All That We Are

|Sisters|

*Warning-This chapter contains both physical and verbal abuse. Some readers may find it disturbing. Read at your own risk*

~~~

Vera.

~~~

Daylight left on brisk wings. The evening had come, and night would quickly follow.

Mother had been in bed all night and all day. She wasn't sick-but she was too depressed to get up from her bed.

"Come on, mom-you have to eat something."

Vera waved a spoonful of porridge in front of her mother's mouth, and pleaded, cried at times and finally, she threw the entire bowl in the trash out of frustration.

Her sister stood by the doorway in her usual tears. At five years old, Ivy had no one but her twelve-year-own sister to rely on. And she worried about her mother. Wondering why she had been acting so weak and tired these past few months.

"Hand me the pills, Ivy," Vera held her out expectantly, but Ivy stood still, unmoving and with unending tears flowing down her cheeks.

There was a loud rap at the door and Ivy ran out of the room, in a fit of cries.

"He's here," Vera said to herself. She hurriedly sat her mother up in bed and fixed her ruffled shirt before running to the dining room and making sure his dinner was still hot.

"Get me a beer, girl," He ran his fingers through his rough beard and took a seat at the dining room table, immediately propping his feet up and snatching the cold beer from Hedy's hands.

"Tell the whore to come out and please her husband."

Vera shifted nervously. There would be no 'pleasing' from her mother. She wasn't even in a good enough state to get up from bed.

"I go to work every day," he stood up angrily and Vera backed away, "Make money for this family, provide for you," he pointed the tip of his empty beer bottle at her,

"A child that isn't even mine."

"She's unwell."

"What do mean, unwell?" He shoved Vera to the wall.

"You tell the bitch to come, or else."

"She can't get up from bed. She needs therapy."

"You think I have money for therapy?!"

Before Vera could utter another word, all she could feel was the sharp, stinging sensation of the slap she had just received. Her step-father's eyes were glazed, unfocused even. He had had more than a few beers before coming home, and that last one had especially made him out-of-it.

He held her by her collar.

"You'll remember this lesson for the rest of your worthless life. When you're living off scraps with seven kids, you'll remember me and wish you would've just done what was asked."

~~

There had been a couple of loud rings at the doorbell before Vera finally woke up.

"Who is it?" She called groggily through the monitor on her nightstand.

"A stranger." Said the person bubbly. They were too energetic for six in the morning.

Vera pressed a button on the monitor and the gates opened, allowing the car to drive right in.

She grabbed her robe, tied it on, and rushed out of her room to meet her sister after three long years.

"Vera Franzen. Look at how beautiful you are!"

Ivy immediately dropped her bags before grabbing her older sister up in a big, bear hug.

Vera wrapped her arms around awkwardly. A hug was something she hadn't felt in a long time. And being around family after so long was an even stranger feeling.

"University's been kind to you," Vera smiled genuinely for the first time in a while, "New hair?"

Ivy blushed at the fact that her sister had noticed it. But then again, Vera had a photographic memory. And she was the one that had to remind her about many things in her childhood-but Ivy always felt like Vera had kept back some things.

"So, any boyfriend in the mix?"

Vera widened her eyes at the thought.

"No, no I'm still single and happy," she smiled, but Ivy still wasn't convinced.

"Beautiful house-,"

Vera's phone began to ring. And it often did these days.

"I'm sorry, Ivy, but this is important."

"No problem!" She waved her hand, "Go and do your work, girl."

Vera smiled gratefully and disappeared off into another room.

"Tell him to wait a little longer."

It was the first time since she had met with Jacob two days ago that his men had contacted her. He wanted to meet. This time, as pure allies.

But Vera was always good at fooling people. And she was glad that his bodyguards hadn't noticed her three shooters on the roof, rifles pointed at the enemy's gunmen, ready to shoot on command.

"You'll be there, Ms. Franzen. And don't be late."

Then he hung up abruptly as she had previously done to him. There was no backing out now. She would just have to make up some believable excuse to her sister.

"Sorry Ivy, I have to run back to the office now-it's just that, a little-emergency has come up."

"Oh that sounds terrible," her face looked genuinely concerned, "Anything I can help with?"

"No, no-you stay here. I'll be back in about," Vera looked down at her watch, "An hour."

Ivy nodded in understanding and watched as her sister hurried back to her room, throwing on the first outfit she could find and ignoring her usual jewelry.

"I promise I'll make it up to you. Brunch, tomorrow?"

"Can't wait."

Vera hurried out the door and a few minutes later, her Aston Martin could be heard backing out of the driveway.

"Finally," Ivy exclaimed, throwing herself down on the couch and pulling out her cellphone, "I thought she'd never leave."

"Boss?"

"Anything new?"

"Yeah, I'm by the apartment."

"Good. Phase two."

"Don't worry, I'll get it done."