Second impression. Tasmin sister looked tired, and in a bit of a messed up state. Her blonde hair was in a bit of disarray, her face burnished darker than usual, looked a bit weathered, and she had dark circles under her eyes. Her clothes looked like she’s slept in them. Tasmin was carrying her leather shoulder bag like she had the weight of the world packed in it. Nora wanted nothing more than to take on that weight instead.

She pushed through the sudden crowd of people who were either coming, going or greeting their family/friends as well, stopped right in front of her sister gave her a big smile. Tasmin offered a tired smile back, then lowered her bag to the floor in acceptance. Nora gave her sister a big hug hoping she could smother any of the possible distress her sister still felt. In her embrace, Tasmin seemed less substantial than she’d ever been. Hadn’t her abductors fed her at all? Her sister held on but not with a lot of strength. Not wanting to make things awkward, Nora let go after about a minute, pulling back but still holding onto her sister’s shoulders and gazed into her tired eyes.

“I was so worried,” she said. “How are you? How was the flight? Did you get something to eat? You’re so thin!”

Tasmin gave her sort of an odd look with raised eyebrows. Oh, did she sound like their mother?

“Yeah that’s okay, sis, I’m fine, I’m fine,” Tasmin said, her voice sounding raspy for the first time Nora could remember. “The flight was all right, lots of snacks. There was a baby as usual, no, three. But honestly was much better than last few weeks are spent on the ground. I guess the Tuareg weren’t too big on feasts, though.”

Nora nodded, leaned down to pick up her sister’s bag. Tasmin let her. The carryon was heavier than she expected. What was in there? Bricks? She struggled a bit, but managed to get it up and on her shoulder.

“It must’ve been horrible,” she said. “What happened to you and Dr. Burnes... Did you get some counseling? Are you okay?”

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She tried to gauge her sister’s reaction, state of mind with those questions, but Tasmin just shrugged to them.

“Andy, yeah that was it for him,” Tasmin said, not seeming grief-stricken or traumatized like Nora had expected her to be. “Could’ve made some better decisions back there, you know? But look, I’m good. Other than one meal a day, they didn’t really treat me all that bad. But then you know, I’m no Andy.”

No. And there was no Andy- Dr. Burnes, not anymore.

“What you mean?” Nora realized she had misinterpreted her tone. “Dr. Burnes was a great man.”

She'd been so jealous Tasmin had been able to go to Africa with him, just be with him 24/7. So many of her favorite professor’s classes she just sat there mesmerized by his insights about the history of indigenous cultures whether they were in Africa or South America or the Pacific Islanders and many others. He seemed to be in tune with a world so far from her life in Ohio, what she’d found even more joining them to work at Palantine and Co. That had seemed like it would be a dream come true. And then barely after she’d started, they were then away ten months of the year.

“Well he had-“ Tasmin started, and stopped, then started again, as though she was trying to shake something unpleasant out of her head. “Listen to me, Nora. We both would’ve probably got back okay, but you know, Andy always had to do things his own way. I mean you know him well enough. And he had to go his own way too, for better or worse. This time for the worse.”

It did bother Nora how dismissive Tasmin seemed, given they had been held together by the tribesmen. They should have gotten even closer, and then Dr. Burnes died after being abducted! They had a relationship, Tasmin should have been more bothered by the fact he was dead, not like someone you knew in passing and come across their obituaries.

Tasmin must have seen what was going on in her head. She sighed, patted Nora on the shoulder opposite to the one she now bore her heavy carry-on.

“It’s sad, I know. But he’s done is gone and that’s it,” Nora said in a flat voice. “Come on. I’ve got to pick up my luggage and then we have to go through that hell which will be dealing with all the paperwork getting his body through customs. And then I really need to get home, have a long shower, and a decent cup of coffee, maybe not in that order. I need to put this all behind me, got it, Nora? We all do.”