the stuff out of my arms and walks away. Lucas takes my hand in his and leads me out to the parking lot. When we sit in the car, it's quiet. Jacobs comes after a little while. And we keep quiet, they seem immersed in thoughts, so I look out the window and daydream about all those wonderful books. I miss my books, my room, and all my stuff! You can’t just replace everything with new things. Things have meaning and memories.

"Sofia?" Says Jacob and looks at me through the rearview mirror. “Do you think you will be up for having a small gathering tomorrow night? My family misses you, and Luca's family would love to see you! ” he said carefully. I miss Maggie, she's done so much for me. Johnny too! I hardly know James, but he was really lovely. Lucas has younger siblings. I wonder how they are? We need food that they like, and activities. They mustn’t get bored! We should have bought a drawing pad and crayons anyway…

"Sofia?"

“Huh? Oh, yes. Sure! But let’s have it in the afternoon instead, so we can swim if we want to, and then everyone can stay longer. Oh, can your siblings bring drawing pads and crayons? Oh! Can we invite Isaac and ask him to bring Izzy?! ” I answered completely present now and look between the two of them while I, rambled everything on my mind.

They both smile at me and nod approvingly.

We spend the rest of the trip home planning tomorrow. Lucas writes an invitation to his family and I send a text to Maggie and ask her to invite John and Isaac with their family and Harry, whom I haven't met yet.

When we come home, we put everything in my guest room for the time being. I'll have to go through it another day. We have dinner out in the evening sun and write a new list of things that we need to buy in the grocery store for tomorrow.

When, after an exhausting day, we all stand and brush our teeth, I cannot help but happily meet their eyes in the mirror. Lucas puts his arm around me and holds me close. I closed my eyes and rested my head on his chest. I'm tired, no one should be exposed to a full day at a mall, it cannot be healthy. When I almost fall asleep standing in the bathroom surrounded by their warmth and scent, Lucas lifts me in his arms and whispers: "I miss having you in my arms!" against my ear. I just hummed contentedly in response and let him carry me to bed. When I lie there between them and cuddle, I listen half-heartedly to their whispering conversations.

"Did you get it?"

"Yeah, all we talked about, and more!"

"Good! Hope she likes it!”

"She will!"

The talk of a surprise made me raise my head, but Luca's familiar fingers started to play with my hair and massage my scalp, making me moan. Soon I floated into the land of dreams. With a content smile on my lips.