"Dancing bears, painted wings... things I almost remember

"Ha ha! You're always singing that song," she said, giggling.

Her brother looked up from the couch, still singing.

"It's my favorite song!"

"But you sing it every day... every... day!" she said, giggling.

"You know, you kinda look like her with your green eyes."

He blushed with a gentle smile and dreamy eyes.

Breaking out of his reverie, he threw a sock at her.

"I'm serious. You look totally like her. Well, close enough anyway."

He rolled his eyes but smiled.

"Here, come with me."

She grabbed his hand and playfully dragged him to her makeup table.

"Alright, sit here... no singing."

He immediately started singing.

"No singing!"

He sang louder, laughing.

She playfully brushed his hair.

"It's longer than I thought... hmm. You have much longer hair under that mop of hair, almost as long as mine," she giggled.

Still singing, he looked up at the corner of the ceiling, dreamy‑eyed.

Then slowly he closed his eyes and smiled.

"You gotta actually stop singing. Really, I mean it," she said, laughing.

She spun him around.

He was smiling serenely with his big bashful green eyes.

She cupped his hair around his ears.

"Perfect."

Then she began applying makeup to his face.

He could barely hold his laughter in. His eyes started to water.

"Okay, done. You can sing now if you want."

His eyes went wide.

Immediately he started singing very loudly.

Suddenly she spun the chair around.

He was stunned into silence.

Giving him a hug and resting her chin on top of his head, she announced:

"I present to you, Anastasia, Grand Duchess of Russia."

His grin grew three sizes.

He looked back at her and then back at the mirror, one hand over his mouth.

"I can't believe..."

She smiled broadly.

"I know."

"So now are you ready?"

He looked up.

"For what? Cake? Giraffes?"

She burst out laughing.

"Sit right here. Don't go anywhere. Don't move. I don't want you messing up the makeup."

He smiled bashfully.

She disappeared into the kitchen.

A few minutes later she returned carrying a tremendously large piece of chocolate cake on a plate, two forks sticking out of it like candles.
Under one arm was a giant jug of chocolate milk. She had searched for teacups but eventually settled for a pair of Dixie cups.

When she walked back into the room she stopped.

Her brother was posing.

Trying to look like Anastasia.

Making little royal faces at the mirror.

It was remarkable how much he looked like her.

Especially when he tried.

For just a second it caught her off guard.

Then she loudly announced her arrival.

"Ta‑da!"

He spun around and immediately started laughing when he saw the cake.

"That's enormous."

"Here. Hold this."

He obediently accepted the cake while she poured the chocolate milk.

"Now what are we to do?" she asked dramatically.

He was already eating.

Completely blissfully unaware of what she had said.

"So you agree?"

"Yeah, sure."

He hadn't heard a word.

She could only hear the smacking of lips.

"All right," she said. "I'll be right back."

A few moments later she returned carrying an emerald green dress.

He immediately recognized it.

"Wait. Isn't that your..."

"My prom dress? Yes."

"What are you doing with your prom dress?"

She bit her lip.

"Remember when we talked about it?"

He looked around nervously.

"I was just nodding my head to the cake."

She laughed.

"Well, what do you think? Since you've got the makeup on already..."

He stared at the dress.

"Come on."

She held it up.

"Let's try it."

Before he could object she was helping him into it.

"Careful."

"I'm being careful."

"Try not to get cake on it."

"I'm not getting cake on it."

She zipped up the back.

Then stepped away.

"Right. Don't do anything."

She disappeared again and returned with shoes.

"I know you haven't really worn these before, but I'm sure you'll figure it out."

He slipped them on.

She gently combed his hair.

She didn't say anything.

She only thought:

Wow.

Then she wrapped him in the biggest hug she could manage.

He hugged her back automatically.

"All right," she said softly.

"Are you ready?"

He bit his lip and nodded.

A huge gleeful smile spread across his face.

Slowly she turned him toward the mirror.

She gasped.

He didn't say anything.

