There was a mall not far from the beach where they were, one he'd never been to. Together they walked there, much to the disliking of Emily. River had noticed she didn't seem to be in the best physical shape and that she was still tired from the walk to the beach. However, she insisted that they went to buy a new shirt for him, even though he'd said it was not necessary.

She told him she was wearing the wrong shoes for this kind of activity as they were walking to the mall, and although she was complaining about the smallest things, he knew she was enjoying it too; he saw how she looked up to the sun often, letting its warmth graze her skin, and between quick glances over her shoulders she closed her eyes and told him how much she liked it here because of the city's beauty, the distant rustling of waves and the soft chattering of other people walking by.

Then, he narrowed his eyes as he realized something. "This was just an excuse to go shopping, wasn't it?" he asked her.

She opened her eyes again as she'd just been enjoying the peace the city gave her, and she tried to come off as innocent, placing her fingertips lightly on her chest as her eyes grew wider. "Why would you ever think that?" she said while faking being offended.

He didn't buy it. "Don't tell me you don't like shopping," he said, one eyebrow raised.

She wisely didn't say a word. Not that it changed anything; he already knew the answer.

"You probably want to take a souvenir from every city you've ever been to, preferably a piece of clothing."

She bit her lip playfully, holding back a chuckle. "Well, it is nice to say 'I bought this in Milan' when people ask you where you got that bag from."

He shook his head teasingly and his eyes fell on the leather bag hanging on her arm. He'd noticed it before and it left him wondering what her life was like since the bag exuded luxury, and reckoned it was nothing like his. The bag would be worth a year's rent for him. "Where did you get that bag from?" he asked.

She smiled; it was what she'd wanted to hear. "Montreal." She tapped twice on the leather surface. "It's an old one, though. I got it four years ago when I was visiting the city with my family."

"Well, there doesn't seem to be anything wrong with it," he said. He had many clothing items that were four years old, or even older. No one ever noticed and for him, there was no reason to replace them.

"I don't like it that much anymore," she said.

This intrigued him and he wanted to know more. "Then why do you still have it?" he asked, eyeing her. She didn't seem like the type who'd wear out-of-fashion items, judging by her timeless white blazer paired with light blue shorts and a striped top. "Sentimental value?"

She avoided his gaze. "Not really." She bit her lip as if unsure of what to say. "I need a new one, anyway. Can I keep my eye out for one while we're shopping?"

Even though he was still wondering why she didn't answer his question, he moved on quickly. "Sure, I won't stop you."

His answer brought a smile to her face and it made him feel like he was flying. It was a smile that showed her soul and as long as he would see that smile, he knew, he could endure all pain and not be affected by it; numbed by the sunshine coming from within her.

But he didn't get much time to admire that feature, because he felt a buzzing in his pocket, soon followed by his ringtone. He sighed, but grabbed his phone to check the name on the display.

"Seriously, the A-team?" Emily asked, mocking his ringtone.

He felt the need to defend himself. "It's a classic!"

She rolled her eyes. "You probably haven't even seen a single episode," she said.

He shrugged his shoulders. "Does that really matter?"

She chuckled. "It kind of does."

His eyes caught a name on the screen. Talia.

This immediately caused him to worry. Was something wrong? His heartbeat quickened for a second, and he came up with a plan in case he needed to get to her fast. There was a bus station at the corner of this street and although it would be his last dollars spent, he'd buy a ticket if he needed to. It would be twenty minutes to the hospital, twenty-five to their home. It was too long, but he didn't have any other option.

His hands were shaking as his finger lingered above the green button, but then he told himself to calm down again. Talia called often and most of the time, it wasn't an emergency. There was no reason to panic unless she told him there was.

"Who is it?" Emily asked. "Someone important?"

"My sister," he said. He felt his heart beating heavily in his throat, but it was slower than before. "Sorry, I have to take this."

"Don't worry," she said. It was as if she knew exactly what to say.

