➸Send me on my way

Kristy poured the remaining contents of their almost empty wine bottle into her own glass, offering Cadence a polite nod in return. Perhaps they needed to slow down a little bit; Kristy wasn’t exactly trying to wind up drunk, but the conversation was keeping her focus, and the wine was just a nice little aside. Regardless, she nodded to the approaching server to signal that they’d like another bottle; she would ask Cadence what she’d prefer instead, but she also wasn’t trying to interrupt the conversation. Even less so because it seemed that she was beginning to open up.

“That makes me happy, I very much look forward to meeting your family, too,” she clarified with an honest smile, though remained silent as she slowly sipped on her wine and let Cadence put her feelings out there. Although her own experience wasn’t the same, she could sympathize—they were in the same overall situation, after all—and offered Cadence a somewhat sad smile in return. “I can understand that. I don’t know your parents, but I’m sure their intention was never to betray you. It sounds like they thought they were protecting you… Does that sound on brand for them?”

“Oh no, yeah, totally,” Cadence replied to Kristy’s question. She chuckled lightly. “Yeah, that’s definitely on brand. I know their intent was never to hurt me, and I suppose that takes some of the sting away. But it doesn’t take away the fact that they lied. For 31 years they lied to me. And they would have kept up the lie if Riley hadn’t found that shoebox in their closet and decided to take a dumb argument way too far.” She could feel herself getting angry at just the thought of her little sister, so she took a slow breath before sipping her wine. 

“Anyway, I’ll forgive them eventually. It’s just hard when-- for my whole life, I’ve always felt like...” She paused, unsure how to voice her thoughts. She’d never opened up this much before, not to anyone but her mother. And even then, it took some coercing from her. “I don’t know, like I was different from them. Sounds stupid when I say it out loud.” 

It wasn’t like Regan hadn’t dealt with reluctant people before. A large majority of her patients seemed skeptical during their first session, most of them likely being forced into therapy by someone who cared about them. Cadence’s response told her she was probably one of those people, so acting too professionally was off the cards. She wanted to make her feel at ease. “Might as well,” she agreed with a small nod, closing the door behind her.

‘What’s up, Doc?’ If she had a dollar for everybody that greeted her that exact same way… Regardless, Regan politely chuckled as she took her seat in the large armchair across from Cadence. It was her first chance to properly look at her, to properly take her in. It was all a part of her job, studying people, but nobody had quite managed to pull her attention the way Cadence had. She was…really fucking pretty. Not that Regan was supposed to be thinking about that.

“I’m more interested in how you’re doing,” she said in as approachable a tone as she could. “Maybe you could tell me why you came here today?”

Already she was embarrassing herself and she hadn’t even started talking about her life. ‘What’s up, Doc? How fucking cliché.’ She did a mental eyeroll. Cadence hadn’t meant to sound like she was making a Bug’s Bunny reference. That was like saying, ‘no price tag, guess it’s free!’ to a cashier. Cadence had worked at a JC Penny as a teenager, and she had lost count the amount of times someone had said that to her, just that it was enough to make her want to blow her brains out. People thought they were so fucking clever. 

Clearing her throat and forcing herself back to the present, she brought her gaze back to Regan as she spoke. Why was she here? She thought about it for a moment, looking for a better answer than ‘my mom is making me’. Mostly because she was a 31 year old grown ass adult and no one could force Cadence to do anything she didn’t want to do. 

She let out a resigned sigh. “I guess I’m just tired of pretending like I’m okay.” She finally admitted, eyes suddenly finding a framed picture on Regan’s wall very interesting. “And also, because it was strongly suggested I go,” She couldn’t help but add. “If I wouldn’t have to deal with Nagatha Christie breathing down my back, I probably wouldn’t be here.”  

Listening to Cadence talk about her family brought a feeling of complete relief washing over Kristy. It had been a worry for her after finding out about her twin; what if she hadn’t had the same amazing upbringing Kristy had? What if she’d been adopted into a horrible family, or worse yet, had been essentially left to fend for herself? It didn’t matter that Cadence talked about her younger sister the way she did, Kristy could tell there was a lot of love there, and smiled with genuine joy at the mental image.

