"Aunt Liz!" I call out, upon seeing my mother's oldest friend Liz Parker behind the counter. Her face lights up in a smile.

"Emily!" she replies, as I hug her. "You've grown so much since the last time I saw you!" Aunt Liz is the head of molecular biology at UCLA. We don't see her often, but she makes sure to return home at least once or twice a year.

"You still look the same," I reply. Aunt Liz looks the same as she always has. Long dark hair, without a spot of gray in it.

"How is Boston treating you?" she asks. I take a seat at the counter, and sip the milkshake she hands me.

"I love it," I reply, enthusiastically. Sometimes, I think my aunt is disappointed I didn't go to Harvard. I'm actually attending Boston University which I prefer.

"Your mother is in the back. I think your dad is across the street at the center," Aunt Liz tells me. I can hear Mom arguing with someone back there, so I guess I'll wait here.

"What about Evan and Tegan?" I ask. Tegan is my fourteen-year-old sister. Evan's the sixteen year old. I've got little siblings, Hailey and Harley, but they're only four, so they don't really count.

"Evan's presumably at school. Probably detention. He's been such a pain lately..."

"Lately? How long have you been in town?" I ask. Usually she stays for a week or so. I hate to think I've just gotten here as she's about to leave.

"Since January. I'm teaching Physics at the high school," Aunt Liz replies.

"That's great!" I exclaim. "So, what's Evan been up to?"

"Well, just a few months ago, he got grounded for drinking. Your mother swears she thinks he's sexually active, which worries her more," Aunt Liz says. My eyes widen.

"He wouldn't! Evan's not exactly the sharpest person, but he knows the risks," I reply.

"As for Tegan.... your Aunt Isabel swears Tegan reminds her of Michael at that age. Your mother thinks she's having an identity crisis, and your dad says she's just fine," Aunt Liz reports. I have grin at my aunt's objectivity.

"At this point, I'm the most normal Guerin, huh?" I ask.

"No, Hailey and Harley are doing just fine. I don't know how your mother ever handled giving birth to six kids," Aunt Liz muses, shaking her head.

"Six? Aunt Liz, it's just Evan, Tegan, Harley, Hailey, and me. That's five." Aunt Liz looks up, troubled.

"Forget I said anything," she replies.

"No, Aunt Liz!" I move to stop her from going to the back room. "What are you talking about?"

"Emily, you had a brother. He died when he was born," Aunt Liz pauses. "He was your twin."

"What? No, I never had a twin," I say. I think my aunt's going insane. My parents would have told me. I know they would have. They wouldn't keep this from me.

"His name was Alexander Michael," Aunt Liz continued as though I hadn't spoken. She's insane.

"Aunt Liz, you've got to be joking. I'm just going to ask my mother, and she'll tell me the truth," I tell her. She makes no move to stop me.

* * *

"Mom?" I ask, going into the office. Mom looks up, and then jumps up.

"Emily! When did you get in?" she asks, while hugging.

"Just now...Mom, why didn't you ever tell me about Alexander?" I ask. Her eyes widened.

"Alexander?" she asks, shuffling some papers. Oh God, Aunt Liz was right.

"My twin brother...it's true...isn't it?" I ask. Mom looks up.

"Em, your dad and I...we didn't know how to tell you," she begins. She goes to take my hand, but I pull away and move to the door.

"How could you keep that from me?" I cry. A twin. A twin brother.