17 How I Met Your Sister

Lyra shot a horrified glance at the man who still managed to look unfazed.

"Miss, I believe there's no need for wedding pictures. We were planning to get them taken outdoors and already made arrangements with a photographer," Kurtis informed the attendant who was quick with her hands, whipping out a comb.

"Oh Mr. Wellington. This isn't a wedding photoshoot. It's a tradition for all of the outfits that Ms. Ivanna personally works on to be photographed in her studio before it leaves shop. I'm sure she would've informed you of the protocol."

Kurtis stood up before the comb reached anywhere near his hair.

"We're both more than willing, but we can't take the picture today unfortunately," he said to the woman who didn't seem to believe him. He then held out a hand for the bride.

"But Ms. Ivanna told us to keep you two. She's very hard to catch and she won't let the dress leave without the pictures as part of the payment," the dresser protested weakly against Kurtis's sincere expression.

Lyra took his hand and stood up, leaning in towards his chest. "We just remembered we have somewhere we really, really have to be," she added before exchanging a sad pout with the groom.

The attendant seemed to understand and couldn't argue with the two lovebirds and showed them to their changing rooms. They were out of their outfits in minutes, speeding through the process so as not to be easily called back.

"We'll contact you for a time to come back," the amiable staff added after taking the signed autograph from Kurtis and placing it in her bag.

"Thank you. I'll call Ivanna and let her know as well. Really sorry for the trouble," Kurtis apologized before heading out the door with Lyra.

When the two walked down the stairs of the store and back into his sportswear, their smiles dropped into thin lines.

[I almost sinned again.]

"Designers are a difficult bunch," Kurtis said in a drained voice while looking out the windshield of the driver seat.

The passenger let out a sigh too. "I second that."

"Speaking of which, why are you…" his voice trailed off. He honestly didn't have to finish the sentence for Lyra to pick up the gist of the conversation.

"A designer from Milan has a stopover flight at the airport and called Angela over."

"I see."

"Yep."

"A twin comes in handy, huh?"

"For Angela, at least. Tell her to sub a day for me in the flower shop and you'll see all the plants wither by next morning."

Kurtis let out a laugh and Lyra joined him. It was easy to get along with each other when they found each other's humor so agreeable. It wasn't hard for Kurtis to be himself in front of her. As for Lyra, in the moments that she could temporarily forget who he is and just see him as a friend, she felt so comfortable.

When they both recovered, he let out a long sigh to which she didn't quite know how to respond except sit and wait.

"Angela always has her mind on something. When she decides, she's dead set on seeing it through no matter what. I think that was what attracted me to her in the first place," Kurtis shared out of the blues.

Lyra wanted to hear more. Angela always said she'd share how they met, but never got the chance because she was never in one place long enough to tell the story.

"How'd you guys meet?" she asked, hoping he'd answer.

Kurtis let out a laugh. "It's nothing special really. We bumped into each other a few times mainly at parties until a mutual friend formally introduced us."

The younger sister nodded with encouraging eyes for him to continue.

"And you know, she had quite a reputation around campus, even among the upperclassmen."

Oh Lyra knew. Even after she quit college, news of Angela wasn't easy to ignore. They weren't all positive, but she was definitely popular. All the girls knew her and all the boys wanted to get to know her.

"So I wasn't too keen on getting to know her, but we did somehow end up talking," he paused, still looking at the distance before his expression eased up. "And your sister turned out to be one of the brightest women I've ever had the pleasure of meeting."

That sounded about right. Angela was ambitious and goal-oriented with her whole career path decided on by the time she entered high school. She studied all things design on her free time and blogged about her passions. Though she wasn't quickly received when she first started up, over the years her fan base grew along with her skills. Now, she's a rising fashion designer and part-time blogger.

On the other hand, she…clearly was the opposite. She'd be lying if she wasn't envious, but she wanted her sister to succeed more.

"She's amazing, isn't she?" Lyra smiled.

"Yes she is," Kurtis agreed before turning to the passenger side. "But she couldn't have gotten to where she is without you. So to me, you're just as amazing."

For once, when both sisters didn't have to be compared, to be able to stand on equal footing for different things, to receive the same amount of credit backstage as on stage—felt very soothing.

Lyra took a deep breath before letting it all go in one exhale, opening her eyes and feeling refreshed.

"Whether you mean it or not, it means a lot," she said, looking out at the world in front of her. "So thank you."

"I meant it."