“That sounds like quite the experience,” she chuckled at the thought of a younger Cadence meeting her newborn sister. “I was sixteen when Ruby was adopted, it was just me until then. She was eleven, so I never had that. I did beg my parents for a brother or sister relentlessly, though.” Her gaze shifted toward Cadence’s empty wine glass, with Kristy instinctively reaching out to grab the bottle and pour her a little more. They’d need to order another soon.

Although the thought of Cadence’s parents’ guilt wasn’t exactly great, Kristy figured in this one instance, using it as an advantage wouldn’t be the worst thing. She liked the idea that they’d be open to meeting; mixing their families would definitely be nice. The more, the merrier. “Excellent. I know my parents would love to meet you and your family. They’ve been very excited for us to meet today.” She paused thoughtfully. “They’re going to love your siblings, too. They’re very doting people, they like to have people to share their love with. I think they would’ve had more children if they could’ve.”

Cadence nodded in thanks as Kristy refilled her glass, listening as she spoke of her own family. They sounded like loving people, people who were always there. The Kelmans were loving, and caring-- but they weren’t always present. Cadence couldn’t count how many times one or both parents missed an important event-- a milestone or two. Talent shows and school plays, softball games, the first time Cadence had learned to ride a bike without training wheels. 

It wasn’t their fault of course, and they never did it purposely. It was always an emergency. Something was wrong with a patient. Cadence never faulted them for that. They were important people who were very good at their jobs. She never felt as if she wasn’t loved. She knew and had always known that wasn’t the case. Besides, she was very much a momma’s girl. She and her dad got along just fine too, but she and her mom had a close bond. God, she missed her mom. She still wasn’t talking to her, really. Even though Julia called her almost every day just to be ignored. Maybe she should call her after this. Besides, she needed someone to talk to about meeting her twin sister for the first time. 

“I look forward to meeting them,” And she truly meant that, even though just the thought filled her with anxiety. If Kristy was this nice, she figured her family couldn’t be too bad. “My mom told me that your parents reached out to them when they found out about me. I think she said I was 5 or 6, but she said she and dad declined the offer for us to meet because they hadn’t told me I was adopted. Nor had they planned to tell me. They thought they were protecting me, but I just feel...” She paused, surprised at herself for offering up such private information without prompting or even a fight. “I feel betrayed, I guess.” Cadence finally said, shrugging almost casually. 

@rhodielaz​ / cadence kelman.

It was easy for Regan to get a little lost in her work at times. She was a therapist, she listened to people’s problems all day long; it was only natural that she’d struggle to detach herself sometimes, right? Especially the more often she saw her patients. This next one, however, Cadence Kelman, was a brand new name, someone Regan had never met before. Honestly, the idea of someone new, someone she was less invested in, was kind of refreshing.

(Not that she’d say so… She wasn’t supposed to get invested in her patients’ problems, after all.)

Shoving the weight of the day’s previous sessions to the back of her mind for now, Regan pushed her most welcoming expression to her face as she headed for her office door, opening it up to the small waiting area currently seating one unfamiliar brunette. Call it intuition, but she could just tell there was a lot going on there, just from first glance. Regardless, she offered the other woman a kind smile. “Cadence?” she questioned, standing in the doorway with her hand extended. “I’m Regan Clarington. You wanna come on through?”

A leg jiggled nervously as Cadence waited impatiently for her name to be called. Normally, Cadence was late to just about anything she ever went to, but she’d been so anxious that she’d somehow managed to get here early. ‘Fuck sake, how much longer? I’ve literally been the only one for 10 minutes now...’ God, how did she let her mother talk her into this? Therapy was stupid, what good did it do to talk about yourself and your feelings? Cadence frowned at the thought, both legs beginning to jiggle, now. ‘Gross.’

Just as she was seriously considering just leaving, the sound of her name being called startled her from her warring thoughts. She wasn’t sure what she was expecting, but it certainly wasn’t someone who looked like... well... that. Weren’t therapists supposed to be... older? Ugh, she wasn’t sure if this new revelation made things better or worse. Worse, she thought as she stood, subtly wiping the sweat from her palms onto her jeans. “Nice to meet you.” Her eyes moved to the door that the good doctor gestured to. “Not really, but-- I’m here, so might as well, right?” She commanded her legs to move, and after a few seconds of reluctance, she walked into Regan’s office.

