How far we've come?

Ethan opened the door to a startling image of this outrageously taller figure.

A splash of familiarity Ethan tasted, and he, for a second, jerked back perplexed from the sight. Nevertheless, he did catch the last few words uttered by this strange visitor. It appears that this person knows Giselle.

"May I help you?" he asked, his vision of line slightly higher than presumed, making him seem short.

The woman who looked straight into Ethan's eyes studied him for a while before speaking.

"Who the hell are you?" she exclaimed impassively.

Ethan's brows twitched from the harsh acknowledgment.

"I'm Ethan, who are you?" he returned her rude tone and posing his best scowl face.

Paid with interest, Ethan appeared wary. The more he saw her, the more the familiar feeling overpowered. After carefully observing the person, he noticed the eyes that resembled a certain someone.

"Ethan- Ethan, where did I hear this name?"

Lia peeked from inside to find who it was, and when she did to find this tall woman, she went back to report to her mother.

Giselle stepped away from washing the dishes to check who it was at the door and stopped midway from encountering the person.

Years could pass without meeting each other, but you know it in your heart and soul, the eternal bond that we share.

"Gi- Gigi!" Giselle gasped under her breath.

"There you are!" the tall towering visitor happens to be Giselle's big sister, Gigi.

"Mama, who is it?" Lia came in to clung to her mother and marked the visitor.

Gigi, when heard the little one address her sister as a mother, appeared stumped.

"Mama? Who are you calling mama, kid?" Gigi yelled at little Lia.

Lia got frightened and went to hid behind her mother's dress.

Meanwhile, Ethan, who watched the ladies tensely stare at each other, recollected the familiarity and matched to his memory to finally mark the identity of this person.

"Gigi, you mean, your sister?" Ethan shrieked at Giselle.

****

"So, you do have a child!" Gigi exclaimed aloud.

Before letting her sister meet Ethan or her child, Giselle took Gigi to the terrace to talk in private. She asked Ethan to take care of Lia and requested him to put the girl to bed soon before it gets late.

"Lia has school tomorrow, and she can't stay late," Giselle said.

"I'll take care of it, but-" Ethan paused, hesitating whether he should interfere or not.

"I'll be fine, Ethan," Giselle understood and reassured him before he starts worrying. With that, she left to take Gigi to the top of the building.

Giselle remained quiet next to Gigi on the terrace.

"I didn't believe when mom and dad told me, but to see my sister who claimed herself to be a gay marry a guy and give birth to a child," Gigi's words though may seem harsh to any outsider listening, not to her baby sister.

"What in the hell did happen to you, Giselle?" she added.

Giselle could only feel the concern Gigi had in her eyes that reflected in her voice. She sighed.

"How are you?" she said, despite going through several sentiments.

The two were unlucky when it came to being sisters. Separation, personal troubles, growing up, and the responsibility made the two never to spend time together.

If Giselle had her own troubles, Gigi, who became an adult early, had her life to figure out, mistakes to learn from, and survive through hardships.

Meeting after many years, Gigi never bothered with their past. Having Giselle ask her, how is she, made the big sister yearn for some sisterly affection. She reached out for Giselle and closed her tight within her arms for a hug. It lasted longer than words that could express such fond love.

"I'm fine, you idiot. I missed you more than living my own life," Gigi said.

Giselle returned the embrace and held her sister closer that she believed to somehow restore those missing years in separation.

The gust of wind played around the building, swirling and passing by strangers to families while entertaining them with its dance.

Little by little, the city's sound rippled through the air, reaching out to the silent ears.

Gigi finally let go of Giselle but still held her by shoulders to take a good look at her.

Their eyes carved similar since they were toddlers. As they gazed at each other in the eyes, the intensity it carried and behind those orbs that captured moments of several sentiments glistened gorgeously. Giselle still held her youthful looks while Gigi transformed from a sporty brat to a mean-looking woman. Her sharp eyes matched her thin lips that are ready to spit out the fire at anyone. Gigi still dominated in height. Her long limbs appeared light, but dull which Giselle felt from holding her.

The arms and slender hips formed strong muscles, but right now, they were soft that Giselle feared might bruise with slight effort.

"Why are you very weak?" she asked, without holding back to keep it to herself like they used to do in the past.

"Weak? Me? You must be imagining?" Gigi exclaimed.

"Forget about me. Look at you. You grew still as beautiful," Gigi cupped those cheeks and caressed all over her face, scrutinizing Giselle at every angle and adoring those features.

