Paloma squinted her eyes while they traveled across the plethora of food that covered the dinette table. She admired the fluffy eggs, golden brown pancakes, and strawberry topped French toast that rested on their own respective plates of white china.

Cream cheese covered the toasted whole grain bagels while the overabundance of sausage and bacon toppled over one another as if in competition for dominance. A large bowl of fruit, perhaps the only nutritional item in the house, added an alluring array of colors to the meal.

The intoxicating scent of syrup crept its way into the woman's nose and she couldn't help but smile in contentment. After hours of slaving over a hot stove, despite her original beliefs, her task was finally complete. She reached behind her back and untied the - now heavily stained - apron before lifting it over her head.

Her smile broadened once she heard the creek of the staircase. She tore her eyes away from the meal once she was certain that nothing more could be done to ensure its perfection. She clasped her hands together and waited patiently while her sister finally descended the steps.

Quinn drew her eyebrows in while she studied the brunette as well as the oversized grin plastered on her face.

"...Okay," she started slowly, "I don't know why you're looking at me like that but I just wanted to let you know I'm heading out."

Paloma's heart sank into the pit of her stomach and it wasn't until she eyed the girl carefully that she noticed the stack of books that was trapped beneath her arm and the dog leash she held in her hand.

"What? Where?"

Quinn shrugged her shoulders. "I'm just gonna take Siberia for a walk and drop these books off at the library." She quietly shushed the dog that whined and repeatedly scratched at the front door impatiently, her excitement getting the better of her.

"Seriously? You haven't been out of your room all day and the second you finally do you're leaving? Come on, I made your favorite: El Desayuno para la Cena."

The redhead chuckled, "What?"

Paloma scoffed and rolled her nut-brown eyes. "Breakfast for dinner. Don't you pay attention in Spanish class?"

"Nope." She steadied the books in her arms while reaching for the doorknob, however, before she could make an exit, her sister intervened, preventing her from going any further. Quinn groaned in frustration and looked up at the woman. "Paloma, I have to get these back before the library closes."

"Take them back tomorrow."

"They'll be late tomorrow," Quinn contended.

"Listen, kid, I slaved over a stove for two hours and made a feast large enough to feed a family of four for about three days. The bacon's crispy, the eggs are fluffy, and I hand-squeezed the orange juice for Christ's sake. Sit your ass down and eat," she commanded.

"I'm not hungry right now." The girl smiled sheepishly once Paloma expunged a frustrated sigh. "Sorry." She slipped past the brunette and pulled the door open, a grimace eased its way onto her face as she looked through the glass door. She could practically feel her sister glaring at her. She turned to face the woman and flashed a sincere smile. "I'll eat when I get back, I swear."

"The food will be cold by the time you get back."

"I'll heat it up." Quinn readjusted the books in her arms and shrugged her shoulders. "I gotta go."

Paloma gritted her teeth at the determination on her sister's face. She marched back into the kitchen and snatched her house keys off of the counter before returning to the girl's side. "Fine."

Quinn shifted on her feet and cocked an eyebrow. "What are you doing?"

Paloma's words were filled with conviction, "I'm coming with you."

The teenager frantically shook her head, Paloma rested her hands on her hips as a result. "No thanks, I'm not twelve. I don't need an escort."

"It'll be dark before you get back, there's no way in hell I'm letting you walk around out there all by yourself."

"I'll be fine, okay?"

She expunged a frustrated sigh once her sister shook her head stubbornly. Quinn was well aware that it was nearly impossible to get the woman to change her mind once she was set on something.

"I won't be," Paloma swiftly retorted. "I'll just end up being worried about you until you get home."

"Siberia will be there protect me," Quinn assured.

"Well, that'll make two of us." The woman smiled one of her condescending smiles and it took everything in Quinn to not roll her eyes. She took the books from the redhead's arms and settled them into her own. "Come on."

Paloma huffed quietly as she struggled to keep up with the teenager's fast movements, she was well aware that her sister decided to take on her particularly speedy pace simply to spite her, even so, she wasn't giving in to the impending urge to beg the girl to slow down.

She was surprised once Quinn abruptly stopped in her tracks. Paloma did the same in attempts to prevent herself from crashing into her violently.

"I know what this is," came the redhead's impromptu words.

"What do mean?"

"This." She tensed her jaw and motioned the air around them. "You coming with me, you following me, you watching my every move. I'm fine, alright? So, you just can stop."

Paloma pursed her lips and pulled the books closer to her chest. "Stop what?"

"Stop smothering me. Ever since you found out about me and Charlie that's all you've been doing. God, you're worst than mom was with that whole dance thing."

Quinn tugged on the Siberia's leash and continued forward, Paloma quickly following behind.

"What dance thing?"