She quickly took a seat and proceeded to tug nervously at a heavily pierced ear. “So... What’s up, Doc?” 

Everybody had a similar reaction to finding out about Bradley. He was a stillborn baby, nobody was going to have a good reaction to that. There was something different about Cadence’s, though; something that almost felt like she understood, like she shared Kristy’s pain. “Thank you,” Kristy nodded once, her small smile gentle. She wanted to ask about Cadence’s own situation; just because she didn’t seem to have a very positive stance on relationships didn’t mean she couldn’t have children, right? Selfishly, Kristy kind of just wanted to change the subject, though, and was grateful for Cadence going along with it.

“Definitely,” she chuckled quietly, sipping slowly on her wine. “We’re close friends with Faye’s family, though. Faye being Ruby’s twin sister. It’s always nice to see them together.” Evidently, there was some definite tension between Cadence and her own sister, so Kristy schooled her expression accordingly. “I’m sorry to hear that,” she frowned. “How old is she? Maybe Ruby or Faye could try to talk some sense into her… Do you think your siblings would be open to meeting my family? I mean, how do they feel about all of this?”

Changing the subject had been easy, it wasn’t as if Cadence was good with emotions. However, changing the subject to herself? She was almost as bad as talking about that than she was comforting and dealing with emotional baggage. Still, she soldiered on for Kristy’s benefit. “She’s 25. My parents weren’t really expecting her. I was a handful as it was at 6. I remember not being very receptive to the idea of having to share my parents.” A grin curved her lips as she thought back to the memory of Riley’s birth. 

“And then 9 months later, they set this wrinkly, pink thing in my lap and tell me it’s my sister.” The grin grew into a full blown chuckle. “I told them they should probably return her because she didn’t look all the way cooked. My mom thinks that story is hilarious. My sister hates it. There’s a home video somewhere of that if Riley hasn’t set it on fire.” Cadence reached for her wine glass only to realize it was empty. “I’m sure my parents would be fine meeting them, Noah and Brad, too. I’m sure Riley would be very polite while offering backhanded compliments and passive aggressive remarks on my behalf, which is no different than any other day.” 

Cadence considered Kristy’s words before shrugging. “I’m not really sure, though. I think my parents would do anything I asked of them because they feel guilty. So if I asked them to get to know you and your family, they’d do it with smiles.” 

This wasn’t supposed to be a sad day. Of course there would be varying emotions, all things considered, but Kristy wasn’t trying to bring down the mood. The name had just taken her off guard, that was all; mostly, she felt bad that Bradley hadn’t been on her mind beforehand, like she’d told herself he was always supposed to be. It was obvious that Cadence could read her emotions, and Kristy was definitely not trying to make her feel guilty, so quickly shook her head. “No, no need to apologize,” she promised, shooting an almost apologetic smile of her own across the table. Bradley wasn’t a taboo subject, after all. “Bradley was stillborn,” she explained in a gentle tone. “He would’ve been two this past August.” Briefly, her gaze fell to her wine glass, before she lifted it toward Cadence again, offering her a small yet genuine smile. “It’s a beautiful name, your parents picked well.” She didn’t want this to be a sad discussion, she truly didn’t, so Kristy cleared her throat quietly, before swiftly changing the subject. “To answer your previous question, I have a younger sister, Ruby. She has a twin sister, but strangely enough, they were adopted by different families, just like us.” She paused. “You don’t get along with your sister?”

Cadence wasn’t sure what she had been expecting, yet somewhere in the back of her mind-- she knew. But even as Kristy confirmed it, her response still left like a physical blow. Completely unexpected. She was sure her heart had fallen into the pit of her stomach and the pain in her chest was her stomach acid eating away at the fleshy muscle. She tried desperately to control her facial expression, but she couldn’t stop the way her eyes slipped closed and the quiet expletive left her lips. “Fuck, dude...” Her voice was thick, and after a moment she finally forced her gaze back to Kristy’s. “I’m really sorry to hear that.” Cadence said quietly, she hoped her look conveyed just how much she meant that.

