Sister. Half-sister.

I may be an only child for my parents, but I've always felt I had siblings or at least as close as non-relative people can be. It's like another realm, growing up with two people not of your blood but slightly feeling as if they are. It's a weird middle ground, especially when you're in love with one of them.

With siblings or non-relative siblings, you don't feel alone. You have a best friend...a buddy for life...that teases you, protects you, and loves you, or at least that's what I believe it should be. I've learned is that despite non-relation, you can care. That's the beauty of choosing family and having your birth family love you. A lot of love circulates both ends, so I'm confident that the twins will be loved ten-fold.

So, what can I offer twins? I've never had siblings which means I've never been to a baby shower. My only education on the subject is what I've watched in movies: Some cater weird sexy gifts to the mother and others give baby clothes and breast pumps.

I'm currently in a Parisian Boutique on Rodeo Drive with Carmen and Nori, trying to decide between the multipurpose carré swaddlers or Le Livre Des Bruits (The Book of Sounds) to gift Averie later; I thought since Averie is Parisian, she'd appreciate a gift that is so.

I'm feeling immense pressure to choose the right gift because it's the first time I've gifted anything to her. I didn't even give her anything when Babbo remarried. It was petty of me, but in my defence, I was still trying to overcome the disappointment of my parents divorcing.

"How about this," Nori suggests, shaking a silver rattle.

"It could work, but I'm pretty sure it will be one out of many given to her." Nori nods, agreeing with me.

I take the carré swaddler in my hands and admire the elegantly illustrated tree in its center.

"I think you already found the one," Carmen muses, entwining her arms in mine.

"You make it sound romantic." I chuckle.

She eyes me with a smile, "oh...that too." I glance at her curiously, wondering what she meant by that statement. Ignoring it for now, I take the swaddler from its place on the rack and head to the cashier.

"I think I'm going to get this," Nori says, joining me, "cliché or not."

I laugh, "a gift is a gift, Nori. It only has to make sense to you."

Finally paying for our things and leaving the store, we head outside where we left Jackie. They're leaning against a black Porsche Cayenne, smoking a vape.

"You know there's a whole campaign going on for the health risk on those things, right?" Nori asked, opening the door to the back seat.

Jackie shrugs, "we all will die someday."

I muse at the response; she has a point but I still prefer the slow burn of cannabis and my tea herbs. The thought inwardly amuses me. Where have I heard that statement before? I don't consider my herbs only tea herbs.

An image of smoke being blown in my face enters my mind.

Was someone smoking next to me this weekend?

"Should we get a pastry for the shower? There's a bakery not too far from here." Carmen asked as soon as we all settled in the car. "There's a french pastry shop seven minutes away."

"Where?" Jackie asked, starting the engine.

"South Beverly Drive."

"Thanks for inviting me, Luena, you didn't have to, but I appreciate it," Nori says, patting my hand lightly.

I smile, "my pleasure. Did you have plans before I did?"

"Nope. I've been in the house most of the time except for the few times Can takes me out."

I hum at her response. "So, no plans this summer?"

"Nada. I'm just counting down the days to Julliard."

"I'm happy for you." Carmen cheers. "Happy for us, actually. College." She turns in her seat to face us. "It's going to be epic. All of us off to different schools."

Nori sighs, leaning back in her seat. She looks out the window a moment. "It feels so surreal. Am I the only one that's nervous about the next step? It was only last year we were looking forward to Senior year, now look at us—. How is it that time has passed so fast? Before you know it, the summer will be over."

I chuckle, "so true. Things are changing...fast. But that's what's fun about the future. We have all these exciting new experiences to look forward to. It's exhilarating—"

"And Nori, we are nervous. Exploration always comes with a certain amount of anxiety, but just like Carmen said...," Jackie glances at Nori in her review mirror, "that is what's fun about the future. We're anxious because it's the unknown—go along with it...flow through the feeling, and you'll be fine. All of us will be fine."

"Roll...tide," Carmen says, body rolling in her seat. She giggles and Nori rolls her eyes amusingly.

The French pastry shop had an array of desserts so Carmen settled for a Fiadone which is a corsican cheesecake made with brousse, coconut, lemon and vanilla). I'm not sure what Averie's tastes are but I hope she enjoys it.

Stopping infront of the cottage, Jackie realised there wasn't any parking space they had to park two blocks away.

"If I had known that we were walking two blocks to your house I would've settled for my heeled loafers," Jackie says struggling to balance in her stilettos.

"It didn't match your scallop midi dress," Carmen responds.

She observes Jackie sympathetically as they wobble in their shoes. "How about we switch? You can wear my brown wedges."

"I knew I loved you."

Carmen laughs, "loved? You mean love."

She hands Nori the Fiadone so that she can bend to unclasp her shoes.

"You guys can go on without us," Jackie says. "The cheesecake should be refrigerated."

We leave them behind and continue our walk.

Finally arriving at the house we're welcomed with; white balloons covered in pink and blue polka-dots lining the walkway to the entrance of the cottage.

The door is wide open and I can hear music echoing throughout the house, it sounds like a Beyonce song. I think it's the one she wrote for her daughter Blue Ivy.

