The Love Twin

As Becky nervously waited, she remembered the first moment she’d found out that she had an identical twin sister.

One year ago she had opened the door to her apartment, and Pam had been standing there. Stunned, Becky had felt as if she was looking into a full-length mirror.

“Becky, it’s me,” Pam said, her green eyes welling up with tears. “I’m your twin sister!”

A sob had caught in Becky’s throat as she hugged her twin, holding her and not wanting to ever let go.

Becky had stayed up all night talking with Pam. Her sister remained at her apartment for two straight weeks until she had to return to her job in New York.

With disbelief, Becky listened as Pam told her that she had found their birth mother right before she died of cancer. She learned that she and Pam got separated at birth because their real mother wasn’t married and had decided to give them up for adoption to two different couples.

Their birth mother had never told either adoptive couple about the existence of the other identical twin. She was afraid that no one would want to adopt two baby girls together or want to keep them apart if they knew.

Becky was astonished to discover that her identical twin had, like her, also been adopted by an elderly couple who had passed away. Her sister had also been named Becky—after their adoptive grandmothers who coincidentally had the same first name—and she was also afraid of the dark and of the water, because she had almost drowned as a little girl.

Within a week, Becky and her identical twin had immediately changed their different adoptive last names to their birth mother’s surname, Lawson. And her sister had changed her first name to Pam, their birth mother’s first name.

“Beck, I was just thinking about you!” Pam’s voice traveled across the fiber optic line from the Big Apple, breaking into Becky’s warm memories. “My bones have been tingling for the last two hours feeling like something wonderful has happened to you!”

“I think I found a great job for you,” Becky said, explaining about Charlotte’s possible L.A. job for her.

“Wow!” her sister responded. “You mean we’ll be together soon? When do I start, Beck?”

“Maybe in four weeks.” Becky replied. “I’ll let you know when you need to give your notice at your New York job.”

“I can’t wait!” her twin added and then stopped. “There’s something else, isn’t there? I can feel it three-thousand miles away.”

Becky sat down to steady herself. “Pam, do you remember Jarrid Browning?”

“Jarrid?” her sister repeated, incredulously. “You saw him today?”

Saw him? She was in his muscled arms! “He goes to the same gym as I do.”

“I can’t believe it!” Pam said, excited. “Jarrid was my very first love in high school. How did he look? What did you think of him?”

The words flew out of Becky’s mouth before she knew what hit her. “He’s sensitive, courageous, caring.” She abruptly stopped. What was she saying? How could she tell Pam that Jarrid made her body so hot she needed an ice bath to cool down?

“You liked Jarrid a lot, didn’t you?” Pam asked, reading her mind. “I can hear it in your voice.”

Becky’s cheeks heated up. “He’s okay, I guess.”

“Beck, for once, will you admit your true feelings?” Pam said, almost like she wanted her to like Jarrid. “Sometimes I worry that you’re so closed up because of what happened with your old boyfriend, Darryl, that you wouldn’t see the man of your dreams even if he kissed you on the lips.”

He did almost kiss me, she wanted to say about Jarrid, but she couldn’t. Not until she knew for sure that Pam no longer had feelings for him.

“Jarrid thought I was you,” Becky hurried on, telling her sister about how he saved her from drowning in the pool. “He even knew about my fear of the water because you and I almost drowned as kids.”

Her sister’s voice rose an octave. “Did you play along with him? Did you tell him you were me to see his reaction?”

“Of course not!”

“Why not? You could’ve gotten to know him.”

All of Becky’s insecurities about being with a man again rose up in her. “I told Jarrid I was your twin sister, but he didn’t believe me.”

She felt so nervous that she got up from the chair and walked over to the window facing the jacaranda trees lining her street.

“This is wild!” her twin exclaimed. “Of course he didn’t believe you, because I was always joking and playing tricks on him.” Then Pam’s voice lowered. “Is Jarrid still angry with me for splitting up with him?”

That’s why he looked hurt when she insisted she didn’t know him. He thought Pam was rejecting him again.

“Pam, why did you break up with him?” she asked.

“I never meant to hurt him,” her sister explained, telling her about Jarrid’s marriage proposal. “Jarrid wanted a wife, but I was too young to get married. I needed to explore who I was. But now, Beck, I wonder if I made a terrible mistake.”

“What do you mean?” Becky wanted her sister to find happiness with a man, because Pam couldn’t seem to settle down with one man in her life. Yet she secretly wished that man wouldn’t be Jarrid Browning!

“Beck, maybe I was dumb back then,” Pam hurried on. “I’ve dated so many guys since Jarrid, but I’ve never met a man as special as him. Do you think he really is the one for me?”

Becky felt momentarily speechless. “Well, sure, I mean, he might be, I guess.” Deep down, she wanted to hear her sister say that she had no feelings at all for Jarrid.

“Beck, I know this sounds totally insane,” Pam rushed on. “But could you keep Jarrid thinking you’re me?”

Becky couldn’t breathe. “What?”

“I don’t want to lose him again,” her sister quickly explained. “I can’t prove to Jarrid that I still care about him when I’m so far away. I need him to see how sorry I am for tearing us apart. Beck, can you do that for me?”

Her throat felt dry. “I—I can’t. I’m not you, Pam.”

“Exactly,” Pam hurried on. “I’m so bold and impulsive. That’s what made me lose Jarrid in the first place. But you’re sweet and sincere, Beck. You can open his heart to me again. Please, Beck, play like you’re me—just until I move to Los Angeles for that job you’ll be getting for me.”

Becky’s mind was whirling. She wanted to say yes so she could have an excuse to see Jarrid again. Yet the whole idea was plain crazy.

“Pam, I don’t know anything about you and Jarrid,” she stammered. “I don’t think I can pretend—”

“I’ll special deliver you my high school diary,” her twin cut in. “I wrote down every detail of my relationship with him.”

“What will happen when Jarrid finds out you’ve fooled him?” she worriedly asked. “It won’t be fair to him, Pam.”

“Jarrid knows I’m a joker card,” her sister explained. “And he’ll doubly appreciate all I did to get him back. Plus, you’ll get to spend time with a wonderful man after depriving yourself of male company for so long. Come on, Beck, will you do this super favor for me?”

Just then, Becky’s call waiting clicked on the phone. She felt a moment of torturous relief.

“Pam, hold on a sec. It’s Charlotte about your new job.” She quickly switched to the waiting call. “Charlotte, I can be at your office at whatever time is best for—”

“Becky,” Jarrid’s deep voice resonated in her ear, “I hope you don’t mind my calling. I got your number from the membership list at the gym.”

“Jarrid—” Becky’s heart started wildly pumping. “Could you hold on a moment? I’m on another call.”