People (co-workers, distant family members, friends who weren’t really friends) always assumed someone like Cadence would hate kids. They would be surprised to find out that she didn’t hate them. Sure, she found some of them annoying as hell, but she liked them well enough. Especially the older ones. They always seemed to say the weirdest and funniest shit. The point was, that Cadence might have really liked to have a nephew. One she could totally corrupt. So she wasn’t sure if she was sad for herself at the loss of that opportunity or if her emotions had to do with Kristy’s. Probably both, she decided. Taking a quick sip of her wine, Cadence offered what she hoped was a comforting smile and took Kristy’s subject change in stride, respecting it.

“Wow, that’s so weird. Small world, I guess,” She said, chuckling a little awkwardly. At the mention of her sister, her awkward smile fell slightly. “Not really, no. Riley isn’t really a nice person. I love her, of course... she’s my baby sister, but she’s a spiteful bitch and she likes to start drama. I can’t tell you how many times she’s pitted me against the twins, or the twins against each other just for her own amusement.” Cadence let out an exasperated sigh. “We currently aren’t on speaking terms. I’m hoping she’ll apologize, but the day she apologizes and holds herself accountable is the day Hell freezes over.” 

Kristy listened intently. She wanted every detail, wanted to know that, even if they hadn’t grown up together, Cadence had had as wonderful a home life as she had herself. Naturally, her brows rose to her hairline as Cadence spoke about her younger sister. Taking the casual tone into account, there had to be a story there… “Um, wow,” she chuckled quietly. “That’s…quite the statement.” Her head tilted, curious to ask more, but she was going to let Cadence finish first.

Perhaps it was strange, the fact that the comment about her sister hadn’t been enough to cause Kristy to choke on her drink, but that the very mention of her brother’s names did. Quickly, Kristy cleared her throat, patting gently at her chest. “Excuse me,” she said apologetically, pushing a somewhat rehearsed smile to her lips. “Noah and Bradley…” she repeated, the latter name catching in her throat. “They sound lovely.” She wanted to know more, she wanted to answer Cadence’s question in return, but she couldn’t help herself from adding in a quieter voice, lips still schooled into a small, practiced smile, “I like the name Bradley. It’s my son’s name.”

Cadence hated talking about herself, it made her feel weird and uncomfortable; But there was something about the way that Kristy listened intently as Cadence spoke, as if wanting to absorb every last detail-- no ulterior motive. It made her feel... Seen. It was a startling feeling to have since she’d only just met Kristy officially 15 minutes ago. The only other person that Cadence was ever comfortable really talking to was her mother. She had always felt as if she could tell her anything. Good or bad, she knew her mother would never overreact. She was always rational and comforting at the same time, and without judgement. 

Just as Cadence was starting to relax and lower her guard, it all snapped back into place as Kristy’s happy demeanor faltered. It was a flicker of a thing, but with a clearing of her throat, her smile was back in place. It was a wan smile though, and Cadence only recognized it because she’d seen it in her own reflection. Fake and forced. Frowning, Cadence waited for Kristy to regain her composure. 

As Kristy spoke, the catch in her voice obvious, the pieces fell into place for Cadence. A sudden uncomfortable pain stabbed at her chest as she regarded Kristy carefully. She automatically wanted to know more, but with the way Kristy’s voice seemed to tremble slightly, Cadence could only assume the worst. Palms suddenly sweating, she discreetly rubbed them against her dark jeans as she spoke. “I uhm--” Words of comfort had never been her strong suit. Comforting people in general, really. “It’s uh-- a good name for a boy.” Her eyes dropped to her lap for a moment as she considered her next words. “I’m sorry, I’m not really great at emotions, and it seems like I might have unintentionally poked something raw, but-- If you wanted to tell me about it, that’d be okay,” Cadence’s face flushed slightly as she tugged at a heavily pierced ear. “But-- just know that-- I’m shit at saying the right thing.”

Kristy’s lips pursed in thought, though an intrigued smile began to tug at the corners, brow arching a fraction. “A tragic backstory, hm?” she questioned, “Noted.” She didn’t know Cadence yet, but it saddened her to think of her, too, dealing with any kind of tragedy. Still, even though she hadn’t actually given her anything of substance, the mere mention made Kristy feel like she was at least letting her in a little bit. It was a start, if nothing else.

