When Sienna got off the phone with her mom, she was drained. She was happy her mom sounded pretty good considering the day it was.
Sean was born 11 months and 5 days after her. His skin was the color of light cappuccino with brown loose curls framing his mischievous face. He had their mother's seafoam green eyes surrounded with long lashes. Sharon, Suzy and Sean had very similar features which they got from Sharon's mixed heritage.
Sienna inherited her mahogany skin color from their dad, that's about all she got from him. Sienna hadn't seen her father since he started his new family with his young wife.
While Suzy often flaunted her lighter complexion as somehow being more beautiful, Sienna was the one who often who received more compliments because of her personality. Sienna didn't care she was darker. She thought, if you have to act like Suzy to be lighter, then no thank you!
Suzy didn't understand that beauty started from within and traveled on the outside.
Sienna didn't realize she was gorgeous inside and out.
And Sean was just Sean.
He could've been the color green and still been a shameless flirt. Sean was charming and funny smothered in sweetness with a rebellious edge to him. He often led them on adventures and dares which resulted in corporal punishment.
At the age of 3, he anointed Sienna, 'Cece'. She hated the nickname and only let Sean call her that. Sean and Sienna had an uncanny ability to read and anticipate each other's thoughts and actions. But Sienna never could have foreseen Sean's words on a lunch date they had on his 18th birthday.
"Cece, I gotta talk to you."
"Yea?"
"I've joined the Army."
He held her hand across the table and waited for her response.
She laughed, "You scared the shit out of me you asshole! Don't play like that, that crap isn't funny." She started giggling and said, "Alright maybe it is kinda funny. You imagine... you in the Army? That'll be the day."
She was expecting to see his straight white teeth smiling at her, but instead was met with a solemn expression.
"You are kidding right?
"No, Cece I'm not. I leave for basic training in a month."
She looked at him with widened eyes, "But why? Why in the hell would you want to do that? It doesn't make any sense! You were just were deciding which colleges early admission you'd accept, we were looking forward to all the wild parties."
"We can still do that silly, I'm just going into the Army. I've already thought long and hard about it and have decided. This is the best fit for me. I'll get great training. When I come back I'll still be eligible for most of my scholarships and I'll get to travel the world and serve my country."
After a long stretch of silence, Sean remarked, "Imagine how much pussy I'll bring in wearing my fatigues!"
Sienna snorted and punched his arm. "You're such a pig! But really, what if something happens to you? I couldn't live with myself."
"Don't be so dramatic, Cece. You're my little soldier. You're the only other sane one in our family. I can't have you flippin' out on me too. I'll be back before you know it. You gotta have my back when I tell mom but I just had to tell you first."
A year later, Sean was killed in combat in Afghanistan. His remains were never discovered because his team was ambushed by an IED.
Her family broke that day. His military funeral service was full of people. Through all the hugs and tears, Sienna only felt...
Numb.
Her eyes focused the six honor guards, meticulously folding the flag twelve times over the casket. Each fold had a specific reason, but none of those reasons answered the question, Why?
Sienna didn't cry.
After that Sienna threw herself into school and future plans. She always had her head in the books and learned many languages. She wasn't the carefree funny woman anymore; she became serious and reserved as if she aged overnight. She dressed like a frumpy old woman, she felt she wasn't pretty and had to loose some weight so she carried herself as such. Her tightly wound bun and ill-fitting business attire had given her the appearance of a spinster.
One day, Sienna going through some boxes found the silver necklace Sean gave her before leaving. The shiny pendant glimmered in the light.
Sienna cried uncontrollably as she put the necklace on. She wore it everyday but she finally let go and started to heal.
Sienna woke from her nap when she heard a knock on the door.
She could hear the high pitched, "Open up Mami!"
"Not now," she groaned.
As she opened the door, "Nic, this is really not a good time."
Nicole pushed the door open, "Yea yea I've heard that before. Listen girl, go take a shower because we're going out tonight."
Before Sienna replied she was shaking her head, "No, I..."
"I don't wanna hear it. Go. I even brought you an outfit, because Lord knows you don't have a damn thing in that closet of yours."
Sienna sighed. It was useless to refuse her spicy Dominican friend as she was a force to be reckoned with. These days Nicole had red hair with blonde highlights. She wore it flat ironed straight tonight but her hair was actually really curly. She had light brown skin and almond-shaped brown eyes. They knew each other since the 3rd grade and have been inseparable ever since.
