Jessie Sears

You Can't Hide Forever

It’s interesting how four-hours can feel like a lifetime. I watch Maggie trail ahead of me in the snow, thinking of ways to break the news. News that will break her heart, and I don’t know exactly how to do that to my only sister. Not only is Maggie my only sister, but she’s also my best friend. I remember in great detail the first time we ever trekked up to the family cabin. It was summer and we were both still in elementary school. We stopped at every lake we passed, jumped in together, and splashed around with no care in the world. We would look back and smile at our parents, trying to convince them to jump in, too. But they always just sat there at the edge of the water, holding each other’s hands and waving at us. In the winter, we would snowshoe up and ski down. Before we could ski, we sled and laughed ourselves into crying every time we crashed into the fluffy white snow. It was a simpler time and if we could go back to our past lives, I would take that opportunity in an instant.