"NO SILVER NO!!! You can't wear this grey dress today. This is the same shade as Justin's neck tie. Do you want bullshitters to make stories about the cheating sister and groom? People will always have something to talk about. Please don't let it be this TODAY!! Silver please?"

"Well if you counted your only sister as one of the bridesmaids, this wouldn't have happened at all. But you didn't, and now you want me to sacrifice my best look and perfectly matching make-up just to not be even slightly related to Justin! No lady this isn't fair."

"Silver please..." and I cracked into tears.

"Oh my god, Caroline... are you crying?? I am so sorry, I was just messing...babe I will take it off right now just don't cry. I am sorry, please don't cry...this is your wedding! You can even decide if I don't get to attend it. Just relax."

"No I want you to attend, of course...I just don't want problems. This has to go smoothly. I don't want to risk anything. I love him, Silver, I really do, and I want this to be the best night of my life. And I know you should've been one of the bridesmaids...God, you should've been my maid of honor that was the plan. But I was stupid to agree with my best friends on paying for their dresses. I thought that would be very considerate and polite...and how much will these dresses cost anyways? But then I was shocked by how expensive these dresses were. Quality they explained. I bought them three dresses, and I knew you will understand me when I tell you I couldn't afford a fourth one. And I didn't want to tell you before today because you would've insisted on buying another with your savings, and I can't let you do that. You worked hard to save that money..." and I sniffed my tears up to look at her warm face, smiling at me.

"You know I love you, right?"

"Yeah I know."

"What a smug?"

And we both laughed. And then she stared taking off her dress, and talking about her Chinese neighbor who waits by his window every night to see her approaching home.

"But, Silver, why did you get dressed too early though?"

"Well honestly, I was trying to change Justin's mind at the last moments," she teased, wiggling her right shoulder and winking cheaply.

"Slut."

I love her.

My parents passed away, in a car accident, when I was eleven. Silver was nine. That might seem like a small age gap; however, I remember my parents so vividly, while Silver knows their features only through their photos. I remember her taking her teddy bear to their funeral and singing it some lullabies. Aunt Stacy got real pissed that day. She called her heartless and cold. And since that day Silver was thought to be the coldest heart in our family. Oh they really dissed her at every family gathering. I wonder why they really hated her that much. I know she can seem cold and detached often, but that's not her fault. She didn't really mean that. She's good inside, but her actions don't always cooperate. Growing up without her parents wasn't that easy for her. She had to go through a lot. Our family didn't care. So I did the caring. I raised her myself. So Aunt Stacy always has that line when I try to defend her: "You were a mother to her, but you got none. Who's supposed to act like a victim here?" I really never knew how to explain Silver to them. Silver was Silver. She's my sister. I loved her, and, trust me, she deserved that love. Jeff knows it too. He's Aunt Stacy's only son. When he was thirteen, he was his class's "Geek", and he was endlessly bullied. One day Silver saw him taking the beating behind school, so she rushed towards him and kicked all of their four bully asses. She was only eleven. And what he appreciated the most is that she never mentioned it to anyone, not even me. And she never brought it up again, like it never happened. He respected her then. Till now he stands by her side. He's always here when she needs him. She never thanked; he never expected that. That's how their relationship was. He's the closest friend she ever had, if not the only one. With me, she was different though. The real Silver comes to life. She doesn't think twice; she isn't conservative for even a bit.

"What do you think?"

"Awe, Sil! You know green is just your color, right?"

"Yeah, you always say that," she said nonchalantly, while zipping her dress.

"You look gorgeous. Is there someone special that you want to look that good for?" I teased.

"Other than Justin, no."

"Wow. Slut. Gorgeous slut. And that's the most dangerous type. I hate you."

"Yeah, whatever. You know you love me."

"I do. But really, is there someone?"

"Carol, you know am not interested in dating these days. And if there's, don't worry because you will know. I wouldn't wait till you ask."