It wasn’t like she was trying to brag, but Kristy really could ramble on for hours when it came down to her wife. She didn’t even mind the ‘movie sap’ comment, instead only grinning with pride. “It is, isn’t it?” she hummed happily, turning the phone toward herself to take a longing glance, before slipping it back into her purse. Her brows lifted as Cadence spoke, small chuckle falling from her lips. “I suppose we both just have good taste,” she teased, again wondering about further similarities. No, they hadn’t grown up together, but they were twins, after all; there had to be some genetic programming at work there, right?

Much too interested in learning about her new sister to even glance at the menu beside her, Kristy simply picked up her wine glass, taking another small sip. “So, what about your family? What are they like? Do you have siblings?”

It was still pretty early to tell, but Cadence had a feeling that Kristy was probably memorizing every little thing that she said with every ‘Noted’ that was uttered. Kristy just seemed the type to be able to remember what someone said 7 years ago on April the 11th at 3:43 PM and be able to recite it perfectly. She probably even had a power point prepared to get her point across. Cadence could barely remember what day of the week it was. Shaking her head slightly at the amusing comparison, Cadence focused back on Kristy, tuning in to catch her next few questions. 

Her family? Her stomach twisted at the thought of them, the wound still raw and stinging as a flash of memories pushed through her mental barriers and replayed over and over. The screaming match between she and her sister, Cadence sobbing in her mother’s arms later that night. She hadn’t spoken to either of them since. She had lost count on how many weeks ago that was. Clearing her throat, Cadence forced a smile. “Uh, well-- my parents are both surgeons. I have a younger sister, Riley. She’s a raging, manipulative bitch.” There was no malice behind the words, it was said casually, as if stating a fact. And it wasn’t as if she didn’t love her, because she did. They just tended not to get a long. (Especially as of late)

Cadence continued on as if she hadn’t just spoke ill of her sister. “And then there’s Thing one and Thing two, the twins, Noah and Bradley. They’re the youngest. Noah is in school to be Chef, and Brad is-- well, he’s a lot like me. He’d have a good shot at playing Baseball professionally, but he won’t take it seriously.” Her lips tugged down in a frown at that, but she forced it away and barreled on. “What about you?”

“Beer or whiskey,” Kristy echoed thoughtfully, fingertip tapping against the stem of her wine glass. “Noted.” They were a part of one another’s lives now, she needed future Christmas and birthday present ideas, duh. While wine was her first choice, Kristy was a fan of sitting down with a bottle of beer after a hard day… It made her wonder if they had any other shared preferences. Maybe because she was studying her, Cadence’s awkward shift was very much apparent, though Kristy chose not to comment. She simply listened intently, head nodding along in understanding. “That’s fair.” She paused, considering for a moment. “Is there a story there?”

Following Cadence’s gaze toward her wedding ring, Kristy’s lips tugged upward into a natural, excited smile. “Ten years,” she responded easily, thumb instinctively brushing over her wedding ring. “My wife and I met in college. It’s actually a really adorable story.” Straightening up, Kristy thought back over her and Cass’ first meeting, dreamy look taking over her eyes. “We didn’t know each other, but we happened to be at the same bar. She came over to me and asked for a favor… Her recent ex was there, and she asked if I’d make out with her to get her ex to leave her alone.” She chuckled fondly at the memory. “Her ex wasn’t actually even there, she just wanted to make a move. Ten years later and I am still so thrilled that she did.” Quickly, Kristy reached for her purse in search of her phone, tapping the screen to reveal her lock screen. “Her name is Cassia,” Kristy swooned, turning the phone toward Cadence. “Isn’t she beautiful?”

A wry grin curved Cade’s lips at Kristy’s question. “Ah ah,” Her grin widened slightly. “You’ve gotta at least reach level four of friendship before you learn my tragic backstory, dude. I don’t make the rules.” Her shoulders lifted in a casual shrug as she took another sip of wine. It was easy to deflect, especially with the way that Kristy practically lit up like a Christmas tree when Cadence pointed out her ring. 

It was cute, really. The way Kristy spoke of her wife. “Ten years! Wow,” She managed to say before Kristy continued on. It was easy to see that Kristy was very happy with her life, especially with the way her features seemed to soften as she spoke of how they first met. “That is some Hallmark movie sap,” Cade’s voice was teasing, but there was a small part of her that was uncomfortable. Of course it had nothing to do with Kristy or her wife, it was just the fact that such intimacy and softness was foreign to her.  She had never been the touchy-feely type, though. Still, as Kristy showed Cadence her lockscreen, something in her warmed. She offered a genuine smile now as she nodded. “Very beautiful.” Something occurred to Cadence though as she took her eyes away from the screen. “What are the odds though?” She mused, looking suddenly thoughtful. “That the both of us are queer as hell.” 

