Chapter 3

“And the brownest eyes on anyone, ever!” I finished doing my best Jiminy Cricket.

The oven timer dinged.

Kami reminded me to use oven mitts, which I hadn’t. After getting two of them, I pulled it out of the oven, and it smelled terrific.

“What just dinged?” mom asked, coming into the room

“We were hungry, and we cooked a pizza. Is that a problem, Mom?” Kami remarked.

“No, I guess dinner will be just your father and me. Did you watch all of your movies yet?”

“No, we still have CINDERELLA to watch,” Kami answered. “We’ll take the pizza into the TV room, if that’s OK with you?”

“Go ahead, your father expects dinner by 6:30, so I need to get started on it. I’m glad you two are getting along so well. It gives me hope that your father and I have done our job,” she said looking in the cupboards. “Shoo, get out!”

I took the pizza - she took the bottles of water. We put it all on the coffee table between the sofa and the TV. After eating a couple of pieces, I stepped away to go to the bathroom and came back. Kami was lying lengthwise on the sofa. I took a piece and climbed in behind her, nudging her forward a little. I got a pillow from behind me and put it under her head for her.

“Thanks!” was her quick retort.

“OK, you can move back against me if you want?” I said.

She did and I started our final movie of our Disney trilogy.

We enjoyed this immensely, singing with every song, talking along with the mice; I remembered all of Gus-Gus’s lines. We had a blast; I asked for some more pizza, and she handed it to me. I laid my hand on her hip. I was intentionally staying away from the ‘problem areas’ both above and below her hip and tummy.

“I’m getting cold again,” she said.

I pulled the blanket up on us both, covering us from our armpits to over our feet.

“Thank you, Randall,” she said softly. “Your arms are so warm - they feel nice around me. You won’t tell Lynn about this, will you?”

She sounded more concerned than I thought she should, so I responded, “This will be our secret, just you and me, Beautiful.” The movie was over. I turned off the TV, and we fell asleep.

We woke up, to Mom shaking my shoulder, “It’s time for bed, you two – come on. Dad turned on the heater a little, sleepyheads, come on...”

“I’m up,” I said. My arm that had been supporting my head was sore. I started to stretch it, and my beautiful sister’s eyes fluttered open. “Come on, Sleeping Beauty, get on up,” I said.

“You make a good blanket, Randall – OK ... I’ll get up,” she said. She got to a seated position, and then stood up. She grabbed at my arm, getting me to a sitting position ... but I pulled her back down to me, with her landing on my lap.

“I remember this position from the vampire movie,” I said in a creepy voice.

“I don’t remember being poked in my butt earlier,” she said grinning, then giggling.

“Sorry, Kami – it’s a guy thing,” I said as quietly as I could.

She got up saying, “It wasn’t the first time, and it won’t be that last time I caused that problem with you.”

“When was that?” I implored.

“Oh, I was maybe fifteen or sixteen, and I had to sit on your lap on that trip to Brian’s family cabin. You had a little poker back then. I can only imagine how mu...”

“Kami, please stop – it doesn’t know the difference between a girlfriend ... and a sister,” I said.

“Does Lynn know about ‘your little friend?’” she asked.

“No, actually – We’re going really slow, as far as that’s concerned. I don’t want to scare her from boys completely, so it will take time before we make much progress on that front,” I responded rather indignantly.

“So, how long since you’ve been with a girl?”

“Jesus, Kami – that’s a rotten thing to ask your own brother!” I said pushing her off me, and going upstairs.

About thirty minutes later, there was a knock on my door.

“Go away, Kami” I said. “And don’t sit by the door this time, please?”

“All right, I’m sorry – I’m really sorry for that!” she said sounding on the verge of tears.

She may be ripe for taking tonight, if I work this right. I have one chance, or she’ll hate me forever.

“Come in, its unlocked,” I said already under my covers in only my boxers.

“Can I crawl in bed with you, please?”

“Kami, when we were ten and twelve, it wasn’t a big deal, but you’re twenty-two, and so beautiful. I don’t know if I can keep from holding you ... tight. I’ve been fighting these feelings for such a long time. I may never want you to leave my bed again.”

“Randall, don’t be such a drama queen. I’m wearing plenty of clothes, so just let me crawl in behind you, so we can talk.”

I felt her get in. I turned off the light, leaving the streetlight from two doors down to stream into my window.

“Randall,” she said.

“What is it?” I responded.

“Have you ever made love with anyone?”

“Kami – that’s ... that’s absolutely none of your business!”

“So that means ‘NO?’”

Whisper quiet, I said, “Yes, I’ve never made love to a girl before. Just go to sleep, I really don’t want to talk about this ... especially with you?”

“What does that mean - especially with me?” she turned to ask.

I turned so we were face-to-face, “Long before Lynn, before any other girl ... I’ve wanted you. I’ve wanted my own sister. I know it’s sick and taboo and anything else you can think of. I remember the very first time I thought of you that way. You were fourteen; I was only twelve. We still lived at our first house ... with the pool.”