She gave up on love when she was eighteen. It was prom night, and it was her first date. She never thought she could really go out with somebody. She dedicated all her time and effort to her GPA and SAT. She knew we couldn't really afford college. I had three jobs, and she had a part time job as well. We needed the money to survive. Aunt Stacy, who had our custody, said that we should get a flat and leave her attic. Silver was overjoyed, but I knew that deep inside she didn't hate Aunt Stacy and that she will miss being two steps away from Jeff. Little did we know about how expensive can living independently be. We had to learn that the hard way. I never really thought of college. I didn't have the best scores, not the highest GPA. I was never the smart kid. Silver was different. She had a future. We both knew it. And even if it was hard, we had to get her there. She had always wanted to study Psychology. She fancied the human mind. Passion drove her, and I respected that. She took a part time job, even though I told her not to. She said she was old enough to help. She studied all the time. She even took her books to work, so she can sneak a page or two when no one's looking. And when all girls were spending their nights dating, she spent them studying and revising. A full scholarship was her ticket out, and she had to do whatever it takes. Everyone at school knew she wasn't the material for dating or even making friends. So they left her alone. She was always alone. And then out of nowhere, came her prince charming. He told her she was the prettiest girl at school, and that I knew for sure, but it was new to her to get such a compliment from someone she barely knows. And the next day he asked her for prom. She told him she wasn't planning to attend that, but she will give it a thought. And there comes my role as a guilty sister. I insisted that she takes his offer and join him. She was reluctant, but I worked my magic. I bought her a dress, and pushed her towards what I thought will cheer her soul up. I believed his feelings were sincere, and that he will help her to open up. And after all, she was already satisfied with her SAT scores, and school was going just fine. What can one night do? It did a lot. A lot. Too much damage. He was supposed to meet her in front of school at 8 P.M.; 10 P.M. Jeff found her cold and crying in the rain. He drove her home, and we tugged her in bed. I caressed her head till she stopped crying and fell asleep while Jeff looked at her with sorry, angry eyes. It was the first time we ever saw her cry. Prince charming never showed up. He sent her a text saying "I hope you took a book with you to study a bit while waiting ;)"

The next day, Jeff beat the shit out of him in front of everyone. She didn't take the bus that day; she allowed Jeff to drive her home for the first time in the school's record. I still don't know why. She always had her points to make.

Silver studied Psychology. She received a full scholarship from Columbia University. The fact that my baby girl was leaving Ohio stung me in the heart. But the joy in her eyes healed me fast. I've never seen such brightness in her eyes. She was heading to New York and she wasn't even slightly worried. She did the hoping, and I did the worrying. That was our thing. It still is.

"Carol."

"Yeah?"

"I know I already asked you this twice before, but really I don't want to see you regretting anything later. Are you sure that marrying a guy that you met only five months ago is the right step here? Don't you want some more time? He proposed like only two weeks ago. Aren't you rushing things? I mean, I haven't even met him in real life yet! Are you kidding me! All I know about him is a single picture that you took together. And you are marrying him like right now? I don't know if this is right."

"Silver, I know you're worried. But trust me you need not worry. He's the only step I'm sure of currently. The love I have for him, the tenderness of his touch, the way he stares at me silently like he sees nothing else, and all of these memories that I cherish more than my entire life. If marrying him is the last thing I will ever do, I won't think twice. I don't just love him. Sil, I can't survive without him. He means the world to me. Five months sounds too little, but I feel like I have known him for my entire life and more. He's the first thing I think of when I wake up, and the last thing I think of before I sleep. Nothing in my life doesn't include him. My universe is centered about him. I breathe him, Sil. I hope you understand me."

"You got that from a book, right?"

"Wow. You really know how to ruin a moment."

"Well forgive me. I ain't gonna gasp at you romantic shit."

"What is your heart made of, really?"

She gave me a satanic smile, "Money."

"Such a brag."

"Hello ladies," entered Jeff.

"Seriously, Jeff? How many times do I have to tell you to knock? I was changing my dress a couple of minutes ago!"

"The door was literally wide open."

"It doesn't mean you're welcome!"

"You look gorgeous," he said with his warm smile and prominent dimple.

"I know that. Green has always been my color." She winked at me with that.

"I was talking to Caroline," and he winked at me just like Sil.

"You really have a death wish, don't you?" and she turned around with a frown.

"Come on you can't get pissed at me for that tiny joke. You know I missed you."

"Yeah, whatever."

"Come on, Silver, you can't be mad at him for a joke. Kiss and make up guys. And cut the childish behavior. It's a pretty busy day."

And out of nowhere, she approached him and before he had the chance to say anything, she hugged him briefly (the SILVERian way of showing affection).

"I missed you too."

Silence. Even I was shocked.

"Did you just hug me and say you missed me? Did you hit your head?"

"It's April, Jeffy. Calendars are made to be checked." And with a cold smile, she left the room.

He smiled in disbelief.

"You know she really missed you, right?"

He looked at me for a bit, and then nodded with a smile.

"Yes."