Admittedly, social cues were often lost on Kristy. However, she wasn’t entirely oblivious, she could sense at least some level of discomfort radiating from the other woman. She figured it was understandable, though; this was a new situation for the both of them, after all. Besides, Kristy could lead the conversation, at least until Cadence (hopefully) felt more at ease. “What is your first choice?” she questioned interestedly, smiling politely as Cadence picked up the wine bottle. Kristy studied her movements, head nodding in understanding. “Mm, change is always good.”

Comfortably sipping from her glass, she waited patiently for Cadence’s response. “I guess that was kind of broad,” she chuckled, setting the wine glass back down. Gently, her fingers tapped against the base in thought. “Let’s see…” Catching sight of her own wedding ring, Kristy perked up with an excited, “Oh! Well, are you married? Or in a relationship of any kind? What’s the situation there?” Maybe it wasn’t necessarily the best first question, but family was important to Kristy; she could happily talk about Cassia for hours.

As the wine Cadence slowly sipped traveled through her system, she could feel herself relax ever so slightly. This would be easier if she could stop feeling so tense. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to get to know Kristy, she seemed nice enough-- if not a little... intense, it was the fact that everything she had ever known and been told was a lie. There was a lot to unpack there, but Cadence pushed those thoughts aside in favor of tuning back into her bubbly doppelganger. “Beer,” She replied automatically, “Whiskey if I’ve had a hard day.” 

Cadence subtly took in Kristy’s features, wondering if someone would be able to tell them apart if they were wearing the same clothes and if she also had a mole on her chest. Her lips quirked slightly at Kristy’s sudden excitement, apparently having thought up something to ask. But, the question throws Cadence off guard for some reason, her own eyes dropping to the ring on Kristy’s finger and suddenly feeling a wave of loneliness. Swallowing another sip of wine in a feeble attempt to stall, Cade shifted slightly in her seat. “Nah, I’m single. Long term isn’t really my thing,” In reality, she thought she’d been in love once, but the break up ended so badly that she had decided she didn’t want to go through that again. She cleared her throat, trying to offer another crooked grin as she nodded down to Kristy’s wedding ring. “How long have you been married?”   

Sure, there were obvious similarities—their identical faces, for one thing—but right away, Kristy spotted a few differences, too. Things like their demeanors, the way Cadence evidently did not share her same vibrant energy, did not go unnoticed, but Kristy certainly was not judging. She was simply excited, and grinned in a way that portrayed as such. “I am,” she nodded, giving Cadence’s arms a gentle squeeze, before eventually dropping her hands down to her sides. It was strange to hear what sounded like her own voice coming from another person; this whole thing was definitely something Kristy was going to have to get used to. She chuckled softly, head nodding in agreement. “Really weird. But also kind of cool, don’t you think?”

Eventually motioning toward the free seat across the table, Kristy carefully took her own seat back, again straightening out her dress in the process. “Do you like wine?” she questioned, reaching out to daintily pick up her as of yet untouched glass. She’d ordered a bottle of house white for them to split, and nodded toward the bottle. “If so, help yourself. All of the drinks here are really good, though. In fact, so is the food. Have you ever been here before?” Kristy’s rambling was not a reflection of the situation; it was just in her nature to never shut up. She paused to eventually take a sip from her glass, relieved smile easing onto her lips as she savored the mouthful. “So, where should we start here? I hate that I don’t know anything about you.” She stared across the table hopefully, eyes gleaming with intrigue.

“I guess it’s kind of cool,” Cool wouldn’t be a word that Cadence would use. Although she supposed that was another way that the two of them differed from each other; the way they chose to view things. Probably, she just needed to wrap her head around everything before she could call this entire situation ‘Cool’. Still, Cadence chose not to say that, having to battle against the sarcastic quip at the edge of her lips in favor of not offending her new sister thirty seconds after they’d officially met. Save that surprise for later, when Kristy came to the realization that her new sister was an asshole. 

