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I am just hanging up the phone, ending a call with a prominent collector when Kit knocks on my office door.  My sister, unlike Alice, likes to forget her place.  I’m actually not surprised to see her, though. She knows everything about Tina and has an almost sixth sense about me when I’m hurting…call it years of practice.  I open the door to see her holding a bag of Cuban sandwiches from the deli down the street, “I thought you could use some lunch,” she states plainly.  I nod and offer a smile that doesn’t reach my eyes.  She immediately puts the bag on my desk and wraps me in a bear hug.  I don’t try to stop the tears from falling or the sobs that wrack my body.  She says nothing until I pull away and sit on the small sofa next to my desk. 

“Why do you always do this, baby girl?  You know I’m always here.  Why wait until it builds up on you before letting me in?”

I shrug, “Kit you know it’s not easy for me…”

“Oh trust me girl, I know.  Just like your father, you are.”

I smile, conspiratorially, “I’m not that bad.”

“Ok, no you’re not, but not asking for help…you get that from him.” She hands me a sandwich, “Eat!  You’re losing weight.  The least you could do is eat every once in a while.”

I unwrap the sandwich and take a bite, “I do eat.”

She raises an eyebrow, “Uh huh.  Let me guess soda crackers and sparkling water.”

“And cheese…sometimes a piece of fruit.” I reply.

She sighs, “Yeah.  That’s what I thought. What I can never seem to understand is why you don’t try to get that girl outta your system.”

“Kit…what do you think I’m doing?”

“No, I mean for good.  You’re gorgeous.  I know a line of girls over at the planet just waiting to get on your dance card.”

“Please, I tried that. Remember Holly?  It was a disaster.  I’ve come to accept a few certainties about myself, one of those certainties being that I will never get over Tina Kennard.”

Kit finishes her sandwich and shakes her head, “You know, to burn with desire and keep quiet about it is the greatest punishment we can bring on ourselves.”