Lena grinned. “You want to borrow my platform boots for the party next week?”
“What happened to you?” Mira asked, her voice cracking.
The next morning, Mira handed Lena the emerald dress. “Wear it with the leather jacket,” she said. “You’ll look like a rock star.” tall younger sister story
Lena went silent. She stepped back, and for a moment, she seemed to shrink. She didn’t slam the door. She just walked away, and that was worse.
Mira felt the earth tilt. She was 5’8” on a good day. In the months she’d been away, writing essays and learning to do her own taxes, Lena had become a giraffe. The family dinner that night was a minefield. Their mother kept saying, “Look how you two have changed!” while their father silently carved the roast, pretending not to notice Mira’s clenched jaw. Lena grinned
She came home in May, arms full of dirty laundry and a smug sense of adult accomplishment. Lena picked her up at the bus station. When Mira stepped off the Greyhound, she froze. Lena was leaning against the car, arms crossed, wearing the same smirk Mira used to wear. Only now, Lena was looking down at her.
She walked down the hall to Lena’s room. The door was ajar. Lena was sitting on the bed, knees pulled to her chest, which was now a very long way up. Mira didn’t say a word. She just climbed onto the bed, sat down, and leaned her head against Lena’s shoulder. “Wear it with the leather jacket,” she said
“You know,” Mira whispered, “I used to put my chin on top of your head when we hugged.”
Too short. The words were a knife. Mira had worn that dress as a floor-length gown. Now it was a shirt on her baby sister.
