Kira entered the kitchen and saw Sarah cooking dinner, her movements precise and focused. The aroma of sautéed onions and garlic filled the air. Her father, Tom, sat at the table, engrossed in reading the news on his tablet.Tom wasn’t as strict as Sarah, but he always sided with her, so the final word was always Sarah’s. Kira approached the table and sat down next to Tom, taking a deep breath to steady her nerves.“You know I’m an excellent student,” Kira started, her voice soft and cautious. Tom glanced up from his tablet, a small smile on his face. “Yes, you are,” he said, patting her on the shoulder.“And I almost never ask for anything. I don’t rebel and I help around the house,” Kira continued, trying to build her case.Sarah, sensing something was up, turned from the stove and looked directly at Kira. “What do you want?” she asked, her tone firm. Kira hesitated, trying to keep the conversation light. “Why do you assume I want something? Maybe I just wanted to remind you what a wonderful daughter you have.” Sarah gave her a stern look, clearly not amused. “Ugh,” Kira grunted. “Okay, Stacy is having a party tonight, and I—”“No,” Sarah cut her off, turning back to the stove. “I didn’t even finish my sentence!” Kira protested, her frustration bubbling over. “You’re not going to the party. You can stop this conversation right now,” Sarah said, her tone leaving no room for argument. Kira turned to Tom, hoping for support. “Dad?”Tom sighed, putting down his tablet. “You know your mother’s word is law,” he said calmly. “But I’m almost 16! All the other kids go to parties, and I haven’t been to a single one!” Kira said, stretching the truth. She had been to many parties, but this was her best friend’s party. She couldn’t miss it. “When you’re 21, then you can go to parties,” Sarah said, her back still turned. “There won’t be any alcohol!” Kira pleaded.“Kira, what part of ‘no’ don’t you understand?” Sarah continued, her voice sharp. “Why do you have to be like this?!” Kira asked, her voice tinged with desperation. “Throwing a tantrum won’t change anything,” Sarah said, her tone unyielding. Kira felt a surge of anger and shouted, “If Meredith were here, she would support me!” Meredith was her older sister. Despite the fifteen-year age gap, they always understood each other. Meredith was the only person who always got Kira.“But she’s not here, so this conversation is over,” Sarah said, her voice final. Kira stood up abruptly, her chair scraping loudly against the floor. Kira stormed out of the kitchen, her face flushed with anger, slamming the door behind her as she entered her room. Her frustration boiled over as she paced back and forth. They didn’t let her go, but that didn’t mean Kira wasn’t going.She sat on her bed, waiting for what felt like hours until she heard her parents’ footsteps retreat to their bedroom. The house grew quiet, signaling it was time. Kira quickly arranged her pillows and blanket to look like she was in bed, creating a convincing decoy. She tiptoed to the door, pausing to listen for any sounds from her parents. Satisfied, she slipped out of her room and carefully made her way down the hall. The front and back doors had bells that would ring if someone entered or exited the house. However, there was another way out—the garage.Kira had snuck out this way many times and had never been caught. She crept into the garage, her heart pounding with a mix of excitement and nerves. While turning on the flashlight on her phone, she bumped into a shelf, causing some boxes to crash to the floor. Kira winced, freezing in place, praying her parents hadn’t heard anything.She shone the flashlight around and started picking up what had fallen. Among the items, she found a photo of Meredith when she was about Kira’s age. In the picture, Meredith was pregnant. “What the…?” Kira said aloud, her eyes widening in shock. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Suddenly, a message from Stacy popped up: “When are you coming???” followed by another: “The party is in full swing.”Kira shook her head, deciding to deal with the photo later. She pocketed it and left the house, carefully closing the garage door behind her. The cool night air hit her face as she hurried to Stacy’s house. When Kira arrived at the party, everyone was having fun. Music blared from the speakers, and people danced and laughed all around her. Stacy spotted her and pulled her onto the dance floor, where they joined the throng of dancing teens.About an hour later, the music suddenly stopped, and someone shouted, “COPS! RUN!” Panic erupted as everyone scattered in different directions. Kira’s heart raced as she headed for the front door, her mind focused on escaping. She opened the door and found herself face-to-face with a police officer. “Going somewhere, young lady?” he asked, his voice firm. “Damn,” Kira muttered under her breath, realizing she was caught.Half an hour later, Kira sat in the police station, feeling a mix of fear and shame. The harsh lights made the room feel cold and unwelcoming. She stared at the clock, waiting for Meredith to pick her up. Kira couldn’t call her parents; she knew they would be furious. Meredith lived in a neighboring town, and although she was angry about having to drive at night, she came. When Meredith walked into the station, her face was a mix of worry and frustration. “Let’s go,” she said curtly. Kira followed her out to the car, feeling small and guilty.They got into the car, and Meredith started the engine without a word. The drive was tense and silent for the first few minutes. “I was almost asleep,” Meredith said, her voice tight with frustration as they drove. “Sorry,” Kira replied. “Why were you arrested? Were you the drunkest one?” Meredith asked, glancing sideways at Kira.