In a demonstration of the guiding principles that Sarah had just described for the outfits that she and Zoe were wearing, at that very moment Zoe was adjusting a corset over her camisole in a fitting room mirror.
“Zoe?” a small voice came from behind her.
“Yeah, Dawn?” the older sister turned towards the girl’s reflection in the mirror.
“Can you promise you won’t get mad at me?” The small voice had a slight quaver to it.
Zoe’s eyes quirked in confusion as she turned around. “Why would I get mad at you?”
“I know you hate pink.”
Zoe only now noticed how Dawn was clutching one of the dresses she’d picked out in her hand. Her face melted from confusion to concern. “Oh, sweetie,” she knelt down and wrapped Dawn in a great hug. “Just because pink isn’t the right color for me doesn’t mean that I hate it. And even if I did, I have no right to tell you how to dress.” Zoe released Dawn from the hug, but kept her hands on the girl’s shoulders as she made direct eye contact. “A little sister should never be embarrassed or afraid that her big sister won’t support her. I’ll always have your back.”
For a split second, Dawn’s body went stock-still and stick-straight. Her eyes widened to their maximum, her fingers splayed out as far as they would go, dropping the dress in her hand, and her feet stretched up to her tip-toes. Zoe could almost swear she heard someone say “achievement unlocked,” but that would be ridiculous.
In Dawn’s head, thoughts were rearranging themselves. She had a new rule: a little sister should never be embarrassed or afraid that her big sister won’t support her. And every other aspect of who she was had to change in order to fit that rule.
But then she came back down to settle flat on her feet, and her hands relaxed, and her eyes blinked. And as she looked up at Zoe, secure in the knowledge that she would always support her, Dawn leapt forward and gave Dawn such a fierce hug that it put the previous one to shame.
“I’m so glad I have you as my big sister,” Dawn gushed.
