"Where's my Sister? I want to talk to her."

Your mother sighs accepting that you aren't going to discuss this matter with her, not yet.

"Ariana is outside. Waiting for you to take a walk with her I think. She was pretty sure you'd want to have a private talk with her about this."

"Ariana knew about this?" you ask stinging at the secret keeping.

"We told her last night" Ma admitted, "She took it well enough. She asked us to wait another day to tell you, but I didn't trust her to actually keep the secret so I thought it best to be direct about it, even if it is your birthday."

You just nod, thank her for being honest, and headed outside where Ariana is pacing anxiously. She gives you a strained smile as you approach.

"Let's head to our favorite spot," she says gesturing toward the dark line of trees marking the divide into the forest.

You nod and the two of you set off coming to stop upon reaching the bank of the small stream you often splashed around in as kids. It is beautiful a place as ever but it fills you with melancholy as you realize your chances of visiting here are dwindling.

You turn to regard your sister. She's only eleven months older than you but has always seemed above you somehow. You love her dearly but sometimes you feel jealous of how easy things come to her. She's smart for starters, so smart in fact that she's the only one in the village who knows how to read outside of the priest and her siblings whom she **** taught in order to have someone to discuss books with. If that weren't enough she's drop dead gorgeous, long flowing brown hair, similar to your own though a few shades darker, framing a gentle face and a shapely body that turned the head of most all the men in town and several of the women. Unlike you she isn't a virgin, though she is careful to keep her trysts a private affair.

Right now she was looking you up and down lost in thoughts maybe similar to your own. She was waiting for you to speak first you realized.

"How could they just decide this without talking to us first? We're supposed to be adults now but we don't get a say in any of this. It's... it's fucked up."

"Yeah I agree. But Alex do you really want to spend the rest of your life on the farm with Ma and Da?"

"No," you admit, "I've always wanted more than this."

"And so have I. You can't look at this as an ending it's a new beginning. You've heard how many opportunities. It's our chance now. Our chance to have some real control over our lives. Also you know Da especially wouldn't give up the family plot if he saw an alternative we can still be angry with them, but ultimately I think they

You sigh. "Why do you always have to be the mature one."

"I'm older than you"

"By less than a year."

"Okay I'm just naturally wiser than."

Smiling wistfully you say; "Yeah you probably are. Will you stay with me here for a while I need a little time away from the house still."

She places her cool hand over yours, causing goosebumps to ripple across your flesh. You hang out there the rest of the day only returning when it comes time to have your birthday supper. It's all your favorites and you feel your heart warming toward your parents again, and an excitement building as well. Ariana was right, this new adventure could turn out amazing.