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twenty

"I Want Crazy" -Hunter Hayes

The next day consisted of Nicole and Anna catching frogs at the lake behind the hardware store. Lars had kept the garage door open when the sisters arrived after lunch, two picnic baskets in hand where every few hours he would keep an eye on Anna. 

     They spent hours by the lake until it became sunset. 

      Usually, Lars was closed on Sundays, but he decided that since Anna was preoccupied, he could get ahead on the new week's work. Meaning, new orders were cataloged and started along with cleaning up the store. He even had a few repairs to make. 

     When the sun went down, goodbyes and hugs were given. Anna and Lars drove Nicole to the airport in a quiet car as Anna tried not to cry. It had been a stressful week, and now with the departure of her little sister, her emotions were collapsing. Lars got out of the Land Cruiser, making his way to the back to help Nicole with her luggage as she said goodbye to Anna. 

     "Come here." Nicole beckoned her older sister. 

     Anna listened, hugging the life out of her for only a moment before Nicole pulled away, "It wasn't in the life plan but...I'm shipping out, Anna," The shorter woman's eyes widened, but Nicole stopped her before she could speak, "I'm only going to Hawai'i for six months, then I have my sights on Colorado, just like when I was a kid."

     Anna visibly sighed in relief, "Good. You'll like the islands, but please be careful. You know I worry about you."

     They pulled away when Lars came to them with her large sack in hand. Nicole thanked him quietly, "I will. Stop trying to baby me, Anna. I'm a full-fledged adult now," Anna rolled her eyes.

     "You're twenty-three, Nicole."

      Nicole laughed, "Yeah, and you're an old bat."

      Anna placed a hand over her heart, feigning being wounded, "Ouch."

     "And you," Nicole turned to Lars, "Take care of my sister. She's been looking for someone like you for a long time, Lars Nordin."

      The woman began to walk away, towards the front doors of the airport but stopped for only a second to yell, "Lars Nordin...Anna, I just realized! You never said you bagged yourself a Swed!" She laughed as Anna's eyes darted around, "Did Anna tell you we're Swedish too?"

     Lars looked down at Anna, "I thought you were Mexican?"

     "Oh, we are," Nicole answered, "Our dad liked Latinas."

     "Okay, bye, Nicole. Thanks for coming!" Anna rushed out, waving a hand to shoo her away, and then sat in the passenger seat, slamming the door closed for effect.

     "I love you too!" Nicole turned back around, shaking her head, and headed to the doors until she was no longer seen and intertwined with the sea of people.

     Lars rounded the front of the raised car, hopping into the driver's side. It wasn't until they were halfway home, he couldn't stop the words from spilling out, "You're Swedish?"

     Anna groaned, "I thought you knew this?"

     Lars shook his head, racking his brain around it, "I mean, I knew you couldn't be all Mexican. You're as white as a sheet of paper."

     Her eyes widened in mock shock, "Uh, excuse me. Look who's talkin'!" 

     Lars waited for her to explain, making her sigh dramatically, "Yes, okay. I'm more Swedish than I am anything else. My grandfather and great-grandfather came from Sweden back in the day, settled in Chicago until they were run out by the Italian mafia, and then moved to San Diego."