Reuniting Sisters

Olivia

I stood in front of the mirror, staring at my reflection longer than usual. My fingers trembled a little as I smoothed the hem of my dress for the fourth time, pressing down a wrinkle that wasn’t even there.

It had been years.

Years since I last saw my sister.

My step-sister…

The thought alone made my stomach twist with both excitement and a strange kind of worry. I wasn’t even sure why I was nervous. Maybe because too much time had passed. Maybe because people change.

“Just breathe,” I whispered to myself.

I ran my fingers through my hair one last time, then reached for my purse and my car keys. I was going to see my sister again after almost a decade.

She was finally back in New York… for her wedding preparations. I was so shocked when she suddenly called me a few days ago to tell me she was getting married. It was quite unexpected news, yet a happy one.

I drove to the hotel where we agreed to meet, and by the time I reached the hotel restaurant, my palms were already sweating.

I found one of the tables off to the side and sat down. Suddenly, I heard a soft voice speak behind me.

“Olivia!”

My whole body jolted.

I turned around immediately, and the moment my eyes landed on her, a wave of warmth rushed through me.

“Jasmine!”

Jasmine rushed toward me and hugged me tight. “I missed you so much!” she exclaimed excitedly.

I felt something squeeze inside my chest.

“I missed you too, sis,” I whispered into her shoulder.

She pulled back but held my hand exactly the way she always used to when we were kids… even though I was older by just one year.

She tugged me gently toward a nearby table.

“Come, sit!” she said, smiling wide.

I let her pull me along. For a moment, it really felt like nothing had changed. Like all those years apart didn’t exist.

“I still can’t believe I’m seeing you again after almost a decade,” she said, shaking her head. “I wanted to contact you all this while, I did, but things kept happening and…” She paused, then suddenly asked, “How’s your mom?”

My smile slowly dimmed as memories resurfaced… memories I tried not to revisit too often. Memories of how everything fell apart.

Jasmine’s father had been a widower when he met my mom. She had also been a widow, still grieving but trying hard to move forward and raise me alone. They found comfort in each other and decided to build a family together, to raise two lonely girls as sisters under the same roof.

For a while, it truly felt like a family.

A happy one.

But happiness never stayed long.

Back then, I was too young to understand anything clearly. I only remember bits and pieces—my mother crying in a hospital room, looking completely broken.

Mom never told me exactly what went wrong, why they separated and why Jasmine's father abandoned us at the hospital with Sam, my newborn brother, but whatever happened between them was serious—serious enough that their marriage ended and our family split apart.

After the separation, Jasmine’s father took her away—out of New York—while my mother stayed behind with me and Sam.

Mom never recovered from what happened. The separation didn’t just break the family; it shattered something inside her. Even years later, she avoided the details, as if speaking them out loud would reopen wounds that never truly healed.

“Olivia …?”

Jasmine’s soft voice pulled me back to the present.

I blinked and forced myself to smile.

“Mom is fine,” I said softly. “She’s doing well.”

Jasmine nodded. “That’s good. I’m glad to hear that.”

I cleared my throat gently before asking, “And your father? How is he?”

Her smile brightened. “He’s doing really well. And he’ll be coming to New York soon for my wedding.”

Right. Her wedding.

The reason she came back.

Jasmine reached into her bag and pulled out a small, elegant envelope. She slid it across the table toward me.

“I want you to be one of my bridesmaids,” she said with a warm smile.

My breath caught. For a moment, I felt too stunned to speak. Me? My heart felt warm. I never expected this, not after all the years apart.

“I… I’d love to,” I said finally, smiling at her.

Jasmine squealed softly and stood up from her chair, hugging me tightly.

“Thank you!” she exclaimed. “I’m so happy you said yes!”

“I’m honored you asked.”

She pulled back with her smile still glowing.

“I want you to meet my fiancé too,” she said excitedly. “He’s here! He should be coming downstairs soon.”

I chuckled lightly. “I also want to see the lucky man who managed to steal my sister.”

Jasmine laughed. “We’re both lucky to have each other.”

I watched her face, seeing the happiness dancing in her eyes. She still looked like the girl I remembered; the sweet, kind, gentle Jasmine that cried bitterly when her father took her away from us. Back in school, she was the school belle. Everyone loved her. Beautiful hair, bright smile, friendly nature. She was perfect, if you asked me.

Me? I was just… there. Ordinary. Quiet. The sister who blended into the background. But Jasmine never treated me that way. She always introduced me proudly as her sister. She held my hand in public. She defended me when people tried to look down on me.

She helped me find confidence again.

How could I not love her?

“Darling,” Jasmine suddenly called out softly, her eyes lit with excitement.

That must be her fiancé.

I turned my head to greet him… and froze.

I didn’t move.

I couldn’t move.

My body felt like it turned to stone.

Because the man walking toward us…

Looked exactly like…

No.

No, no, no.

It couldn’t be.

That face.

That height.

That same build.

Those same, beautiful eyes…

It couldn’t be him.

It just couldn’t.

Was I hallucinating? Was this some sick joke life was playing on me? Or was I just losing my mind?

Jasmine ran straight into his arms, hugging him. He gently hugged her and even helped lift a strand of hair off her cheek.

I felt my stomach drop.

Jasmine pulled back slightly and smiled up at him.

“Axel,” she said sweetly. “Come meet my sister.”

Axel…

So that was his name.

He turned to me and smiled politely before stretching out his hand.

“It’s nice to finally meet the sister of the love of my life,” he said.

His voice.

Dear God.

I stared at him… unable to blink, unable to breathe.

It was him!

The same gigolo I had a one-night stand with!

He was… Jasmine’s fiancé.

He stood there with calm eyes, looking at me with his hand stretched forward. My heart pounded so loudly.

“Olivia ?” Jasmine said gently, frowning a little. “Is something wrong?”

My mind scrambled to say something. Anything.

“Sorry,” I said with an awkward laugh. “I… uh… thought I forgot to turn off my car headlights.” I waved a hand dismissively. “But it’s nothing. Really.”

Axel’s lips curved slightly, but he didn’t drop his hand. I forced myself to reach out and shake it.

“It’s nice to meet you.”

His hand was warm. Too warm. The second our skin touched, memories from that night began to surface. My stomach felt like it flipped upside down. I quickly withdrew my hand and awkwardly cleared my throat.

But I didn’t see any hint of recognition on his face. Not a single one. Could I probably be mistaken? Could it be that he was a twin or something? Or he probably didn’t even remember me anymore?

We all sat, and the waiter arrived to take our orders. They both ordered while I only asked for a glass of water. When the waiter returned with it, his hand slightly slipped, and a bit of the water splashed onto Jasmine.

“Oh—! I’m so sorry,” he said quickly, grabbing napkins.

Jasmine gave him a tight smile. “It’s okay. Really.”

She excused herself, saying she needed to use the restroom, and stood up from the table before walking away.

Leaving me alone.

With him.

Great. Just great.

I took a slow, dragging sip and stared at the glass of water like it was the most interesting thing to look at just to avoid looking at him.

For a moment, there was silence.

Then…

A soft chuckle.

My heart skipped.

“Liv,” he said smoothly.

My fingers froze around the glass.

I looked at him.

And there it was.

That faint smirk.

The same exact one he wore that night.

“We meet again,” he murmured, leaning back comfortably. “I was starting to think I’d never see you again, sweetheart.”

My mind went blank.

My throat tightened.

He was the one.

He remembered.