“What? No, there wasn’t any alcohol. I just didn’t get away in time,” Kira explained, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. “What a lame party,” Meredith scoffed, shaking her head. Kira put her hands in her pockets and felt the photo she had found in the garage. She hesitated but then looked at Meredith uncertainly. “What? Don’t worry, I won’t tell our parents,” Meredith said, trying to reassure her.“No, it’s not that. I found a photo in the garage,” Kira said, her voice trembling slightly. “What photo?” Meredith asked, her curiosity piqued. “Yours,” Kira said, pulling the photo from her pocket and handing it to Meredith. “Oh boy,” Meredith said, her eyes widening when she saw the picture.“Why are you pregnant in this photo? And where is this child?” Kira asked, her mind racing with confusion and questions. Meredith took a deep breath. “Well, it looks like it’s time for a talk, but I think Mom and Dad should be present for this conversation,” she said, pulling the car into the driveway and parking. She got out of the car, and Kira followed, her heart pounding. “Why can’t you tell me now?” Kira insisted, her voice rising with frustration. “Our parents are awake,” Meredith said, looking up at the house. Kira looked up and saw the light on in their bedroom.“Meredith, why can’t you tell me?” Kira pressed, her voice desperate. “Because I don’t know how to say it,” Meredith admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. “Say what?!” Kira demanded, her patience wearing thin. “That I’m your mother,” Meredith said quietly, her words hanging in the air.“WHAT?!” Kira screamed, her voice echoing through the quiet street. The front door opened, and Sarah and Tom appeared, their faces a mix of confusion and concern. “What’s going on?” Sarah asked, her eyes darting between Kira and Meredith. “She knows everything,” Meredith said, her shoulders slumping. “Knows what?” Tom asked, his voice tense.“What do you mean you’re my mother?!” Kira shouted at Meredith, her voice breaking. “You told her?!” Sarah said angrily, turning to Meredith. “She found the photo; I couldn’t lie to her,” Meredith replied, her voice steady but sad. “You had no right!” Sarah yelled, her face red with anger.“Is that all you care about?!” Kira screamed, tears streaming down her face. “You’ve lied to me my whole life! I don’t want to see any of you!” She turned and ran, her heart breaking as she fled from the only family she had ever known. Kira ran to the river, where she often played as a child. The familiar sounds of the water did little to calm her. She cried, unable to believe she had lived a lie her entire life.Her sobs echoed in the quiet night. After some time, she heard someone sit next to her. She looked up and saw Meredith, her eyes full of worry and sadness. “How did you know I’d be here?” Kira asked, her voice still shaky from crying. “Don’t forget who showed you this place,” Meredith replied with a small smile. “Why didn’t you ever tell me?” Kira asked, her eyes searching Meredith’s face for answers.Meredith took a deep breath. “I was 15 when you were born, still in school. You know how our Mom is, well, my Mom. She couldn’t let anyone find out.” “But it’s been almost 16 years,” Kira said, her frustration clear. “I know. Every day I struggled with the desire to tell you everything. But Mom forbade it, said it would ruin your life. That’s why I moved away,” Meredith explained, her eyes filled with regret.“I’m still mad at you for leaving. You were the only one who understood me,” Kira said, her voice softening. “I know,” Meredith said, pulling Kira into a hug. “It was hard for me too, being away from my favorite person in the world.” “You should have told me a long time ago,” Kira said, her voice muffled against Meredith’s shoulder.“I know, I know. Can you forgive me? I’ll try to stop being your sister and start being your mom,” Meredith said, looking Kira in the eyes. Kira nodded slowly. “So, should I start calling you Mom?” she asked, a small smile playing on her lips. “Only if you call Sarah Grandma. She’ll be furious,” Meredith replied, trying to lighten the mood.Kira and Meredith laughed together, the tension easing a bit. “Call me whatever feels right,” Meredith said. “We’ll get used to this gradually.” “Okay,” Kira said, finally hugging Meredith back tightly. They sat there for a while, finding comfort in each other’s presence, knowing they had a long road ahead but feeling hopeful.