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[india_h]

My sister's moving around a little better, she still looks like hell, though. I'm not sure if she's taking the pain pills they sent her home with anymore, but whatever she's on it must be some good shit. The other night after Vince and I came back from the Bronze I was gonna go downstairs for a glass of water, when I overheard her talking to him.

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[izzy_h]

I'm in the kitchen making India some red beans and rice. It's one of the only other things I know how to make. I hope its still one of her favorites, or at least she still likes it. I realized I haven't really made her feel welcome yet, wanted to do something special for her.

[india_h]

I can smell the red beans all the way from upstairs, so I come down to see if Iz is dictating to Stefan how to make them, or if she's actually cooking them. When I walk into the kitchen I can see she's alone. "Excuse me, but who gave the invalid permission to cook?" I ask her, grinning as she turns around.

[izzy_h]

"Hi, Indie!" I smile back, "I need permission to cook in my house? And I'm not an invilid sweetie. I know it looks bad, but I'm really okay. Do you still like red beans?"

[india_h]

"Of course I still like them!" I pull up a seat at the island and inhale. "Mmm, they smell really good, too, Iz. I'm supposed to be taking care of you, not you cooking for me, though."

[india_h]

What the hell is she talking about? "What do you mean, again?"

[izzy_h]

Christ, this wasn't how I wanted this to go. "Nothing. I didn't mean anything by it."

[india_h]

"Yes you did, you don't say stuff you don't mean, Iz. So what did you mean?" She's not getting off that easy.

[izzy_h]

I put the cover in the food and turn down the heat under it then I sit down. "I didn't leave you guys by choice, the first time. I was sent to live with Grams. I didn't want to go. But I got to see you all when Dad brought you into town. Then I did do something selfish, and I wasn't allowed to see you, talk to, write you, anything. It was a long time before I was, by then you all had your own lives, you didn't need me anymore."

[india_h]

"Awww, Iz, but it was Mom's!" I take it from her hesitantly, and look at it before slipping it over my head. "Thank you, though. I'll wear it all the time, promise."

"So ok, in the spirit of taking this stuff seriously, does this mean I have to put garlic up all over my room, too?"

[izzy_h]

Smiling at her, as I watch her put it on. "It looks beautiful on you. You look so much like her."

Laughing I say,"Not unless you like the smell of garlic. Which since your room is near mine I would prefer you didnt. Not something I want to smell when I go to sleep."

I pause for a second, get kinda serious. "India? I don't know how good at this I'm going to be. The whole thing with Stefan is so new. And now you coming to stay her. For someone who lived alone for 10 years, I might be a pain in the ass to live with."

[india_h]

"Well, it's not like I'm used to living with people, either. I had my own studio apartment back in New York, never actually had a roommate or anything. And the guys I dated don't count." I grin at her, trying to lighten her mood a little. "I'll try to give you and Stefan your space, after growing up with as many siblings as we did? I can appreciate the wanting to have some privacy."

She's so gonna want to smack me for this, but I say it anyway. "Or I could always go and stay at your apartment in town with Vince."

[izzy_h]

"NO! You are not living at the apartment with Vince. So get it out of your head." I laugh and swat her, "You need to leave that poor guy alone."

I hug her again. "I'm so glad you ended up here."