The Past

Dear Future Maia, Please forward this to your darling baby sister. Today is her birthday for you; for me, it's Wednesday February fifteenth, two thousand and twelve, (it looks like we didn't die, after all!) and I am fifteen years old. The picture attached is from summer two thousand and ten; back when I was living with our mom. Your mom. My mom. I'm gone now, both from her house and from your memories, most likely. But you've certainly kept this email address, and you can thank dad for that. Do you remember what we tried to make our email? I don't. Anyways, that was all just nonsense you might like to read. What I meant to write, was that I just read an update, an early one, from author Kristin Cashore's blog. I'm sure you've stopped reading that, but I still do, (at this point Fire and Graceling have come out, and Bitterblue is coming in May). She mentioned how her sister was always her first reader, and it got me thinking. I'm not that close with Nava, now eight. I really, really hope you are; if you're not, I guess that's okay, but you should get together with her. Also, write. You should write, for the love of me, write a lot. I miss Nava, and Nixon, (the poorly named puppy) and I almost miss living with Mom and Rick. Did they ever get married? She wanted too. I never heard him mention it. Debra's funeral was two years ago almost to the day. I think about her sometimes, too. About sisters. We are sisters, in a way. Like a chimera (biology-- I still want to study pathology, did you ever do that? You should be thirty now, hop to it). Sisters shouldn't leave each other, not ever. Nava should be graduating college soon, if she hasn't already. Do you ever see her? At this point in my life I want to live in Boston, or Chicago, or work harder in french class and move to Normandy. Aunt Laura Lynn lived in Paris for years, did you ever? Will I? You should think about going on vacation, I'm sure you deserve it. What kind of technology do you have now, I wonder? I have a cheap little phone, my third phone ever, and most of my friends have iphones. Siri has only existed for a matter of months; she still around? Google her, if not. It's pretty cool. Sure, maybe all that technology will always be five years away, but I'm excited for the future, and change. I love thinking about that, it makes me feel less empty inside, which I frequently do. Remember me, and writing, and biology, and Nava in your travels. Godspeed, good luck, and 8:46:52 if time travel exists and you have access. I'll be in touch.