"You know...the dance thing."

Paloma merely shrugged her shoulders and motioned for the girl to elaborate. Quinn expelled a sigh that was obviously laced with vexation, even so, she recalled the memory anyhow.

"I was in sixth grade and there was this stupid dance that mom forced me to go to. And the boy I was supposed to go with never showed. Was I disappointed? Yes. Heartbroken? No. But still, mom felt the need to coddle me and just act so...ugh." Quinn crinkled her nose as if she caught a whiff of a horrid scent. "Unbearable."

She looked at her sister when the woman failed to offer any sort of response. "I'm convinced you're turning into her."

Paloma rolled her eyes once she noted her sister's intense gaze.

"Do you think I like doing this? Acting like this...like her? Having to hunt you down and beg you to tell me what the hell's going on with you? I don't," Paloma affirmed. "But you never tell me anything and I know something's up. I want to help you and if you'd just let me, it wouldn't be like this."

"The whole dinner thing, you coming with me now, you being on my back every day this week...it's all for you. To give yourself peace of mind. It's not for me, so stop pretending like it is. If it were for me you'd give me space like I asked. I mean, I can't have five minutes to myself without you infringing on that. It's so infuriating."

"I didn't realize it pissed you off so much," the brunette admitted. "I thought that's what I was supposed to do, help you. Not just let you fall into this rabbit hole of depression that you love to wallow in, which you're obviously already doing."

"Just because I don't wanna be around you every second of the day doesn't mean I'm depressed or that something's wrong or whatever else screwed up thing you think could be going on."

Paloma blinked her eyes rapidly and nodded her head. "...Okay, I—"

The woman ceased her explanation once Quinn abruptly stopped and turned to face her once again.

"I thought you'd be able to pick up on my clear hints but apparently not. So, I'm gonna be extraordinarily clear, and let me tell ya, I don't think I can possibly be any more explicit than this: turn around, go home, and leave me the hell alone."

Just as soon as the venom dripped from her lips, she snatched the stack of books out of Paloma's arms and turned on her heels. Siberia led the way, her nails clicking against the sidewalk while she trotted along, the two leaving the woman behind.

But only for a moment.

Paloma immediately jogged towards the girl before stepping in front of her, forcing Quinn to cease her movements entirely.

"What makes you think this is all about you, huh?" the brunette bellowed. "Did you ever consider, even for a second, that maybe I made you your favorite meal, followed you out here, went out of my way to do shit for you because I didn't wanna be alone and that was the only way I could get you to spend any time with me?"

Quinn's glare softened as she shifted restlessly on her feet, her gaze settled on the creme-colored concrete. She hadn't considered that in the slightest and she was sure that her silence informed Paloma of that simplistic fact.

"Of course you didn't," the woman muttered as if she could read her sister's mind. "God, you can be such a bitch sometimes. You wanna be alone? Fine." She ripped the books from Quinn's firm grip and stared daggers into the eyes that strongly resembled her own. "Go home."

The teenager grimaced once Paloma stomped on ahead of her. She could practically see the fumes radiating off the woman and while a part of her wanted to adhere to her sister's request, she knew that despite her firm command, she craved anything but solitude.

Quinn gently tugged on Siberia's leash, the two picked up their pace long enough to catch up to Paloma who surprisingly didn't object to their company. Nevertheless, she failed to acknowledge their presence or greet them to any capacity.

"...Sorry," the girl peeped.

When her earnestness was met with silence, she looked up at the woman who merely stared straight ahead, her gaze fixed on nothing in particular as they trekked on. Quinn crept closer to Paloma and nudged her shoulder with her own in attempts to elicit some sort of response.

"Come on," the teenager coaxed in a singsong voice with a small grin on her face.

Despite her efforts, Paloma couldn't fight the growing smile that slowly formed on her lips. She shook her head in hopes to maintain her angry disposition but Quinn knew it lacked sincerity. The brunette took the bait and playfully nudged her back before letting out a soft chuckle, "Shut up."

The sun languidly made its way over the horizon as it concluded yet another day. Pedestrians shied away from the sidewalks and instead retreated into their homes as the night drew nearer. A sense of serenity and peacefulness swept over the Sullivans as they traveled through the quiet produced by the tranquility of the late evening.

They approached the gargantuan library, the steps leading to the building were nearly endless. The pillars that upheld the enormous structure were so massive one might think they were bigger than God himself.

Paloma admired its physique and smiled impressively. "I never noticed how nice this place looks."

Quinn giggled, "You pass by here every day on your way to work."

"I know but I guess I never really looked at."

"Okay, well you and Siberia stay here and drool in admiration." She handed the brunette the leash and took the books into her arms instead. "I'll take these inside."

