Walking around like some lonely clown

 Millie was finally settling in at KC's. Although, he kept reminding her it was their place. Not his. It would take some getting used to. Of course, she was sick, but thankfully Covid ran it's course quickly.

She thought about how she'd dodged it all this time. Yes, she got her vaccines in the beginning, but this last year or so the family PCM said it wasn't necessary. Oh, it felt necessary now. She was dragging. Maybe she'd had Covid longer than she even knew, but KC didn't get it.

And then after getting the apartment all in order, and putting together a few more shelving units, and having her favorite futon in the livingroom..finally it felt like she had really moved in. It felt like her happy place. Her desk area was situated where she studied. Yes, her laptop needed it's own space. She liked it that way. Perhaps she was an old soul at heart. Her mother used to tell her this. And she was certain her mother loved having an empty nest too. Which only lasted for a week. Millie's sister came back home from New York City.

Of course, no one really got any answers out of Tyra who looked so gaunt. This tiny girl. She'd left a fierce wonder woman. But it was over with her and her partner and her parents had to send her a bus ticket to get home.

Naturally, Millie had a good cry about it at home. And there was KC to console her. She hadn't meant to be such a baby about it, but she felt so sad for Tyra.

"Will we ever know what happened?" She'd asked KC late one night.

"Probably not," he shrugged. 

"I wish we were close," she blubbered.

"Are you sure you're not just homesick?" He'd asked if she'd feel better if she spent the night at home, having some time with her sister.

She shook her head no, and cried on his shoulder as if she didn't even know the truth.

"Let's just give her some time," KC patted her on the back. "She is working at the bowling alley again, you know."

It wan't like she was sulking at home under the covers. Millie sighed in a pout, "Why can't she and I be close like other sisters?"

She liked being close to KC. She told him she thought it was sweet the way he was with his little sister, Junie.

"Sweet?" He laughed. "We aren't close." He told he saw more of Junie now than he did when he lived at home. "Besides, she is my step-sister."

"But she thinks the world of you," Millie looked at him brightly. "Remember when she brought over those big fat green grapes. She remembered those were your favorites so she made sure your mom bought extra so she could bring them to us."

"Don't you know, they think we're starving, that's why she brought us grapes and bananas too."

"Tyra would never do something like that for me," Millie shook her head, no. "No, all we ever did was fuss and I ..I regret that..but..but she was the one who started it. She always made me feel that I didn't understand anything she was going through."

"You both like music," he reminded her. 

She nodded. Her frown was full circle. "She's so much better than me, but..but I never envied her. I didn't. I just know..I looked up to her."

"Maybe when she gets into a good schedule, you could see if..if she would want to play with us. Maybe, maybe you two could just play some music," he shrugged.

Millie nodded. She would like that. Of course, she could just hear her sister say No. She was used to hearing that word from her.