But she felt the shiver run through him.

"You look wonderful," she whispered.

"Magical."

He stared.

"Just like a princess."

Still he didn't speak.

His face moved through emotion after emotion.

Joy.

Wonder.

Disbelief.

Hope.

His smile crumpled.

His eyes filled.

His sister stepped behind him and wrapped her arms around him.

For a long moment neither of them said anything.

Finally she whispered:

"It's okay, sweetie."

She held him tighter.

"This is wonderful."

More tears.

"You look wonderful."

His shoulders shook.

"This is amazing."

More tears.

"I can't believe how beautiful you are."

She guided him gently into a chair.

"Here. Sit down. Let me fix your hair."

For several quiet minutes she brushed his hair.

Slowly he relaxed.

Tears continued slipping down the corners of his eyes as he stared into the mirror.

Finally he looked down.

"I'm sorry."

Then he began to cry.

She immediately held his head against hers.

"You have nothing to be sorry about."

More tears.

"I love you so much."

She kissed the top of his head.

"It's okay."

"We'll be okay."

She smiled through her own tears.

"My beautiful sister."

The crying became heavier.

Deep breaths.

Shaking shoulders.

She simply held her.

Held her until the storm passed.

Eventually they sat together quietly.

The cake still waited nearby.

"Sorry, sweetie."

She picked up a fork and began sharing cake with her.

Almost feeding her until she finally started eating on her own.

At one point she poked her nose.

"Boop."

A tiny smile appeared.

Then another.

Finally those huge beautiful eyes looked up.

With a mouth full of cake and a tiny voice she whispered:

"Thank you."

The words broke her.

"I love you so much."

She wrapped both arms around her.

"I want you to know something."

She waited until those eyes met hers.

"No one can take her away from you."

More tears.

"You can be Anastasia whenever you want."

The girl looked down and cried quietly.

Her sister ran gentle fingers through her hair until she finally calmed again.

A deep breath.

A small smile.

Then a hand over her mouth.

"I didn't know."

Another breath.

"I dreamed so many dreams."

Her voice trembled.

"But I didn't know."

The sister simply held her new sister.

"I know."

"It's okay."

"It's okay."

A tiny laugh escaped.

"Besides..."

She smiled.

"We don't want to mess up your makeup."

A giggle.

A real one this time.

The sister laughed and bit her lip.

"Well."

She looked at the emerald green dress.

"This dress is yours now."

Epilogue

One Year Later

Her sister quietly pushed open the bedroom door.

She couldn't help smiling.

There, on the very same couch, sat Anastasia.

Not in a princess gown.

Not wearing a tiara.

Just a simple, beautiful blue dress.

Her hair, however…

Her hair was every bit as magnificent as the princess she had loved ever since childhood.

Long.

Soft.

Perfectly styled.

Eyes closed.

Hairbrush in hand.

She was singing at the top of her lungs.

“Dancing bears…

Painted wings…

Things I almost remember…”

Her sister leaned against the doorway and laughed.

“I made things so much worse!”

Anastasia opened one eye.

“You mean better.”

Her sister grinned.

“If by ‘worse’ you mean better…”

“…then yes.”

Anastasia placed a dramatic hand against her chest.

“How dare you!”

Then she burst into laughter.

“I sound fantastic!”

“You do.”

Her sister folded her arms with exaggerated resignation.

“You really do.”

A tiny pause.

“It’s just…”

“…every day.”

Anastasia laughed even harder.

“That’s because it’s still my favorite song.”

She lifted the hairbrush dramatically.

“…and besides…”

“I’ve been practicing.”

“Oh no.”

“Oh yes.”

Then, with absolutely no warning whatsoever…

Anastasia launched into the song again at full volume.

“Dancing bears…

Painted wings…

Things I almost remember…”

Her sister covered her face, laughing so hard she could barely breathe.

“Every.”

Giggle.

“Single.”

Giggle.

“Day.”

Anastasia simply smiled…

…and kept singing.