Paloma simply nodded her head, her eyes dancing across the building in its entirety. Despite her obvious infatuation, the second her phone buzzed she tore her eyes away from the library and frantically yanked the device out of her pocket.

Regardless of all the less than pleasant words that were exchanged between herself and Ava, every time her phone indicated that she received a message of any kind, she couldn't help but hope it was the redhead.

She hated how unbelievably needy she felt and how much she missed the other woman. Paloma wasn't exactly proud of it, but she knew it was true and she could only hope that Ava craved her affection as much as she did hers.

Her pleading gaze darted to the screen of her phone, however, her hopeful expression immediately dissipated once she saw that the message was nothing more than a coupon promotion from the local grocery store. She let out a heavy sigh and crammed her phone back into her pocket.

It wasn't until she looked up that she noticed her sister had returned. "You ready to go?" Once her question was met with silence she studied the girl's widened eyes and raised eyebrows.

"Where's Siberia?"

"What do you mean? She's right—" It only took a moment for Paloma to match her little's sister's bewildered appearance. She glanced down at the tail end of the dog leash. The light-blue collar swayed side to side in the wind, still attached to the leash.

"Paloma! What happened, where is she?" Quinn shouted frantically.

"I-I don't know, she was just here. I—"

"I wasn't even in there for five minutes!" the girl shrieked. "What the hell happened? We have to find her! Which way did she go?"

The brunette frantically ran her fingers through her hair. "I-I'm not sure, I—"

Quinn darted off in no particular direction, not staying around to hear her sister's stammering words. Paloma immediately followed her lead.

Nightfall had come and still, there was no sign of Siberia.

It had been three hours of trudging through the woods, peeping into convenience stores, and checking every nearby fire hydrant. Despite their extensive efforts, they continued to come up empty-handed.

Three hours of Quinn asking: "How could you let this happen?" Followed by Paloma's nearly impossible response that always came out as a mere whisper, "I don't know. I'm sorry."

Then silence.

Eventually, the sniffles came along. The girl did this in attempts to keep the tears that stung her eyes from rolling down her cheeks. But still, she failed. Every time. Even in the dark Paloma could see that.

The elder Sullivan frowned in disappointment each time Quinn rejected her attempts to console her. But then she figured maybe the teenager was right to refuse her embrace, they were more for herself than Quinn anyway.

They used the flashlights on their phones to fight the darkness and produce as much light as they could muster up. As the minutes ticked by, the shadows of the night consumed their time. Paloma knew that they'd have to call off the search, at least for the night, but she dreaded the look of mournfulness, hurt, and hatred that she was absolutely certain the girl would give her for even thinking such a thing.

Paloma was surprised, but truly thankful when Quinn ripped through the quiet, saving the brunette from having to let her down even more than she had already.

"Do you remember what today is?" Her voice was unnervingly small and unusually quiet. The reluctance her inquiry held caused the woman to look away from the pavement and watch her attentively.

Paloma matched her sister's hushed voice in fear of disturbing the quiet of the night any further. "...Yeah."

The Sullivans could hardly believe that it had already been four years since that tragic day. Even so, the pain was as fresh as it was the day of.

"Is that why you wanted to hang out?" the redhead queried.

"Mhm," Paloma murmured. "This is the first time that we've actually been together on the anniversary. It sucks but I figured being with you, maybe this year, it wouldn't be so bad. Don't you think?"

Quinn breathed quietly through her nose. "No, actually, I thought it'd make it harder." She eyed her sister curiously. "Why didn't you say anything?"

Paloma shook her head and returned her gaze to the darkness ahead of them, momentarily retreating her cellphone to her side. "I didn't know if you remembered. I didn't see the point in bringing it up and gettin' you down, you know? But I failed at that obviously, so..." She returned her eyes to the girl and watched her inquisitively. "Why didn't you?"

Quinn shrugged. "I don't like to think about it."

Paloma nodded in understanding, she was all too familiar with the undeniable urge to forget.

"Do you think they were right, mom and dad?"

The brunette furrowed her brow. "About what?"

"You know," the teenager started, "about God and Heaven and stuff."

At first, Paloma allowed the quiet to serve as her response, the question stumping her entirely. Not because she was uncertain of the answer but because of her reluctance to voice it. As if Quinn could read her mind, she looked up at her expectantly.

The woman sighed and rubbed the back of her neck, her eyes scanning the surrounding area. Still no sign of Siberia.

"I think they had their beliefs like most people do, but I don't know if they were right. I...doubt it, actually," came her careful response.

"So, where do you think they are?" Quinn pondered.

"I don't think they're anywhere. I think they're just...gone."

"You don't think we'll see them again?" Quinn asked, her eyes still observing on the woman. "That we'll all be together someday?"

"Honestly?"

