“Haven!” 

“What!?” I answered, tugging on my brown ugg boots. 

“Are you almost ready?” asked Avia.

“Almost...” 

A bird perched on the branch of the tree standing outside my bedroom window. Blue (my adorable kitty) was napping on the window sill, letting the sun hit her grey fur. People walked by through the brick streets, wrapped in coats and boots, heading towards the Back Bay to where all the action took place, where there were shops, food, and docks. Here in the South End though, Main Street was only a few streets away, yet it was so quiet. 

We live in a small apartment with the front covered in bricks, and with a small porch that looks into Peters Park. I used to love sitting on our white leather couch in our family room, looking out the window during the Spring time and watching people bike by, past the bright green trees and the birds that flooded the sky. But December had come, stripping the trees of its leaves and the birds out of the sky. In their place there was snow, wind, fog, and cold. 

I hopped down into the kitchen from my bedroom, looking for some breakfast. 

Miles came sprinting down the hallway, and leaped onto me like we were playing leapfrog, pushing me down into the hardwood. 

“Woah slow down there Miles!” I laughed, stroking his black fur as he pinned me down with his huge paws. 

“Oh my goodness” smiled my mother, who was sitting next to my younger brother on the couch while he was nibbling on a waffle.

“Good thing Ebony isn’t awake yet.” I smiled back.

“Good thing!” She laughed back.

“Anyway, is Via taking you?” She asked. 

“Yes, and River wants to come also.” I answered, trying to roll off of Miles who was now holding me prisoner in my own kitchen.  

“Are you excited?” 

“Yes, I’m really excited.” I said.

I love my family, we all get along pretty well, I mean except for me and my sister of course. I guess you could say I am the middle child because I have a younger brother, Jack, a twin, River, and two older sisters, Avia (or Via) and Grace, who I finally get to meet today. It feels weird meeting your sister for the first time, yet she’s been alive for your whole life. Grace lives in Hyannis, in a special home because she’s disabled and needs help eating, sometimes breathing, and things like that, and I finally get to meet her. Today. 

I hopped into the backseat of the Jeep, slamming the door behind me. The engine started, rattling the car as we rolled down the road heading east. Let me tell you something, city traffic is the worst, the one thing I hate about living in Boston. It’s like you really have to have a purpose to drive anywhere, or its not worth it. It's even worse when you are trying to get out of the city at eight ‘o'clock in the morning, ironically when everyone is trying to get to work. 

I could hear the soft music coming from River’s headphones as she blasted them in her ears and then snow started falling from the dark sky, lightly, blanketing the ground.

I

“Turn your music down River.” I said annoyed.

“Your not my mother.” She snapped back.

“Just turn it down!”

“I don’t have to!” 

I could tell that Avia was rolling her eyes from the driver's seat, annoyed that I cared so much about what River said and did. I mean why wouldn’t I? I would love to get a taste of River’s life, straight A’s, lots of friends, athletic, she’s an angel. 

 Signs welcomed us into Hyannis as we drove past the Hyannis Port where boats were bobbing up and down in the ocean. We pulled in front of a large house about a mile inland on the Cape.

  I put on my bright red coat and my brown uggs (which I had ditched for the car ride), and jumped out of the car. All my life I had lived here, yet I was still not used to this horribly cold weather. River on the other hand, was already falling face first into the white snow, turning around and fanning her arms and legs, making snow angels as the cold sun beamed on her. 

“Come on let's go inside.”called out Via, who was already walking towards the glass doors of the house. 

River quickly sprung up and ran up with Avia as I trailed behind. When I’m nervous, I like to be alone, and for some random reason I was nervous to walk through those big glass doors. 

Avia tugged open the doors, and waves of warm air came rushing out. A middle aged lady greeted us with a nod - I guess she already recognized Avia from times she had come to visit Grace before. A giant Christmas tree towered in the lobby, decorated with lights, ornaments and presents. It sort of looked like the doctor's office lobby during Christmas time, like a fancy waiting room you have to wait in to get your eight year old check up. 

I was looking around at the people who were sitting in the wheelchairs by the fireplace, and I couldn’t help but stare because they looked so different. 

“Haven!” Whispered Avia harshly, “don’t stare!”

I quickly looked away and focused on walking up the shiny stairs to the first floor, where Grace’s room was. Colorful letters spelled out her name on the door to the right, and it had pictures of when she used to live in a house in New Hampshire, before I was born. When she got older, mom and dad thought it would be best for her to move to her “own place”, a place where people could help her with everyday things and so that mom and dad could focus on raising the twins they were expecting. So they moved, with Grace and Avia, to Massachusetts.  

Avia turned the doorknob creaking it open. River brushed past me and walked confidently into the bedroom, so I just followed. I smiled as I saw her, she had long blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes with a nose decorated in freckles. 

“Hi Gracie!” Said Avia as she walked through the door.

“Hi Grace.” I said smiling.

“Hi Grace!” River echoed. 

We all sat down on her bed, and Avia bent down reaching for her presents out of the bag. Her room had a large window, looking out towards a little downtown and she also had Christmas lights hung above her bed. It felt a little bit awkward, she was my sister, but I felt like I didn’t know her. She couldn’t talk to me, or do sign language. River started unwrapping a Christmas present for her, and smiled as she pulled it out of the paper. 

“Look at this!” She exclaimed, pulling out something that looked like a wooden rattle.

River got up and walked it over to Grace, placing it in her hands. We each took turns unwrapping her presents, handing it to her, and talking to her. Even though I knew Grace was deaf, I told her about me, how I was her little sister, how much I love French fries, and about our pets, our two dogs Miles and Ebony, and my kitten, Blue. 

The time came where I squeezed her hand goodbye as we got up to leave, shutting the door quietly behind us. We walked down the stairs, through the lobby, and pushed the doors open.

“It’s so cold.” I complained.

“No its not.” bragged River.

“Whatever.”

In the car we demolished two orders of large french fries between the three of us, stuffing our faces with more than ten at a time. But the more important thing was that I finally felt like I knew who Grace was after all these years. We were sisters before, but now she finally felt like family. 

I recognized Worcester Street as we drove past the towering statues in Worcester Square, just minutes away from home. We pulled in quietly to our spot out on the road and hopped out of the car, falling into the snow. As I climbed the cold concrete stairs to the door, I turned around to face River who now looked like a ghost with her pale face and dark eyes. I ran down next to her, and put my arm around her neck hugging her. She laid her head on my shoulder as we walked up the steps and, I mean in the end, we’re sisters and I’m lucky to have her, and I should never take her for granted.