Erin was nervous. She was going home for the first time since she was 12 years old. Six years. Six long, lonely years. Strict years. Safe years. The train was making a clickety-clackety noise, over and over again, and she found herself automatically sliding into the rhythm as she tried to meditate, to pray, hoping for some guidance.
The door to her compartment suddenly opened and a man appeared, struggling with two bags. Noticing her, he stopped, staring for a moment, then hastily putting his bags down and removing his hat, he bowed slightly in her direction.
"I'm sorry to have disturbed you, Sister," he said. "I hope you don't mind," he added, glancing at the seat.
"No, not at all," Erin said, embarrassed. "And I'm not a Sister," she added. "I'm only an acolyte."
"Oh, I'm sorry," the man said, sitting down. "I didn't realize there were degrees of it or anything."
"It just means I haven't taken my final vows yet," Erin explained, nervously adjusting her convent robes.
"I see," the man said agreeably. "Is that something you plan on doing?" he asked.
"I'm not sure yet," Erin replied. "That's why I'm going home, to make that decision."
"Well, you have your whole life ahead of you," the man said. "It's a decision you can always make, isn't it?"
"Y-y-yes," Erin replied, surprised by the thought.
"I'm sure you'll make the right decision," the man said, smiling at her.
"Yes, I'm sure I will, too," Erin agreed, nervously twisting her hands.
The train pulled into the station and Erin got to her feet, picking up her one small bag that contained all of her worldly possessions. Nodding to the man when he said goodbye, she made her way off of the train onto the platform and stood there, looking around. It had been three years since her parents had visited her and she wasn't sure any more what they looked like.
Then she saw three people moving towards her and she realized that it was her parents and her older brother. Her heart sank when she saw them and she had a feeling of dread overcome her. She almost fell to her knees. When they got closer, Erin could see that her mother's fiery red hair was cropped short, like a man's. Her eyes were heavily made up and she wore bright red lipstick. Erin was shocked when she realized that she was wearing a man's undershirt, the kind without any sleeves, and no bra, her full breasts pressing out tightly against the thin white material, leaving nothing to the imagination. It was torn off in halter style right at the bottom of her ribs. If she bounced, Erin knew that her breasts would be visible. She wore a micro-mini jeans skirt that barely covered her ass cheeks.
Her father was dressed in a white suit, white shirt, white tie, white shoes, white hat. It was like a carnival. He was tall and broad-shouldered, over six feet. His bright blue eyes beneath his carefully coiffured hair sparkled as he smiled at her.
Her brother was dressed in skin-tight black leather pants and black boots. He was wearing a formal ruffled shirt which was unbuttoned almost to his navel and tucked into his pants. He had a big gold chain around his neck. His chest was muscled and totally devoid of hair. His hair was combed very neatly, slicked back. He had gold earrings, studs, in each ear. He looked bored.
"Well, hi, sweetheart," Bill said as he reached his daughter, awkwardly putting an arm around her and attempting to hug her. "You have a nice trip?"
"Yes, fine," Erin replied, trying not to tremble.
"Hi, dear. You look good," Jane said, leaning over and air kissing her on the cheek. "It's good to have you home again."
"Hi, mom," Erin mumbled, almost ashamed to be seen in public like this.
"Hey," Brian said, nodding at her. "You've grown."
"So have you," Erin replied, seeing that he was now taller than their father.
"Is that what you have to wear?" Brian asked, nodding at her outfit.
"Yes," Erin replied, embarrassed.
"Don't you have anything else?" Brian persisted.
"No," Erin replied.
"Well, we're not going to worry about that right now," Jane said, taking Erin by the arm. "I'll just let you go through my stuff and find something. I'm sure it will fit you."
"Might be a good outfit for a plot line," Brian suggested.
"Brian," Bill said sharply. "Enough," he said, but inwardly thinking that it was a really good idea.
Erin was asked all sorts of different questions about life at the convent high school and she did her best to explain that it like any other high school except there were no boys and when they weren't in class, they were praying or going to services.
"And you want to spend your life that way?" Brian asked as they arrived at their home, a sprawling ranch-style house on a ridge overlooking a valley that had a river meandering through it.
"I don't know yet," Erin replied, getting out of the car. "I need to decide."
"We bought this house two years ago," Jane said, sweeping her arm in an arc towards the house.
"I haven't seen you in over two years," Erin said softly.
"Oh, honey, I know," Jane said. "We've been working so hard to pay for this place and getting away was just so..."
"I understand," Erin replied softly.
"Oh, shit," Jane said as she heard the phone ringing as she opened the door. "Hot Productions," she said breathlessly into the phone.
"Oh, hi, Jason," she said, waving everyone in. "Yes, we're going to shoot that scene in the morning. You make sure you're ready, okay? Yes, I know how ready you are," Jane laughed. "See you in the morning."
"Have you heard from Tasha yet?" Bill asked, taking his coat and hat off and loosening his tie.
"Not yet," Jane replied.
"What are you going to do?" Brian asked.
"She'll call," Jane assured them. "If she doesn't, I'll do it."
"What, again?" Brian laughed.
"We've talked about this," Bill said. "We can't make the leap to the big time with just you doing everything, we need some new blood, too."
"She'll call and she'll be here," Jane told them. "Now let me show Erin to her room."
