Summary: Between a sisterly tradition and a rescheduled date, Leah finds herself double booked.
It was barely 7.30am when Leah Myers sensed another person moving about in her room but before her sleepy brain could a form a response, a huge weight toppled onto her, smothering her with the blankets.
‘Good mooooorning!’ Her little sister Andi yelled into her ear, squeezing her even tighter.
Leah let her enjoy the hug for a moment longer before shifting out of her embrace. ‘Jeez A you’re up early.’
‘Duh!’ The younger girl exclaimed bouncing into a sitting position. ‘Don’t you remember what day it is Lee?’
‘…Friday?’ Leah feigned confusion, knowing it would drive her little sister crazy.
Andi’s eyes widened as she regarded Leah. She got off her sister, her voice raising in pitch as she spoke. ‘Friday? FRIDAY? C’mon sis! It’s only the most important Friday OF THE YEAR! BLACK FRIDAY!!’
Leah laughed heartily, getting up from bed herself. ‘How could I forget the one day we always spend together?’
It had been a tradition ever since Leah could drive that the two of them would have the entire day together, battling the avid shoppers in search of the best bargains and deals followed by lunch at their special spot. Finally they would end the day with a little fashion show of all their new purchases back at home before settling down to a chick flick if they weren’t too exhausted by that time.
This routine had been kind of a sacred yearly ritual which the two of them looked forward to for some sisterly bonding time – everyone who knew them knew that.
Well almost everyone…
After Andi’s insistent hassling to get ready, the sisters were finally ready and Leah opened their front door to find her girlfriend Jennifer Tahara standing just beyond the threshold, hand poised to knock with a slightly confused look on her face.
‘Leah! I was just about to knock but I guess you beat me to it?’
‘Hey Jen,’she greeted leaning forward to give her girlfriend a quick kiss. ‘What are you doing here?’
‘Very funny babe,’ Jennifer countered affectionately, lacing her fingers through the belt loops of Leah’s jeans. ‘Are you ready for our date?’
Leah’s brows furrowed before she remembered her promise to Jennifer two weeks ago and she slapped a hand to her forehead. Before she could get a word out however, Andi who had overheard the exchange, brushed past Leah to stare at her sister’s girlfriend.
‘Date? Umm.. sorry not sorry but Leah and I are spending the day together so you’ll just have to come back another time.’
‘Andi,’ the older sister chastised, throwing Jennifer an apologetic smile before steering Andi further inside her apartment.
‘Andi,’ she repeated once they were out of Jennifer’s hearing range. ‘There was no need to be so rude to Jen.’
‘Ok fine but why is she here though?’ Andi demanded, hands planted on her hips.
Leah sighed. ‘I might have doubled booked myself though but I really want to spend the day with both of you so is there any chance that we could still have our sister day with Jennifer?‘
Her little sister’s voice took on a whiny tone. ‘But Leah we usually spend this day together. You promised! Its not going to be a sister’s day if she comes’
‘I know but I really want to spend the day with both of you,’ Leah admitted, pausing slightly before an idea occurred to her. ‘Tell you what. If Jennifer comes with us, I’ll buy you those headphones you’ve always wanted?’
She watched the suggestion sink in to her little sister.
‘I guess she can come along..’ Andi mumbled before she couldn’t contain the smile breaking out. Leah ruffled her hair gaining a squawk of protest and she swept into the entry way where Jennifer was thumbing through her phone. She looked up as Leah approached.
‘I suppose you’re here to reschedule…again?’
‘Actually no,’ Leah replied wrapping her arms around her. ‘I have a proposition for you. Feel like coming shopping?’
Jennifer chuckled, returning the hug. ‘When has my answer to that ever been no?’
Soon the three of them were navigating through the hordes of shoppers frantic to make their purchases. Andi had been a little moody at first but Leah noticed that soon changed when Jennifer snatched the last pair of rose gold headphones from under an unsuspecting dude bro for her, even offering to pay for it.
If only life’s biggest problems would be solved with a pair of headphonesLeah thought, chuckling to herself as she watched Andi and Jennifer has speed off to the shoe section where they grabbed pair of shoes they could get their hands on.
As the day progressed on, Leah was happy to see her sister and her girlfriend getting along so well, sometimes a little too well for her liking, she mused, as Andi gave Jennifer a very dramatic recount of Leah’s 10th grade prom disaster between bites of her double decker burger.
By the time they crashed on Leah’s couch, the two of them had become the best of friends and they settled in for a movie not before Jennifer whipped up some of her favourite spicy dip which Andi immediately loved.
As the two most important women in her life bickered good-naturedly, Leah smiled at the scene, looking forward to making Jennifer a more permanent fixture in her and Andi’s lives.