Slowly, Lily took a few steps toward the dark bench a few feet away from her.. It groaned as Lily sat, and she tensed, remembering how the last one had broken, years before.
"I'm gonna make you walk the plank!" Lily had said years before, running over the grassy yard, a silly hat perched on her wild blonde hair.
Pad was several feet away, as her legs were longer. Her long, deep red hair was in a ponytail, rather loose from the hours of play. Her pale blue dress had dirt smudges and grass stains, but she didn't care.
"We're swimming, Captain; how's that gonna work?" Pad had countered, her bare feet starting to climb he steps to the light brown porch.
"Oh..." Lily didn't slow down as she tilted her head thoughtfully, and a sheepish grin spread across her face. It was a strange expression, but accurate for the circumstances.
Pad, nearing the rickety old bench, AKA the ship, grabbed a long, thin stick off of the porch; she had left it there earlier, and now it was her sword. She laughed as she leapt onto the ship, leaving Lily's dirty hands to grab air instead of fabric.
"No fair!" Lily whined, stopping in her tracks. "I'm the captain. It should be my boat!" Lily crossed her arms and stared at her sister angrily, though fondness showed as well.
Pad was standing on the bench, centered so it would be safe. She had a kind expression, and explained the game for the fourth time that day.
"You're the captain, yes," Pad agreed, still holding onto her stick with one hand. "But I'm the bad person, who wants the ship for herself. Here, come on up," Pad offered a hand, which, although not fully grown, was certainly bigger than the one that came into contact with it.
With a bit of effort, Pad pulled Lily's arm, and the little girl climbed onto the bench. Pad was forced to move to the side, and it made a funny noise.
"I've got you now!" Lily started to giggle uncontrollably, and she fell backwards. With a loud thump, Pad watched in horror as Lily fell off the bench. At once, she started to wail.
Pad didn't have time to pity her sister; now that the bench had one person, and said person was standing (as opposed to sitting) on one side, it started to creak.
And creak.
It creaked again.
And then it fell apart.
Pad wasn't hurt, luckily, Lily remembered. That had been about eleven years ago, when Lily had been a little girl of seven years old.
The bench had been replaced soon after, and Lily's parents had made sure that the new one was strong enough to hold two girls, one of which did not think things through.
After that happened, Lily was the one who climbed onto the bench and called it a ship. Pad was too scared. Often, Lily would taunt her when angry or annoyed. It rather useful.
It was hard to think about that, though, when Lily hadn't even seen Pad for several years, as she had been at college. Lily held the package even closer to her as she remembered the day Pad left.
Pad had her suitcase in her hand, and the trunk of her blue car was open. Her eyes were sparkling with unshed tears as Lily had approached, holding a package just like the one in the present.
"Oh, Lily," Pad's voice was soft as she put her suitcase in her trunk, glancing at her younger sister before slamming the trunk shut with a loud bang.
"I have something for you," Lily said quickly; she wasn't one for long goodbies.
"You do?" Pad had turned to Lily, a tear halfway down her face.
Lily nodded, and quickly handed the package to Pad, who slipped off the blue ribbon right away. She tore away the wrapping paper slowly, and discovered a box, which, once opened, revealed a beautiful blue necklace.
"Lily..." Pad held the necklace up. It matched the one hanging from Lily's neck (except hers was a light green color).
"You lost yours last month," Lily reminded Pad, who smiled and nodded.
The original necklaces had been bought with their own money many years ago, when Lily was nine and Pad was twelve. They had pooled their allowances together, and purchased them with each other, as well. They were a sign of friendship, and everlasting sisterly love.
The memory brought tears to Lily's eyes, but she quickly wiped them as she heard a car.
The same blue car that had left the town three years ago was back, with the same Pad in it. Her hair was a little shorter than when she left, but besides that she looked the same, blue eyes and all. Lily stood up as the car door opened and her sister stepped out. It took all her self-control not to run over there and give Pad a hug.
"Hi," Lily's smile was plastered to her face as Pad neared, looking around at the neighborhood she had grown up in.
"Lily," Pad replied as she climbed the steps to the porch. She reached out her arms to give Lily a hug.
"I missed you a lot," Lily admitted as she pulled away, package in her hand. "I have something for you."
Pad's smile didn't seem to reach her eyes as Lily handed her the package, wrapped in deep blue paper and tied with a lighter bow. She unwrapped it quickly, but didn't seem to look at it while she did so, as if she didn't want to see what it was.
Inside were two necklaces, blue and green. Pad opened her mouth as if to say something, but simply smiled instead.
"What do you think?" Lily asked, feeling her neck, where her last necklace, the one she lost several months ago, was supposed to be.
Pad didn't seem to know how to answer. "It's... I mean..." Pad paused and fingered the blue necklace. "I'm not staying," Pad said softly, finally.
Lily's face fell. After all these years of waiting for her sister to come home, Pad was going to leave again? What happened to sisters forever?
"Oh..." Lily stared at her feet, adorned by white sandals. "Where are you going?"
"I was thinking Bridgeport," Pad said cautiously, as if concerned Lily would burst into tears.
There was silence. Lily didn't know what to say about that. Bridgeport was a long ways a way - a day, at least.
Pad had nothing else to say to her sister, so, rather painfully, she turned away and started to walk back to her car, quickly, as if she wanted to turn back.
"Wait!" Pad turned at Lily's voice. "Can I come with you?"
Pad smiled. "Sure."
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