The redhead nodded her head. "Honestly."

"No."

Quinn bit her lip as she processed the brunette's words. "Do you think all that church stuff we grew up with meant nothing? God and...everything?"

Paloma inhaled deeply. "I think the idea of some guy in the sky deciding our fate and asking us to worship him in exchange for him housing us in a happy-go-lucky, joyful, everlasting place full of rainbows and unicorns someday is a bit too idealistic to be true. I think people believe what they have to to make their existence easier, so they can live. When actually, the reality is, when you're dead...you're just gone. I think, like everyone else that's dead, mom and dad met the end of the line. Plain and simple. That's it, there's nothing more."

"...So, you don't believe in God? Like at all?"

The brunette lifted her eyebrows in surprise. "Do you?"

"Well...yeah," Quinn surmised as they wandered on.

Paloma met her gaze as she wore an astonished expression.

"I mean, I agree, not everything about it makes sense," Quinn quickly asserted. "But honestly...I can't imagine not believing in God at all."

"Even after everything that's happened?" the woman scoffed. "The falling out I had with mom and dad, them getting killed, and all the crap that happened with Perry. All the screwed up things he did to you." She studied at the girl, halfway expecting a rebuttal. "Not to mention the fact that you and I were separated for years on end. I don't know about you but that was a really, really shitty three years. It was unbearably lonely," she muttered.

For a moment, the quiet lingered between them as the painful memories flooded their thoughts.

"Even if there was a God," Paloma continued, "someone that sits around and does nothing while that kind of shit happens, then I still wouldn't wanna know him. Besides, according to everything mom and dad taught us with God and church...you know it says that what I do, who I love, unless its a guy, it's wrong. Growing up with that, having it instilled in me since birth, God, it screwed with me. Because of that, it took twenty-five years for me to accept myself, for me to be remotely happy. And even then I wasn't really until after I got you. And it's all because I was told it was wrong. I mean...do you agree. Do you think that? That it's wrong?"

"No," Quinn hastily retorted. "No, I don't. I think you should be with whoever makes you happy. I don't agree with everything mom and dad taught us but some of it, yeah. Jesus, God, Heaven...I mean, I gotta believe it gets better than this. I gotta believe I haven't already seen mom and dad for the last time."

Paloma sighed softly and nodded her head in understanding. "Well, good for you. I'm glad you have something to believe in. But," she said, chuckling, "I can't. Not after everything."

The two returned their gaze to the darkness and allowed the quiet to dominate the night. Paloma pulled her phone from her back pocket and glanced down at the time stamp. It was already a quarter past eleven and Siberia was still nowhere to be found. It was as though she vanished quite completely.

The woman returned her phone to her pocket and let out a defeated sigh. "It's pretty late. We should head home."

She grimaced once her sister glanced up at her, however, she was surprised when the resentment she was sure would be present in the girl's gaze failed to come to fruition. Instead, her eyes held a doleful, somber look; one that Paloma knew couldn't be chased away anytime soon.

Quinn wet her lips and reluctantly nodded.

"Maybe she's back at home, just waiting for us," Paloma tried. In no time at all, her sanguine expression became illuminated under the little light the moon produced. "She could be."

"I wouldn't count on it," Quinn muttered.

Paloma allowed the hopeful look in her eyes to dwindle away. Quinn could see straight through it and she wasn't doing it for herself. It was pointless.

The walk home was so unbearably silent, it was nearly deafening. The brunette rested her eyes on her sister and swallowed thickly once the girl's persistent sniffling returned.

"I'm so sorry, kiddo," Paloma murmured. "Really, I am."

She felt her heart twinge painfully at the quiet that greeted her. The sound of crickets filled the air as their natural music traveled through the night and eventually, to Paloma's relief, Quinn's soft voice joined them, "I know."

The teenager focused her gaze on her black and white converses as she crushed the grass beneath her.

Paloma sighed in defeat and glanced towards the woods. She mentally pleaded with Siberia, wherever she might've been, begging her to surprise them both and dart out from the forest thus granting them the much-needed peace of mind. She, and more importantly Quinn, needed a win.

"Plum?" the girl's faint voice snapped Paloma out of her thoughts.

"...Yeah?"

Paloma furrowed her eyebrows in curiosity once she sensed Quinn's hesitation. She draped her arm over the teenager's shoulder and soothingly rubbed her arm in attempts to coax the words out of her. And to her amazement, it worked.

"I think I'm pregnant."

Nice cliffhanger, am I right? I hope y'all enjoyed the insight we got on the Sullivans in this chapter. I figured it'd be nice to clear some things up and give you more information on the main characters. Anyway, how do you think Paloma's gonna react to Quinn's confession? Be sure to drop a few comments and let me know what you think. Thanks for reading! 🤗