He took three steps to the side before he selected the green button on the screen and held the phone to his ear. He leaned against a bright blue wall and casually said, "Hi Jessie, what's up?"

Emily had walked to the side too, which took away the golden glow on her dark brown hair, and she shot him a confused look when she heard him say 'Jessie' instead of Talia. He chuckled lightly; he'd be confused too if he didn't know the whole story.

Talia's voice sounded metallic through the speakers of his phone. "Big brother!" she greeted him. Something in her tone made him wary.

Emily bit her lip and played nervously with the ring on her finger as she waited. He took the time to admire the beauty she wasn't aware she possessed.

"Is everything okay?" he asked.

Those words caught Emily's attention. The concern was visible in all her face's features as she looked at him.

"No," Talia said. Her tone made clear that she was offended, but that it wasn't serious. He took a deep breath, relieved. "Where are you?" his sister asked him.

He searched for a street name sign, letting a silence fall. "Lincoln Road," he said then.

"You're shopping?" Talia asked. Her voice got louder the more she talked.

"Well -" He wanted to explain he hadn't been inside a store yet, but was about to. However, he didn't get a chance.

"River!" she said. "You're supposed to be here!"

"Where?" he asked. He didn't know what she was getting at, but he was obviously in the wrong.

"Did you forget?" she asked. If she was standing next to him, she'd be shaking her head in disappointment. "We were going to do a photo shoot!"
Then he remembered.

His sister wanted pictures for her Instagram and he'd promised to do a serious photoshoot with her one afternoon where he'd be the photographer and she'd be the model. She'd been gathering outfits for over a week now and laying them out on the floor of her room, and trying out different makeup looks that would match every outfit. He'd told her he'd meet up with her right after work for the photo shoot. How could he have forgotten?

"Oh, Talia..." he said. "I'm so sorry!"

Emily looked at him with a confused look when he said 'Talia'.

"I'll explain later," he whispered to her.

"'Sorry' is not going to cut it, young man." Talia spoke in her old lady-voice. "And who are you talking to?"

"Emily," he said, catching the girl's attention once again. Her deep brown eyes spoke of curiosity and concern, but he didn't have the time to answer her. His sister was very impatient at the moment. "I really am sorry, Talia. Can't it wait?"

"I've been preparing for this for a week!" she said. "I really need those pictures, River." She used his real name, indicating she was hurt, even though she was trying to hide it.

"What can I do to make it up to you?" he asked.

"Run over here," she said plainly.

"That'll take an hour!"

"Run faster."

"I really can't leave right now, Talia."

Emily cut in. "I'll be fine on my own too," she said. "If it's an emergency..."

"It's not," he assured her. To Talia he said, "Today won't work, okay?"

"But-"

"Why can't it wait until tomorrow?"

"I've been waiting a week!" she said. "What's so important that you can't help your sister out?"

He ran his hand through his dark brown hair. "I..." he said, realizing he didn't have an excuse. "I'm with Emily."

Talia's voice got softer. "Emily?" she asked curiously. He hadn't introduced a girl in years, but hearing the same name he'd mentioned briefly before as a reason he couldn't show up piqued her interest. "My boy is growing up!"

He rolled his eyes, but his cheeks were blushing. "Jessie," he said slowly, breaking up the syllables, "shut up."

She chuckled. "Good luck, big brother!" Then she hung up.

Emily knew it was safe for her to talk again and took a step closer. "Is everything okay?" she asked carefully.

He nodded, but didn't know whether he should laugh about his sister's reaction or feel bad for her. "Just Talia being... Talia." There was no other way to describe it; his sister was one of a kind.

"So, her name isn't Jessie?" she asked.

He chuckled, remembering the faces Emily had made every time he'd said 'Jessie' to Talia, not understanding why he used that name. "Nope, just Talia."

"Why..." she began.

"That's just Talia being Talia," he said again, laughing. It was something between him and his sister.

* * *

Yay, Talia's here! What do you think?