“Don’t blame the sinner! Is that what you are getting at? Really Meredith?” retorted Tiffany, her eyes blood red with rage as she paced angrily in their studio apartment. 26 years of age, they were not only twins but had been each other’s support ever since their parents died in a horrific car crash a few years back.

“I’m not saying that” spoke Meredith in a flaky voice with a glass of wine in her hand as drops of sweat accumulated on her forehead. “What is actually hurting you Tiff? Honestly!”

“What? What does that even mean?” said Tiffany as she stood in front of Meredith with her hands on her hips “Just for once why don’t you try to be my sister and just agree that Matt was wrong. He shouldn’t have cheated on me! Just bitch with me woman for crying out loud!”

They stood face to face looking like the Chess Queens in Mureil Streeter’s painting. While Meredith had long blond hair up to her waist, Tiffany had colored hers black. Everything about their appearance was same and why not they were identical twins after all. But their personalities were the complete antithesis of each other. While Tiffany was outdoorsy, Meredith liked spending time at home with her books. And that was perhaps the reason why Tiffany had gotten into Event Management while Meredith worked as a librarian. Tiffany had a huge group of friends but the only friend Meredith had was Tiffany herself.

“Are you going to say something or not?” cried Tiffany throwing her hands in the air.

“Okay…Maybe this was bound to happen!” said Meredith avoiding Tiffany’s gaze. Even after 26 years together she just couldn’t bear Tiffany’s fits of anger, her rage. It made her awkward and uncomfortable.

“Really? Mer?”

Keeping her wine glass aside, placing both her hands on Tiffany’s shoulders and finally looking at her she said “Listen to me and please don’t yell! You know it makes me bumpy!”

Tiffany frowned but Meredith continued “I had seen you drift apart. You lost interest in him Tiffany. The spark was missing. It was over a long time ago even before he went behind your back with another woman. You were leading parallel lives. So did this really come as a surprise to you?”

“Hmm….” said Tiffany as she met her sister’s gaze and realized that Meredith wasn’t wrong. She and Matt had actually not been together in a long time. Now that Meredith said it out loud, the fact that she was not with Matt didn’t bother her as much.

“But he didn’t have to cheat. Right? He could have told me.” Tiffany said, now visibly calm. Meredith always had that effect on her.

Tiffany knew that if there was one person who could show her light at the end of the tunnel and help her make sense of things it was Meredith, though she didn’t necessarily like her sermonizing words.

“I know. But when there was nothing remaining between you both then there’s no point fussing over him. That’s why I’m saying talk to him if he wants to. And move on.”

“Hmm… fine!!” she said hugging Meredith. “But you could have at least bitched a little!” she smiled nudging Meredith.

“Yes and make you even more hyper!” and they laughed together.

Meredith picked up her glass of wine and took out another from the cabinet filling it with wine from a new bottle.

“But that is for birthdays and anniversaries?” said Tiffany looking at the bottle Meredith had uncorked.

“Let’s make an exception…” she handed the glass to Tiffany “And since I didn’t bitch with you…I’ll do you one better”

“Really?”

“A vacation, a sisters’ retreat. No more Matt. A new step towards a future with guys who don’t cheat or make us cry.”

“Awesome! But who made you cry?” Tiffany said teasingly “It has been over a year since you brought a guy home!”

“And I say cheers to that!” said Meredith just as Tiffany’s phone rang.

“It’s Matt!” Tiffany said looking towards Meredith.

“Pick it up” whispered Meredith.

As Tiffany got busy on the phone, Meredith moved to the balcony and looking at the stars thought ‘I wish I could tell you that it was me who Matt cheated on you with. I’m sorry! It won’t happen again. Forgive me!’