I take the cake out of Nori's hand, "why don't you take a look around, I'll put this away."

"Okay," She suddenly yelps, frightened by my cat shadow that's rubbing against her leg.

"I think she likes you."

She laughs, bending down to pet the black cat. "She's adorable."

Seeing as how Nori is preoccupied I make my way to the kitchen. I see Sylvie when I arrive. She is Averie's adopted sister. Sylvie reminds me of Goldilocks with her golden curly hair. I've only met her once before on Babbo's wedding day, she was Averie's maid of honour.

"Hi, Sylvie." She brightens when she sees me.

"Luena, hey. How are you?" she eyes me from head to toe taking a sip from her glass. "Wow, girl. You have grown. The last I saw you was—"

"At the wedding. I helped you with your makeup."

She flicks her finger, "right...stupid liquid liner." She laughs.

"Where have you been lately? Last I heard you were in Venice."

"Oh, then it must be been a long time," she chuckles. "I've been in Normandy the last year."

"That sounds interesting. What's Normandy like? I've only been to Paris and Bordeaux."

"Oh, it's absolutely gorgeous. I'm staying in this charming medieval town in Barfleur. You have to visit one day for the mussels because they're to die for and—"

Ten minutes later after an enlighting conversation, I go to the courtyard. My friends are there talking to Babbo. He's holding a glass of yellow liquid in his hand and smiles when he sees me.

"Mi tesoro (my treasure), you made it." he envelops me in a hug, lightly kissing both of my cheeks.

"I thought this was a woman-only party?"

"It is and I'm about to leave. I wanted to make sure my wife was all settled first."

I eye him disbelievingly and he laughs, "promise (promise)."

"What do you have there?" I motion to the mysterious yellow liquid in Babbo's hand.

"This? Limoncello, from Il mezzogiorno d'Italia (the southern part of Italy). It's a lemon liqueur. When I lived at Tinelli Chianti, this was my drink of choice every summer. I haven't had it since I moved to the states but the restaurant was selling it. Try it," hands me his glass, nudging me along.

It's chilled, sweet and syrupy. Dizzying for lightweights like myself, I would be drunk within thirty minutes if I had three more glasses of the strong drink.

"I see the appeal," I hand it back to him and he hums in agreement taking a sip from his glass.

The weather is nice, with the sun shining, it's a clear day with no spec of clouds in the sky. Our cottage home doesn't have a pool like at the Pasadena Estate; instead, there's a brick-built hot tub in the courtyard, that's currently boarded because of the party. The courtyard is decorated in the same balloons as out front. There's a gift table covered in white and silver gift wraps and a food table covered in entrées. Everyone was dressed in white except for Babbo since he wasn't to be there. He's wearing a bright yellow polo and his beloved Birkenstocks.

"Didn't I tell you to leave? Why are you still here?" Averie asked.

Standing beside me she slaps Babbo's arm playfully. She looks slim in her white skater dress and no one would know she's pregnant; how does that work? Her hair is in a dirty-blonde updo and she's wearing pearl drop earrings.

"I'm leaving soon bella (beautiful)," Babbo pecks her temple and affectionately rubs her belly.

"Luena, your gorgeous," she says noticing me. Taking my hand she motions me to twirl. "I'm so glad you came."

"Congratulations on the twins. I'm happy to be here," I hand my gift to her, "I wanted to get you something."

She eyes me appreciatively, opening the silver gift bag. "Oh, thank you. You didn't have to." Taking out the swaddler she holds it up in her hands. "It's beautiful," she coos, "this is so thoughtful of you. Thank you."

She tearfully leans in for a hug. "I love it Luena." I smile.

"I hear that you're flying off to Italy tomorrow?"

"Yes, I am. Carmen planned it." A bemusing look falls on her face. "Exactly what I thought."

Carmen chuckles beside us, as she places a sandwich bite in her mouth. "What can I say...I'm a sucker for the unexpected."

"It's a nice one," Averie responds patting her on the shoulder.

Carmen smiles, "but there is no surprise as grand as twins!" She cheers. "How do seven months pass and you don't know?'

I sigh at Carmen's bluntness, "Cami—."

Averie laughs. "It's fine Luena. She isn't the first."

"It was a huge surprise for us but after seeing the munchkins on the ultrasound..." she rubs her stomach, "I'm in love with these two miracles."

"It must be daunting though. The thought of being a mother, when you didn't prepare for it?."

Averie contemplates Carmen's question. "You're right. It is a process that I haven't mentally prepared for but...If many mothers around the world can do it, so can I."

"And she'll be a great one at that," Babbo responds. They eye each other, smiling.

There's so much love between them that it warms my heart.

It must be nice having someone to do this with. I couldn't imagine going through any of it alone. Not that I'm ready for such a commitment; babies I mean. I never thought of kids before or starting a family.

Okay, maybe once but I prefer not to remember it.

If I'm being honest I'm not sure if I want to even be married in the future. Committing to someone shouldn't be taken lightly, you know. This is why I can't understand why people break up so easily. Love is seen as this pure and eccentric that everyone craves, me included, yet no one can endure it for long.

How can you love someone one minute and don't the next?