Shortly, Giselle abruptly stopped her from keep going all night when they had many things to address.

"Where were you?" Giselle said, forcing Gigi to attend to her words.

"Me? Where were you? What happened to you?" Gigi raged, remembering.

Giselle caught her words and panicked to respond.

"You left us to run away so that you can move on from your broken heart. I understood that but, you were doing fine while keeping in touch with me until suddenly I stopped hearing from you. You disappeared like a bubble, and no matter how hard I try to find you, you were invisible to locate. Without many resources, I ended up fearing if something horrible happened to you. Can you imagine how hard it was for all of us? Then, out of nowhere, you send us a letter mentioning that you were busy. You have to learn to keep in touch with your family, at least, Giselle," Gigi preached sternly.

"What happened, Giselle? Are you still going to avoid the people who care for you?"

Giselle shook her head plain.

"Then you better not think of running away again. I would never forgive- no, I will follow you to make sure that you won't leave us anymore," Gigi pledged aloud.

"Calm down, Gigi. You are shouting!"

"I don't care,"

"Well, you should if you want to keep visiting me," Giselle said, and it worked in hushing the sister.

"Alright,"

The two smiled softly that their hearts screamed nostalgic.

"We are not going to be apart."

"Yes," Giselle agreed.

"You have no idea how much I'm happy to see you,"

"I know," Giselle agreed again.

Gigi let Giselle get fresh air while the two picked spots to lean and gaze out the night sky accompanying the glowing city.

"So, you still haven't answered my question," Giselle said.

Gigi smirked.

"You are still sharp as ever," she sighed.

Giselle waited till she heard a proper answer.

"You don't need to know, not at least right now."

"I think I do, and this is the right time for me to know," Giselle insisted, adding pressure to the unexpected visitor.

Gigi ignored for a while but seeing Giselle show her impatience made her give up eventually.

"I- I went through my own troubles, Giselle," Gigi admitted.

Giselle's eyes squinted to hear for more details.

Gigi watched her listening quietly. She expired from the poor anticipation.

"I got married-" Gigi revealed to Giselle's shock.

"-and divorced as well. So, that makes two of us, I believe. Mom and Dad must think that we're both unfortunate. I thought I was the only trouble one, but to hear that you went through a divorce as well made me even worse. I don't know what caused you to get married in the first place, but I'm sure you had your reason to get separated unlike me, who thought that she found her love, fell in love, dated that person for several years to finally getting married and ended regretting it."

A lot of details got exposed in such a small interval that Giselle saved no reaction momentarily. Nonetheless, she listened to every word of it without interrupting Gigi.

"I thought that those fights were all supposed to be normal for married couples. I adjusted myself, but- you know what?" Gigi turned to see Giselle.

"He was cheating on me with another woman, and I was dumb to believe in his lies," she said.

Giselle's face expressed deep sorrow for her sister.

"But- you two-" she tried to confront.

"-were in love?" Gigi laughed.

"I did so too. In today's world, it is easy to fall in love, and as well as to break the love. When the man I loved dearly thought that marriage means that he can't look at another woman, he began to go behind my back to follow his sick, twisted thoughts rather than coming home to sleep with his wife," Gigi bit her tongue as she spoke of the guy she once gave her heart.

"These days love means nothing if it doesn't entertain you every second and minute. The minute it gets boring, people are willing to throw the years of affection to find something new and bright. They are not willing to work hard, Giselle."

Gigi's words sounded as if she endured more than simple fights in her married life.

"Which is why you got divorced?" Giselle asked finally.

Gigi nodded.

"Since it was easy for him to cheat on me, I chose to bear the pain to end my love for him as well. Just the thought of him being with another woman kills me, Giselle. How can he entertain such thoughts even as married to a woman he loved? Right now, I am even questioning if his love was at least real. I have lost complete hope in life, Giselle. I don't want to choose an end for me, but I survived every day, thinking that I would meet you. I lived each day to see our beautiful parents, alive and healthy. I only live for our family," Gigi shared.

Giselle had no words to comfort, but she moved closer to lean against her breast.

"I'm still here, Gigi," Giselle spoke after a long-drawn silence.

"You better be,"

They stayed a little longer to talk that night, sharing each other's pain and stories that never told anyone before. It was worth to stay awake as the two sisters confided to each other. By sharing their story, the agony they carried alone for a long time reduced.

The typical night stretched longer, especially for these two to reunite after years of detachment.