I'll Believe It When I See Her

My sister randomly called me up today. (Jen always says, "It's so weird you have a sister. I always forget." I reply, "Me too.")

It's about the fourth time we've talked in five years. I think I've seen her about three times in those five years. We get along great - she's quirky and funny and says outrageous things, which I admire. (And she says them with a severe, southern accent.)

But she's also 13 years my senior, has lived in Lexington almost her entire life (whereas I've never lived in Lexington), has been married for nearly 20 years and has two grown children. So our lives are very different.

She's also completely unreliable, given to great whims and it's become her trademark to disappoint.

She's been promising my dad a visit on Thanksgiving/Christmas/Insert-Any-Holiday-Here for the last 10 years. She's never made good on any of them, though she promises every time.

So when she announced on my voice mail, "We're coming up on Friday. Hope you're home!" I was more than a little suspicious.

But I called her back, promised I'd send her directions, she swore she was coming, etc., etc.

I realized that if she does come, it will be the only time my life when I'll have seen her away from my parents. Every time we've seen each other - in my whole life - it's because we're all together, usually because she is visiting my dad or I am visiting her with our dad.

She says she and my 17-year-old niece, Leah (who makes the boys swoon), are just coming for the night to "have fun and hang out!"

I sincerely doubt this, but she has a way of being very convincing. I've already started to think of things we can do together... Even though I know she's completely unreliable.