I just recently fell head over heels in love for the very first time in my life. Full disclosure folks, I'm no kid, I'm 28 and lead a very successful career with the local police force. I just made detective and I'm well respected by my peers and in the community. I've lived in Dearfield all of my life, it's a great place to live. It's not a small town but it isn't a city either. I know most of my neighbors and the condo in which I live would easily cost another hundred thousand if I lived in the closest city. What's more, even though I'm a cop and should know better, I'm not afraid to leave my door unlocked or ask a neighbor to feed my cat (his name is Mooch) if I'm away or have to work late.
I'm the oldest of three children, I have two sisters with whom I'm very close. Shelby is my younger sister. She's a lingerie model and very successful. At almost 5'11" and possessing the looks of a blonde goddess, Shelby was headed for success at an early age. She was already a catalog model at 11. By the time Shel hit 13, you could easily tell that she was going to continue with her chosen career. Academically - well, I was the valedictorian and Shelby - she nearly didn't graduate. If she hadn't promised mom and dad she would finish high school and if 3-years older brother hadn't tutored her until she almost screamed obscenities at me, she would not have made it through. While I adore my kid sister, I will admit to having ulterior motives. My friends were always offering me bribes to get an intro to Shelby. Shelby's bribes were equally good - a glowing introduction to any of her model friends I took a shine too. My virginity was long gone by the time I turned 19 and I had a lists of conquests some of the male models would envy. Shelby was always telling me that I should model. I'm 6'5", broad-shouldered, blue-gray eyes and dark haired. I tried a few jobs, but I hated standing around all day. I'm a guy who likes to move - I used to be an athlete. I like using my brain. I like action and I want to make a difference in our community. When I told our father I wanted to follow in his footsteps and become a police officer, I still say I saw the old man tear up a little. Mom wasn't as thrilled - she loves my dad with all her heart and has been terrified of getting that phone call one night. Lucky for her, my dad is only a few years away from retirement. All the people on his beat love him, even a few of the questionable types. I think he'll be around a long time so that he and mom can retire to that place in Florida they've been paying off for years.
I have another sister, her name is Nancy. Nancy is nearly 10 years my junior and she's the sunshine in our family. To think that she wasn't always a part of our family seems odd and yet, it's the truth. Nancy wasn't my mom's late in life surprise baby - we chose to make her a part of our family, as a group. Everyone got a vote and it was unanimous when my parents signed the adoption papers and made her a part of our family.
Nancy was born in California to Vietnamese refugee parents. Nancy's real mom worked in the local Ralph's Supermarket as a cashier. Her mom kept getting in trouble for bringing Nancy to work with her. One day when the manager was giving Kim a hard time, my mom intervened. Dad didn't think much of this manager, he was sure he was harassing some of the prettier cashiers - which he was. I later arrested him for domestic violence. My mom may only be 5'3" but I've seen her stare down my cop father when she's upset. This guy didn't stand a chance and my mom removed Nancy's mom - Kim - from the store and took her for a much-needed break. That's when she found out the entire back story of Kim's life. She and her husband had an arranged marriage and he was not only a drinker, he was verbally and physically abusive. She often brought Nancy to work with her because she was afraid to leave a toddler in the house with him. All of her co-workers rallied around Kim, a pretty, fragile 19-year old with limited prospects. She would not have been able to afford to raise her nearly-2 year old daughter without her husband's support and her job. She was walking on a tightrope trying to make a better life for her daughter.
Mom offered to let Kim and Nancy move in with us, but Kim stunned her by asking if she would consider adopting Nancy. Kim had family in New York who were willing to help her get a new start, but there wasn't much more room than they had for Kim. Kim despaired for her daughter if she stayed or left her alone with Nancy's father. If my family adopted Nancy, she would send as much money as she could and Nancy could choose to keep in touch when she was older.
My mother was a bit surprised, but she had seen the little girl several times before and knew we'd all pitch in when needed. Shelby would love having a kid sister and me - well, mom would work on me. Dad would go along with whatever mom decided. The only factor was having another kid around. We were all busy, including mom, who worked as a legal secretary (that's how she met dad when he was testifying on a case her boss prosecuted) and was busier than her husband. But after one look into Nancy's soulful brown eyes and mom was gone. She knew that she couldn't leave the child to grow up in an unhappy home. Ours is almost nauseating in how well we all get along. We're not quite the Cleavers or the Waltons, but we're loyal to each other.
Dad went for it, Shelby was thrilled and me - I was bribed with the promise of a new catcher's mitt. Of course, I wouldn't have been mean to my new sister, but I figured I would probably be indifferent. For a new mitt, I could fake it. Only thing - it turned out I didn't have to.
Nancy walked in the front door holding mom's hand, looking terrified. Dad and Shel made her feel at home, but to this day, mom says I turned the tide. 11-year old me saw how scared she was and gave her a hug. Mom thinks it was the first time a male ever showed Nancy any affection. She hugged me back and was actually amazed that I let her. For the next several months, Nancy followed me around like a lost puppy. She was advanced for her age, surprisingly so. I had to watch my language - having a cop for a dad, I'd learned some choice words and was trying them out. Nancy was like a little sponge and one of her first words was - a word that rhymes with "duck". Dad and Shelby were howling with laughter but I nearly got my ass paddled with a wooden spoon. Nancy was delighted that her new word had provoked such a reaction and used it several times until mom convinced her to stop.
If I thought I'd hate being a big brother, I was wrong. Shel and I were close, but she had her own friends and later, her career. Nancy hung on my every word. I was the one who had to read her bedtime stories. Anything with Winnie the Pooh, Piglet or Tigger made her laugh and her entire face laughed with her, especially her dark brown eyes. If I had told Nancy that old myth about the moon being made of green cheese, she would have believed me. She fit into our family like she had always been there. Shelby did love having a little sister and couldn't wait to teach her about makeup, clothes and boys. Nancy loved her sister, but big brother Adam hung the moon and the stars.
Of course, a few years later, I was 16 and involved with some of Shelby's friends. She had her modeling career. Nancy was now in second grade and she was almost stereotypically Asian - you know, scary smart? They skipped her twice - to fourth grade and to sixth. She left behind her classmates, but none of her friends. Nancy made friends easily and she kept them. She has friends she has known since kindergarten. When some kids advance, there's a worry that they might not fit in. Our family never had to worry about Nancy. As she had with our family, she learned to adapt and made herself quite at home. Nancy was tall for her age and didn't look 10.
A few bullies picked on her, but that didn't last long. More boys defended her than picked on her. Even at age 10, you could see Nancy was going to be a beauty, as attractive as Shelby, but in her own exotic way. She still had those beautiful eyes but the rest of her was beginning to catch up. Of course, big brother didn't quite notice. I was at university and preparing for my years at the Police Academy. I was also still involved with a lot of Shelby's friends and testing my wings. By the age of 20, I could have my pick of girls and as I hadn't yet found "the one" - my family always believed in the concept of love - I continued messing around. Still, I always made it home for Sunday dinners and always got the biggest welcome from Nancy. She still idolized me and that always made me smile. She was so animated and so inquisitive, asking me loads of questions about my life and school and friends. Only when I mentioned a new girl I might be dating did I see Nancy look unhappy. "You can do way better than HER!" She would scowl.
