It was a cold winter's day when Lily arrived in Brooklyn. The cold air pinched her cheeks and once again she cursed her dear cousin Nadia for talking her into this. Since she was out of a job and didn't really have anything to do back at home, Lily took her up on her offer. Huffing and puffing, she dragged her bags from the taxi, glaring at the driver all the while, who sat in his warm taxi and didn't even ask her if she needed any help.
Well, her first hour and a half in America didn't go quite as she planned it
. What she wanted, was for Nadia to wait for her at the airport and drive her herself to the house, where she would make her home for a couple of months. As any good cousin would. Lily haven't seen her in the flesh for a couple of years, since she was last in London and she really missed her. But no such luck. She texted her that she would have to stay at work late, gave her the address to her house and Lily thanked God that she mailed her the house key three months ago, while she was preparing for the trip across the ocean.
The doors creaked when Lily entered Nadia's apartment. The first thing she did was open all the lights in the house. Even at 24, the dark still freaked her out. That paranoia wasn't going anywhere any time soon. Even as she slept, she kept the little glowing ceramic monkey on her bedside. It was embarrassing, she knew, but she couldn't herself. The apartment was warm and cozy. Lily felt shivers all across her body as it accustomed to the warmth.
She went into a spare room, which she presumed was hers, since the door was open wide. It was a white painted room, with a queen sized bed. Lily smiled as she realized that Nadia remembered her love for the color pink, when she saw the bedding. The softest baby pink color that Lily have ever seen, and a myriad of pillows scattered on the bed and an adjoined armchair. A huge closed was on the other side of the room, and Lily fell in love with it the first time she ever lay her eyes on it. It had minor scratches on, so she thought that Nadia bought it second hand. It only added to its appeal, since it must've have history. It was quality walnut, she presumed, with serpentine shaped body and a large central beveled mirror door. It oozed charm and character. It appeared that Nadia left the room practically bare for Lily to decorate it to her liking. She sighed and left her suitcases on the floor and went to search for some food.
When she opened the fridge door, Lily smiled wide. Array of food, from veggies to cold meats were scattered all over the fridge. She will have to take care of it tomorrow. It seems that Nadia took out that stick that she so often had in her back. Because the Nadia she knew liked all of her things in order, be it something irrelevant as her fridge, or anything personal in her life, really.
When she was in her teens, Lily was always a little envious of Nadia.
For her wispy, slender figure, which Lily could only hope for having. You would think that Nadia never ate anything more than a green smoothie and an apple a day, but Nadia eats like a horse, literary. No green stuff for Nadia, only fast and greasy food. You have to force salads and vegetables down her throat. Then there was Nadia's aristocratic face. Her Swedish roots didn't hinder her appearance. But Lily thought that what captivated people the most were her deep set brown eyes. It felt like she could look down into your soul.
So, with that being said, nobody could really blame the younger Lily for being a little jealous. She was, after all, the total opposite of her dear cousin. With her curvy hips and a big behind, thick legs, a little accentuated waist and generous breasts, no one really looked at her twice. Her face wasn't anything special, neither, if you asked her. People told her many times that she was pretty, beautiful even, but she never took it truthfully. She had brown, almond shaped eyes, chubby cheeks, and ordinary shaped lips. Not too thin and not too full. But the thing she hated the most, on her face, was her nose. It was too big for her face, and it irritated her immensely. She vowed to undergo a plastic surgery as soon as she found the time and a place.
Before his death, her father used to say that it gives her character, and that as long she is under his roof, she was not going to get rid of it.
Lily rolled her eyes at that memory as she persuaded the fridge. She fetched bananas and eggs and set herself to make some pancakes. She was humming a random song, while the TV served her as a random noise, when she heard a soft whimper from the room closest to her.
Lily stopped her pancake flipping and stood still. Is this it? Have I finally gone mad? she thought to herself. She jerked when she heard an another whimper, accompanied with a bark. She blew out a breath when she realized that Nadia must have gotten herself a dog. Lily even got a little giddy while she unlocked the door, for she didn't have a dog since she was a child. She stood on the opened doorway, when a little grey ball rushed into her calves. A little pit bull with the light grey pelage and the eyes so blue that it seemed that they reflected the entire sky, started to hop on his hind legs. -Oh, look at you. Aren't you a beautiful boy! Yes, you are.- Lily cooed at the dog, as she cradled him in her arms. The dog responded with a happy bark and licks all over her face. As Lily suspected, the dog was in Nadia's room, and while she knew that Nadia wasn't stupid or sadistic to leave this adorable ball of happiness hungry and thirsty, she felt relieved when she saw the empty bowls. -Are you hungry cutie?- she asked the dog, even waiting for some kind of reaction to see if the dog needed anything. But the dog merely laid his dead on the top of her cleavage and snored away. Typical man, Lily snorted.
So, Lily ate her pancakes, washed the dishes, and dozed off on the couch while waiting for her cousin to come home, all the while cuddling the pit bull on her chest.