Sisterly Love

Jayden walked into the kitchen, exhausted and irritated after an eight-hour shift at her part-time job at Leroy's. Leroy had recently hired a new cook, but the hire had been a disaster. Throughout the entire shift, the cook could barely get an order right. Jayden spent most of her day carrying plates back to the kitchen to be remade, apologizing to frustrated customers, and listening to complaints about cold fries, undercooked burgers, and missing items. By the time she clocked out, her feet ached, her patience was gone, and all she wanted was a quiet evening away from work.

Jayden's mother, Sarah, walked into the kitchen carrying two unopened envelopes.

"Bad day?" Sarah asked, immediately noticing the exhaustion and frustration written across her daughter's face.

"It was freaking horrible," Jayden sighed. "The new cook messed up almost every order. I spent my entire shift apologizing to customers and taking food back to the kitchen.”

Maybe this will make you feel better,” Sarah said as she handed Jayden two envelopes.

Jayden opened the first envelope and found a wedding invitation to Jay and Hailey's wedding. She quietly set it aside before reaching for the second envelope.

Her eyes lit up. It was from the college she had applied to. Her heart raced as she eagerly unfolded the letter.

As she read the words, tears began to roll down her cheeks.

It was a letter of denial.

Jayden had waited weeks for this moment, clinging to the hope that she would be accepted. Instead, she felt as though her whole world was crashing down around her. The excitement she had felt only seconds before disappeared, replaced by heartbreak and disappointment.

As Jayden sat at the kitchen table crying, her adopted sister, Emma, came bouncing into the room, clutching the stuffed unicorn Jayden had given her for her birthday. Emma was bursting with excitement, eager to share one of her made-up stories.

"Please, just leave me alone!" Jayden shouted.

Emma froze. The smile on her face disappeared, and her excitement melted into hurt. Hugging the unicorn tightly, she turned and ran to her room in tears.

Sarah heard Jayden's outburst and saw Emma crying as she rushed down the hallway. She walked into the kitchen and quietly sat beside Jayden.

"Honey, I know you've had a rough day, but that's no reason to take it out on Emma," Sarah said gently.

Her mother's words echoed in Jayden's mind, filling her with guilt. Suddenly, the awful shift at LeRoy's and the college rejection letter no longer seemed like the most important things. All she could think about was the pain she had caused Emma.

Jayden quickly got up and walked toward Emma's bedroom. She reached for the doorknob but stopped before turning it. The memory of yelling at Emma made the thought of facing her even harder. With tears rolling down her cheeks, Jayden decided to give Emma a little more time before trying to apologize.

After taking a shower and trying to wash away the frustrations of the day, Jayden stood in front of the bathroom mirror. The clothes she was wearing brought back happy memories of her and Emma.

She remembered when Emma had come to live with them two years earlier. Jayden often wore outfits like this, and Emma had been fascinated by her belly button. Every time Emma reached out to poke it or play with it, Jayden would laugh, tackle her onto the couch or the floor, pin her down, and mercilessly tickle all of Emma's most ticklish spots.

A smile spread across Jayden's face as she relived those moments. She could almost hear Emma's uncontrollable laughter filling the house. But the smile quickly faded, replaced by tears. Knowing that she had been the one to make Emma cry hurt more than the rejection letter or the miserable day at LeRoy's ever could.

Hands trembling, Jayden slowly turned the doorknob and quietly opened Emma's bedroom door. She fought back tears as she stepped inside.

Emma was curled up on her bed, clutching the stuffed unicorn Jayden had given her for her birthday. Tears still streamed down Emma's cheeks, and every now and then a quiet sob escaped her lips.

With every step Jayden took toward the bed, her heart sank deeper. Seeing Emma so heartbroken because of her was almost unbearable. She wished she could take back the harsh words she had shouted only minutes earlier.

Jayden stopped beside the bed, unable to speak. The lump in her throat made it impossible to find the words. All she could do was stand there with tears filling her eyes, hoping Emma would somehow know how deeply sorry she was.

Jayden took a shaky breath and slowly knelt beside Emma's bed.

"Emma..." she whispered, her voice cracking.

Emma looked up, her eyes red and swollen from crying. She hugged the stuffed unicorn even tighter but didn't say anything.

"I'm so, so sorry," Jayden said as tears rolled down her cheeks. "I should never have yelled at you. You didn't do anything wrong."

Emma sniffled, looking down at the unicorn in her lap.

"I had a really bad day," Jayden continued, "but that's not an excuse. I was sad and frustrated, and I took it out on you. You were just trying to make me smile." She wiped at her eyes. "You didn't deserve that."

For a long moment, neither of them spoke.

Finally, Emma's small voice broke the silence.

"Are you still mad at me?"

Jayden's heart shattered.

