Learning to Remember

17. It All Came Flooding

Ten Minutes Earlier.

"Hello?!"

She tensed in fear when she heard a voice coming from inside the house. Turning the shower off, she wrapped her soap covered body in a towel and turned the bathroom fan off so she could listen.

"I'm home! Where are you?" A woman's voice called out.

Something extremely familiar washed through her but she couldn't quite place it.

"Archie! I missed you! How are you, my big baby."

She heard the woman speak lovingly to the dog. "What is happening?" She whispered as she cracked the door open.

"Jovie, where are you?" The woman's voice came from the hall entrance and suddenly they both froze.

"Jovie, why didn't you just tell me you were in the shower, you didn't have to come out in your towel with soap all over you."   The woman laughed.

"You...you scared me." She whispered.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to. Go. Hurry and finish your shower so we can catch up." The woman smiled.

"Millie..." she said in disbelief.

"You know I haven't wanted to be called that since we started high school, Jovie." The woman sighed.

"Millie!" As the memories flooded in, she ran to the woman and embraced her in a hug. "Oh my... I can't... I have so much to tell you..."

"Ok, ok me too. But can you please go wash off and then get dressed first? You're getting me soaked." The woman laughed as she pushed her away.

"Right." She said as she looked down at the dripping floor beneath her. "Give me a few minutes. I'll be right out.  Don't go anywhere."

"This is my house, where would I go?" I'll just go get my bags and start unpacking while you finish.

When the woman turned and walked back toward the living room, she rushed back into the bathroom and turned the water back on. As she washed herself off, she let the memories sink in. The first ones that came to mind were the flashbacks she'd already had. But now they were more complete.

Picking up the mascara she'd dropped, she stood back up to look at the mirror.  "I can't believe you talked me into this ridiculous makeup." She laughed at her reflection as she finished applying the dark ink to her lashes.

"Jovie. Seeing Reba, the grand lady herself, live in concert deserves some glam, sister." Amelia responded while applying bright red lipstick.  "Here. let's both do red lips tonight."

"Millie, you know I can't pull off those bold colors. I don't have the confidence you have." She responded while shaking her head.

"First of all, stop calling me Millie.   Secondly, we're identical twins. If I can pull it off, so can you."

She felt her heart rate spike as the full realization was finally sinking in.  She thought of the other flashback she had experienced while she was on the train with John.

'Millie... we've loved each other our whole lives." Evan Edwards had said while surrounded by his friends and family.  "Tomorrow we will make it official, and you will finally become Mrs. Edwards."  Evan raised his glass to the crowd, who raised their glasses as well.  Jovie watched as her sister left her side and crossed the room to kiss her fiance and join in his toast. 

"To the future Mr. and Mrs. Edwards!" Jovie had called out just before they all clapped in unison.

As the water ran down her face, sighed as everything began to make more sense. Amelia was her identical twin sister.  She wasn't Amelia at all, she was Jovie the less popular, quirky sister.