Sisters

Raphaella was flitting about the large house, getting everything ready for her trip to see Tom and Tess. The situation as described by Lina over the phone was plausible but her feminine intuition told her something was off. She had seen pictures of the Lina’s daughter, the girl was absolutely stunning and she could easily see her son, impulsive as he was, captivated by her beauty. But to run off? No. Tess’s cryptic text then prolonged silence confused her. She would get to the bottom of whatever it was going on, if she had to move heaven and earth, she would find out.

The doorbell rang. Frowning, she went to the front door, peeking through the curtain covering the glass to the side. It was her sister, Donatella.

 “Donatella,” she said, surprised to see her younger sister standing there on the stoop.

“Elle,” beamed the younger woman, pushing her oversized sunglasses back up onto her head before leaning in and kissing either of Raphaella’s cheeks.

Though delighted to see her sister, “Why are you here? I thought you were in Italy?” Elle asked, shaking her head.

Donatella pursed her full mouth, “I just got in. First I have something to show you, then I think we may need to have a little conversation,” she said,

“You should have called or let me know you were coming,” she said, tone almost scolding.

Donatella shook her head and waved a hand back to the taxi, motioning the driver to bring her luggage.

“I am going to see my children domani,” she said, frowning.

Spreading her hands, “Then it is fortunate I caught you when I did,” she said, glancing back to her sister as the driver brought several bags up onto the stair. Opening the small purse she was carrying, she pulled out several large bills and handed them to the driver, “Tieni il resto, keep it,” she said with a bright smile.

“Dona, I really don’t have time for one of your flights of fancy right now,” Elle stated, brow furling.

Donatella turned back, “It involves your children, so yes you do,” she said, nodding solemnly. “Help me get my suitcases into the house,” she said, bending at the knees and taking a bag in either hand before moving through the door.

Grabbing the one remaining piece of luggage, Raphaella cursed under her breath. “What about my children?” she asked, following her sister into the house and closing the door.

Dropping her bags, Donatella turned back and held up her hands, “Okay, first off, I don’t want you to panic, but I think there’s been an accident involving Tom,” she said.

“Accident? You tell me not to panic, then say there’s been an accident involving my son?” she demanded, voice rising as she dropped the travel case on the floor.

“Prendete un momento per calmarsi,” Dona said, making a soothing gesture with her hands.

Elle snorted, “Calm down?” she queried, indignant laugh. This was the last thing she needed right at the moment. How did her sister factor into all of this?

“Let’s go to the kitchen and I’ll show you,” Dona offered, flashing a conciliatory smile.

“Prego!” she replied, extending a hand for Donatella to go first.

Walking into the kitchen, Donatella sat down at the small table, setting her purse on top and interlocking her fingers.

“Well?” Elle prompted, not masking the ire she felt.

“Please sit,” Dona countered, nodding to the chair opposite her.

Dropping heavily into the chair, Elle spread her hands.

Reaching up to the front of her blouse, Donatella unbuttoned two of the buttons near the top, reaching a hand inside and into her bra, bringing out a slightly ruffled looking Tom Wentworth Sr. and setting him down on the table top.

Watching her younger sister, “Madre di Dio” Elle exclaimed, eyes widening and mouth falling open as she tried to comprehend what she was looking at.

Grinning up at her, “Hi Elle,” Tom Sr. said, speaking loud enough to be heard and waving a hand.

Raphaella laughed spontaneously, “Is this some kind of trick?” she snorted.

Donatella leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms, shaking her head from side to side slowly.

Elle shook her own head, lips taut, green eyes narrowed and darting from her sister to her father-in-law, all the while muttering something unpleasant in Italian.

“Com’è possibile? How? How is this possible?” she demanded, moving closer and scrutinizing the tiny man on the Table in front of her.

Tom Sr. raised his hands, “Let me try and explain,” he started.

Suddenly Raphaella lurched back in her chair, hands to her face, bright eyes growing wide as her mind assembled the disjointed information and gave her clarity. Donatella had said this was about her children. Tess said she couldn’t look after Tom when he was small, “Wait, wait, wait, no, this can’t be happening. My baby boy!” she cried.

“Elle, I need you to listen,” Tom Sr. said, trying to calm the woman before she became hysterical.

“Tell me where my son is!” she commanded, mood shifting from panic to anger.

“I have been exchanging emails with Tessie and as far as we know, he is alright,” he answered.

“At the school? Like this? No, no,” she said, shaking her head and getting up from the table.

“Raphaella!” Donatella barked, “Sit down and let him finish,” she instructed.

Elle shook her head, “I’m phoning Tess right now!”

Rising to her feet, “To accomplish what?” challenged Dona, moving to her sister. “You said you were going to see your children tomorrow anyway, so right now you need to listen to what the old man has to say,” she added, turning the other woman to face the table.

Staring hard at her younger sister, lips pulled back, she nodded once and returned to the table.

Walking closer to Elle, Tom Sr. smiled up at her, “I’ll put this in layman’s terms. Some time ago I created a device that compresses space at a subatomic level, shortening the rotational distance of electrons and causing a significant reduction in the size of the affected object,” he explained. “You with me so far?”

“Go on,” she prompted, motioning with her hand for him to continue.

“I inadvertently triggered the device, actually I think I may have create a short in the circuitry and this happened,” he stated, spreading his tiny arms.

“And?”

“I think Tom was down in the workshop and might have activated the device, making him small like me,” he added.

Raphaella looked at her sister, “How is it you are caretaking him?”

He chuckled turned his head to look at Donatella, “She found me in my workshop,” he answered, looking back and smiling.

Elle frowned, “When? Wait,” she began, eyes opening wide again as she looked at the tiny man and then to her sister. “You haven’t been in there for a couple of years.”

Donatella grinned and nodded, “I orchestrated his sudden seclusion from society and stepped back from my career and we’ve been together that whole time,” she replied.

“So, does that mean my Tommy is stuck like this then, forever?”

“Actually, I haven’t had an opportunity to check my machine since the day of the accident, but I’m pretty sure I can reverse the polarity and invert the ion beam to alter the function from ablation to complimentary profusion,” he said.

Elle shook her head, “Why have you waited so long?” she asked.

“That’s on me, I had my reasons,” chuckled Donatella, sucking her bottom lip into her mouth and raising her perfect eyebrows.

Elle paused, digesting the revelation, eyes settling back on Tom sr. “This woman Lina told me Tom had run off with her daughter, but if he is like you,” she ruminated, frowning, looking back to her sister, “and she is like you, she may have abducted him which is why she is being accommodating.”

“Lina is actually a very nice lady,” Dona said, “though her daughter is very headstrong.”

Elle nodded. “Things are starting to make sense,” she said, nodding slowly. Looking back to Tom Sr., “I think we need to take a look at your device.”