"No, sweetheart," she said immediately, wrapping her arms around Emma. "I was never mad at you. I was upset with myself, and I made a terrible mistake. I love you more than anything in this world."

Emma slowly wrapped her arms around Jayden's neck and buried her face against her shoulder.

"I love you too," Emma whispered.

Jayden held her tightly, gently rubbing her back as they both cried. "Can you forgive me?"

Emma nodded against her shoulder.

"I already do."

Jayden smiled through her tears and kissed the top of Emma's head. "Thank you. I promise I'll do better. The next time I have a bad day, I'll talk to you instead of yelling."

Emma pulled back just enough to look at her.

"Can we still play the tickle monster later?"

A small laugh escaped Jayden for the first time that day.

"I think the tickle monster owes someone the biggest tickle attack ever."

Emma giggled.

The sound filled the room, replacing the hurt with warmth. At that moment, Jayden realized that while some days could bring disappointment and heartbreak, the love she shared with her little sister was stronger than either of them.

Far away, in another realm, inside the office of a lavish five-star hotel, the multibillionaire Shadow Game Deck Master sat behind his expensive mahogany desk. Wearing his usual crimson suit and white boots, he watched a view screen with a faint smile as Jayden playfully tickled Emma.

After observing the scene for a few moments, his attention shifted to something else. He reached for a strange-looking remote control and pressed a button.

The denial letter Jayden had received appeared on the view screen.

As he read the letter, anger slowly filled him. The golden eye on his forehead began to glow brighter with each passing moment.

“You denied Jayden because of your concerns about her finances, yet you lied to her by telling her something completely different,” the Shadow Game Deck Master said coldly.

He leaned forward and pressed a button on the intercom resting on his luxurious mahogany desk.

“Crochet, bring me my suit and the briefcase on the top shelf. I have something to take care of,” said the Shadow Game Deck Master.

The Shadow Game Deck Master, wearing a business suit and a hat as a disguise, walked into the university admissions office.

“I am here to speak with the university dean,” said the Shadow Game Deck Master before the secretary could say anything.

“I’m sorry, but the dean is currently on a conference call,” the secretary replied.

“That’s quite all right. I can wait,” said the Shadow Game Deck Master.

He calmly sat down and placed the briefcase on his lap, his expression unreadable as he waited.

After an hour and a half, the university dean finished his conference call. His secretary informed him that someone was waiting to see him.

“Send the visitor in,” the dean instructed.

The Shadow Game Deck Master walked into the office carrying his briefcase. The dean stood up and extended his hand for a handshake, but the stranger walked past him without acknowledging the gesture. Instead, he calmly sat down at the dean’s desk.

The dean stared at him with a surprised expression.

“I am here to discuss Jayden Sheppard’s denial letter,” said the Shadow Game Deck Master. “It is a shame that a student is denied because of the university’s concerns about a student’s finances.”

A horrified look crossed the dean’s face. He knew Jayden was not the only student who had been denied for that reason.

“Jayden is not the only one this has happened to,” the Shadow Game Deck Master continued. “And it would not look good if people discovered the truth.”

The fear on the dean’s face grew. A stranger he had never met somehow knew exactly what had been happening, and he worried that the scandal was about to be exposed.

“Don’t worry. Your scandalous secret is safe with me,” said the Shadow Game Deck Master. “But this should address your concerns about Ms. Sheppard.”

He placed the briefcase on the desk and slid it toward the dean.

The dean slowly opened it and was shocked by what he saw inside.

“Oh, it’s just enough to cover Ms. Sheppard’s tuition, along with the tuition of the other students you denied because of your scandal,” said the Shadow Game Deck Master.

He stood up and walked out of the dean’s office, leaving the dean speechless.

The next day, Jayden came home from work exhausted after the cook had messed up all the orders again. She sat down at the kitchen table when her cellphone rang.

She looked at the number. It was the university admissions office.

Surprised, Jayden answered.

“Ms. Sheppard, there appears to have been a clerical error discovered during an audit. I would like you to come in tomorrow so we can discuss it,” said the dean.

“I will be there,” Jayden replied with a smile.

After hanging up, Jayden sat quietly for a few moments. Then she remembered a previous conversation with Hailey about her wedding.

Something about the timing felt strange. The dean suddenly calling about an error made Jayden wonder if the two events were somehow connected.

As Jayden sat at the wooden table thinking about what had just happened, Emma walked into the kitchen holding her stuffed unicorn. She sat down beside Jayden without saying a word.

Jayden looked at her with a smile and took Emma to her bedroom.

Jayden lifted her shirt, and Emma smiled as she began playing with Jayden’s belly button. Just

like old times, Jayden immediately tackled Emma and began tickling her favorite ticklish spots.

Emma burst into laughter as Jayden continued tickling her.