Rana walked into Roy's café nervously running a thumb up and down the strap of her purse.

It was her lunch hour. And though her stomach felt unsettled, it wasn't because she was hungry.

Carla had visited the medical centre that morning for a check up and, for whatever reason, insisted on meeting her for lunch that afternoon. Though Rana had heard many great things about her from Kate, those stories did nothing to stop the anxiety that was coursing through her nerves as she approached the table where Carla was waiting for her.

Rana smiled, trying not to let her trepidation show when the older woman stood up and greeted her with an unexpected hug. "Nice to see you again, Rana. Can I get you anything? A coffee and a sandwich, perhaps?"

Rana took her seat at the table. "No, thank you. I'm actually not very hungry at the moment."

Carla nodded in response. "Alright, if you say so." She smiled cheekily at Roy when he brought over a glass of orange juice and some toast for her as soon as they sat down. "I didn't order this, but thanks anyway, dad."

Roy shook his head in amusement and walked away, not feeling a need to respond to the remark.

Rana chuckled lightly at the interaction. "Dad?"

Carla looked over at Roy again with a fond smile as he worked the counter. "Yeah, he's always been like family to me."

She paused briefly and turned to face Rana again with a pensive expression. "Kate as well. I loved her like a sister even before I found out she was actually my sister."

Rana cleared her throat nervously. "Yeah, she's told me. I'm glad she has someone like you in her life."

Carla leisurely began swirling the straw in her orange juice. "Me too," she said, still solemn. "I like being a big sister to her, you know? I enjoy protecting her and giving her bits of advice so she doesn't make the same kind of mistakes I made."

Rana nodded her head slowly and swallowed hard. "Makes sense that you'd feel that way."

She suddenly wished she'd taken Carla up on her offer for a drink because she could feel her mouth getting dry. Her gut instinct was telling her that this conversation was headed in a direction she wasn't ready for.

"I've been gone for a while, so I'm trying to get a good feel for where everyone's at, mentally. I need to know what's going on so I can properly help the people I care about."

"Yeah, of course," Rana agreed, releasing a deep breath as she spoke.

Carla stopped playing with her straw and shifted the glass to one side of the table as she made eye contact with Rana. "I understand that you and Kate have gotten really close since I've been gone."

Rana briefly averted her eyes. "Yeah, you could say that. She's been a great…. friend."

"Hmm…that's not surprising. She's always had a heart of gold…."

Carla continued after a few moments of silence. "Should I be worried about her though? She hasn't quite seemed like herself."

Rana began fiddling with the napkin in front of her, simultaneously forcing a smile onto her face. "No, I don't believe so. She's doing quite well….as far as I can tell."

"Well, darling, she was in bits in my arms just last night, so I don't think she's doing well at all."

Rana's eyes widened some. She was going to say something, but was cut off before she could utter a word.

"I know about what's been going on with the two of you, so please…just be honest with me," Carla said. Her tone was gentle, but firm. "If you're not going to pick Kate, then please just let her go so she can heal."

Rana looked around before leaning forward and speaking in a low voice. "I didn't mean for this to happen, okay? I don't want to hurt her."

"But she's already hurting, Rana. She may seem strong a lot of the time, but she's suffering. You need to make a decision about what you want…who you want…because this isn't fair to Kate."

Rana sighed and leaned back into her chair. "I know. Everything is just…hard. I'm new to all this and I don't know how to handle it."

"If she's the one you truly want, then she can help you. You don't have to go through this alone," Carla urged. Rana was grateful for the compassion she could hear in her voice. It was comforting.

"I know I don't. But I've got so much to deal with. I'm at risk of blowing up my whole life….my family…"

Carla nodded in understanding. "I've had my fair share of affairs, so I know what it can be like. The guilt, the shame, the fear; I felt it all. It's easy to focus on the negatives. But maybe try looking at the positives of this situation? Like….how do you feel about my sister?"

Rana paused, looked around for a couple of seconds again, and answered earnestly. "I….I love her…"

Carla smiled immediately. Hearing the truth about Rana's feelings from the woman herself, meant that there was a good chance this would end well for her sister. At least, that's what she hoped.

"…And…I love the fact that she accepts me for who I am," Rana continued. "She doesn't try to suppress me in any way. She just loves me for me and…I've never had anyone love me like that before."

Carla reached across the table and placed a hand on one of Rana's. She could see the vulnerability shining in her eyes as she spoke.

"Well, if that's the case…it sounds to me like you guys have something really special. Don't throw it away because you're scared. At the end of the day, this is your life and you only get one chance to live it, so do what makes you happy, regardless of what people think."

Rana smiled sadly at Carla's words. "That's easier said than done."

"True. But the best things in life never come easy. You have to be willing to make sacrifices."

Carla gave her an encouraging smile and squeezed her hand a bit. "I reckon that the love you share with Kate is worth a sacrifice, right?"

Rana's smile became warm as Carla's optimism sank into the depths of her heart. "I suppose," she said, softly.

"Good." Carla withdrew her hand and checked the time. "Listen, I have a meeting with Aidan soon, so I've got to run. Thanks for coming."

"No problem. Thanks for the invite. I feel a little bit better knowing that you don't hate me," Rana chuckled. "I thought you were going to rip my head off."

The older woman grabbed her purse along with her coat and rose from her chair. "I just might if Kate comes crying to me again because of you," she deadpanned.

Her face broke out into a grin when she noticed that Rana was visibly terrified. "Relax, I'm joking." She gave her a pat on the shoulder as she left the table and walked out of the café. "You'll have to get used to my humor if this is gonna work."