Page 34 of The Infiniteness of Yesterday
A couple of minutes go by before he replies.
Jameson: Probably not. I’m going to be at the office late, so I’ll just go home. I don’t want to come by and wake up Roe.
Me: Yeah, you’re right. I’ll miss you.
Jameson: Miss you already.
I’ve barely put my phone away when I hear, “Low!”
Jumping up, I can’t control the smile that takes over my face at the sight of my sister. I haven’t seen her in over a month when she and Jasper came home for a family barbeque. Willa and I run at each other, meeting halfway as we tackle each other and fall to the ground in a tangle of limbs and laughter. Jasper stands to the side holding the coffees in a carrier, shaking his head at us.
I’ve heard horror stories of siblings who don’t get along, but that’s never been Willa and me. Sure, we’ve had spats—who doesn’t—but I’ve always known no matter what, I could rely on my sister. She’s one of the best people in the whole world.
When we finally untangle ourselves, Jasper’s shadow clouds us. He shakes his head back and forth, lips curling in amusement. “You girls are crazy.” He holds a hand out to Willa and hauls her up, then offers it to me doing the same.
“Oh, man, I hope we didn’t get grass stains on your clothes.” I pluck blades of grass off Willa’s long skirt.
Both of them are dressed up for their photos. Jasper in a pair of khaki pants and a pale blue button down, the sleeves rolled up to his forearms. The barest hint of the tattoo sleeve he’s having done on his left arm shows. Willa’s flowy skirt is a similar shade of blue embroidered with white flowers. Her top is a fitted white tank that hugs her chest, making her look bustier than she is. Though, if she’s anything like me, they’ll get bigger and stay bigger after she has a kid. If that’s something she wants to do.
With Willa’s outfit back in order, I walk over to where my camera bag is and pull out the expensive—tooexpensive—Nikon that Spencer bought for me years ago. It was a secondhand one,but even then, it was too much for him to spend. He used the check from his second or third modeling gig to get it.
Adjusting the aperture and taking a few test shots, I direct Willa and Jasper to where I want them. Despite it being me taking the photos, I can tell Willa is still nervous. I direct the first few poses and as she begins to forget about the camera that’s when I get the photos I really want—the natural shots, the ones that show the essence of who they are together and why they click.
I find myself smiling as I snap photos. The ease and happiness I feel behind a camera is unparalleled. Don’t get me wrong, I love working at Cool Beans. As far as jobs go, I could be stuck somewhere I hate, but working at the coffee shop has never been my end game.
Taking a break, I sip the coffee they brought me, while going through the photos I’ve taken already.
After a moment, I say, “Let’s find another area to get more shots.”
“There’s a flower garden around here somewhere. There should be a sign,” Jasper says, shielding his eyes from the sun.
I perk up at the visual of them haloed by flowers in a shot. “Sounds great. Let’s find it.”
I pack things back up and after locating a sign, we walk ten minutes to another part of the park.
It’s a bit more crowded over here, but luckily, once people realize what we’re doing, they remain a respectful distance away and make sure not to mess up any photos.
When I feel like I have all the shots I need, we walk back to our cars.
“Do you have time to get lunch?” Willa asks, stopping beside my car as I set my bag on the floor of the passenger side.
“Yeah, mom is picking up Roe so I can take my time.”
“I miss that nugget so much.” My sister frowns. “It sucks living so far away.”
“It won’t suck so much when you’re Dr. Hansen.” I poke her side. “Or will it be Dr. Werth?” I look from her to Jasper and back again.
She sticks her tongue out. “Dr. Hansen, thank you very much. My hard work, my last name.” She flashes a smile at Jasper. “But I love you, babe.”
He throws his hands up. “Hey, it doesn’t bother me one bit.”
“What are you in the mood to eat?” Willa changes the subject.
“I’m starving so I’m down for whatever. Is there a place around here you guys really like?”
They exchange a look and both nod. “Follow us.”
“Oh my god, this pizza is life.” I pull a bite of stringy goodness off the end of my slice and stuff it in my mouth.