Taking a seat, Cadence tried to relax her rigid muscles and try to seem as if she wasn’t as uncomfortable as she felt. Her eyes landed on the wine bottle as Kristy spoke. “Not my first choice, but I wont turn down alcohol.” Cadence answered with a wry grin as she reached to pour herself a glass. “No, I’ve never been here. It’s not--- my usual scene.” As if that wasn’t obvious. She was sure she stuck out like a sore thumb in a nicer place like this. Wrapping her fingers around the wine glass to keep them from fidgeting, Cadence took a small sip as Kristy spoke once more. Again Cadence held back a sarcastic remark, instead saying, “Uh, what do you wanna know? Not that there’s much to tell.” She shrugged noncommittally. She wasn’t that interesting. A college dropout who worked as a bartender. What was to tell?

@rhodielaz​ / cadence kelman.

Had it been up to Kristy, she would’ve suggested she and Cadence meet at one of their homes. However, not knowing the kind of person Cadence was—was she going to be weird about all of this?—she figured a neutral setting made the most sense. She wasn’t trying to overwhelm her, after all. Selecting one of the quieter restaurants in town, where she excitedly instructed the host to look out for ‘someone who looks just like me!’, Kristy arrived early for their reservation, wanting to make a good first impression. Dressed in a very typical Kristy Meeks outfit—floaty black dress laden with pink and white flower print—she fidgeted some as she sat at the small, two-seater table, eyes on the restaurant’s entrance, until eventually spotting Cadence’s arrival.

Instinctively, Kristy stood from her seat, bright grin rising to her lips as she straightened out the skirt of her dress. Being a total weirdo herself, Kristy had always dealt well with strange, but even she had to admit that seeing another version of her face in the flesh really was a total trip. She chose not to say so, though, and instead rocked on her heels impatiently, taking a polite step forward to greet the other woman as she approached. “I was so worried I wasn’t going to recognize you,” she joked, gaze glued to Cadence as she stuck out her hand to shake. After only a beat, she decided to go in for a hug instead, not really thinking about Cadence’s boundaries as she wrapped her arms around her. “It’s so good to meet you!” she beamed, unabashedly clinging onto the other girl like they were old friends. Eventually, she pulled back, but kept her hands planted firmly against Cadence’s upper arms. “Oh, where are my manners… Hi, I’m Kristy. I mean… Duh, right?”

Finding out she was adopted was one thing (her sister was such a spiteful bitch), but finding out she had –not just a biological sister, but a twin sister– was something that had shook Cadence to her very core. It sounded exciting and different, but for someone who already felt as if she didn’t belong anywhere, someone who didn’t like change, it was terrifying. After the yelling and the screaming had stopped, her parents had dropped the second bomb. Her twin sister. Cade had barely decided what to do with the information when she received a Facebook message from one Kristy Meeks. For days Cadence left the other on read, not quite ready to accept the big changes happening around her. Briefly she considered just deleting the message and just pretending to never have even gotten the message in the first place. But, Cadence has always been naturally curious (and a masochist), so she replied back.

That was how Cadence ended up sitting in this quiet restaurant, waiting to meet her sister in person. Kristy had suggested one of their places, but Cadence definitely wasn’t comfortable going into a stranger’s house, and no one was allowed in her own apartment unless it was a one night stand that was immediately kicked out after everything was said and done. It had taken a lot for Cade to not chicken out and just leave, but the moment she caught sight of someone who looked exactly like her, yet nothing like her, she almost wished she had stayed home. Her stomach twisted in knots as she took in the bright, excited smile and the way Kristy seemed to vibrate with an energy that Cadence definitely would not, under normal circumstances be around. Nervously,

Cadence held out her hand only to be suddenly pulled into a surprise hug at the last second. With her hand awkwardly stuck between them, she stiffened. Uncomfortable was an understatement. “Oh– you’re a hugger. Okay, that’s– something.” She cleared her throat as Kristy (thankfully) finally pulled away. “Uh, nice to meet you, I guess.” Her eyes trailed over her twin slowly, taking in the obvious similarities (their looks) and their glaringly obvious differences (their clothes). Idly, Cade thought it was kind of funny how this woman dressed so brightly, and Cadence was wearing a pair of jeans and a leather jacket. “So, this is– kind of weird, right?”