"Tears shed for another person are not a sign of weakness. They are a sign of a pure heart."

Jòse N. Harris

•••

"Where were you?"

I jump at the question, dropping my phone, keys and handbag onto my apartment floor.

"Jeez, Lucy! You scared me! You could've at least waited until I stepped through the door." I complain whilst bending down to pick up my belongings. When I gather everything I stand up and close the door behind me.

Lucy, my younger but annoyingly protective fourteen-year-old sister simply crosses her slim arms and frowns.

"You didn't answer my question." Her voice is tight, her eyes verging on a downpour of tears.

Dammit, I thought I was getting better at this sneaking out thing.

How did she find out?

My mind is stuck as I try to come up with a believable excuse.

"You're doing it again, aren't you?" Lucy asks with a frustrated sigh.

"Doing what?" I reply innocently, at the same time trying to subtly pull my beige trench coat around my body.

She notices.

Her sea-blue eyes focus on my shuffling hands and the fabric they are clutching. I could practically see her mind go crazy with what secret I was hiding underneath.

"Take off your coat," She orders, confirming my dreaded sucpisions and marches towards me.

I instinctively take a single step backwards, "No!" I warn her.

"Nova, I mean it." She snaps. Honestly, sometimes it felt like she was the older sibling, not I.

"Lucy," I reply, mimicking her patronising tone, "I'm not taking my coat off. I'm tired, I'm cold and I just want to go to bed. So please and this is the last time I'm going to ask politely...back off." I push past her, ignoring her protests and shouts to stop.

"I'm not going to back off!" She yells behind me. I hear her footsteps and feel her hands grab my shoulders before I even have a chance to turn around.

"Take. It. Off." She repeats whilst trying to pull down my coat collar.

"Get off me, you freak!" I shriek, attempting to slap away her whizzing hands.

It doesn't work. Her hands are too fast for me, she grips the front sides of my coat and pulls it down.

"I knew it," she gasps.

I pull my dress down and straighten up. I cross my arms and narrow my eyes, mentally preparing myself for the onslaught that was going to drop any moment.

"I thought you threw that darn dress away!" She replies incredulously, flinging her arms in the air.

I was seriously beginning to believe she was an old woman in a teenagers body.

"And what is wrong with this dress?" I eye up my sleeveless mid-thigh black dress. It was plain with no pretty embellishments or glittery sequins but it hugged my body in all the right places. I thought I looked pretty damn good in it.

"Did you really want me to answer that question? Nova, you promised you wouldn't do it again. Then why?" Lucy asks whilst shaking her head.

"We need the money that's why!" I snap at her, "it's not like I'm doing anything with these men. I'm just-"

"Stealing their money," she cuts in with a sigh, "how is that any better? You're preying on these weak, vulnerable men..."

I snort sarcastically, "weak, vulnerable men? You must be joking. There's nothing weak or vulnerable about them. Most of these men are begging for an opportunity to cheat on their wives or girlfriends and you know that I never take it too far. There's no kissing involved. No groping. Nothing of the sort."

"So?" She responds, visibly exasperated. She slumps herself on our bug-ridden two seat couch and smiles wryly, "I know why you do it, Nova but isn't there any other way to make money? Try looking for a job or something. I will too. If that doesn't work we can always go to the authorities..."

"No," I cut, unable to hide my frustration. We'd been over this countless times, "We. Are. Not. Going. To. The. Authorities. You hear?"

She nods meekly, not fighting against my word.

I didn't trust the authorities. If we were to go to them and tell them about our situation it would be the end to everything. Not to mention all the questions we'd be bombarded with. They were definitely going to enquire about our living situation and how we managed to survive on our own for so long.

"Plus," I continue, knowing what I was about to say would close the topic for good, "if we do go to the authorities then it's highly likely that we'll be separated. Do you want us to get separated?" I ask with a raised brow.

Lucy shakes her head, her bottom lip wobbling, "Never," she whispers as she tears up again, "I just...just wish mom was here. We wouldn't need to worry about anything if she was!" She cries out loudly and I feel myself break a little.

Nope, I was not going to cry.

Crying didn't change a damn thing.

"Come here," I sit down next to her and gesture to her to scoot over. She reaches out and hugs me tightly, her small hands dig into my waist as she continues to sob.

"I wish she was here too. Everyday," I say quietly whilst stroking her soft hair, "but it's not going to happen. No amount of wishing or crying will change that. It's been two years and we're still going strong aren't we?"

"Yeah, I guess so." She replies softly, sniffling into my now snot and tear drenched dress.

"That's a good girl." I plant a small kiss on her forehead, "just remember no matter what happens we'll always have each other. I will never leave your side."

She looks up and smiles, "You promise?"

"I promise." I confirm firmly. We don't break from our hold and stay in this comfortable position until we succumb to a much needed sleep.

*******

"OPEN the door!"

Bang!

Bang!

The voice of a woman vibrates through our thin walls.

"Open the door, Lucy," I nudge her until her eyes shoot open. She groans but manages to stand up.

"It's 6am. Who could it be?" She complains whilst rubbing her eyes.

"I don't know. Maybe, it's the lady from downstairs. She's always moaning about something or the other." I close my eyes again.

"Oh My God. I've found you! I've finally found you!" The same woman's voice shrieks with joy.

I force my eyes to open and turn in Lucy's direction. A woman, most likely in her early sixties stares at Lucy, her face awestricken.

"Who are you?" I snap at the old lady who was causing the commotion. The lady turns her curious gaze to me, her eyes widening as she scans my barely-there attire. A look of horror settles on her kind features.

Okay...she didn't look anything like the lady from downstairs.

She was wearing clean clothes for starters. Her silver hair was tied up in a neat bun and her wise face was masked with light make up. Pearls hung from her neck and a row of diamond rings shone from her right hand.

"Please don't let this be true. Please, god." The lady cries, her hands tremble. She has to clasp them together in order to regain some control over them.

I look over at Lucy who appears every bit as surprised as I am.

Who was this woman? And why was she crying?

I must look terrible.

"What have you done with yourself, child?" The lady asks me, horrified.

"Who. Are. You?" I repeat through gritted teeth, my patience wearing thin.

Who barges into someone's home at 6am? And then stares at them as if they're just been shitted on?

Come on, I know I didn't look the best right now but crying? And trembling?

This old lady had issues.

The old lady stops her crying long enough to bite out, "I'm your grandmother! I've been looking for you ever since your mother, my daughter passed away. I can't believe I've finally found you." She looks between Lucy and I. Her expression changing drastically when she gazes at Lucy.

"Bullshit."

This lady is not my grandmother. It's impossible! Mom had told us her parent's died when she was a teenager. So either this woman is lying or...

Nope. My mother would never lie to us.

The old lady gasps at my classy response, "Don't swear at your grandmother, young lady! It's bad enough that you're a..." she stops to tut disapprovingly.

I glare at her, "I'm a what? Go on, spit it out, you old woman!"

"A prositute!" She screams and then begins to cry.

Again.

A try to stifle a laugh but unsucceed. Lucy is also laughing at the top of her lungs.

A prostitute? Give me a break.

The old lady is not impressed with our amused reactions. She fishes into her large handbag she was carrying and mutters incoherently.

"If you're looking for holy water then you won't find it in there, old woman." I smile widely, "Now get out my house before I throw you out."

The old lady continues to stare and stare and stare.

I guess I'd be throwing her out then.

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