As the plane descends, I can’t help but feel the slightest bit victorious. It had been over a week of her acting like I didn’t even exist, of feeling like a complete and utter asshole. A week of creeping around, trying to find a moment alone to apologize only to find that she had just left. It was as if she was always five steps ahead of me.

But today, not only did I get a mildly appreciative nod, but I also got a “well done.” Small steps.

It’s late morning as we file out of the plane into the waiting car. Daphni finally clued me in to the day’s events after I had insisted I needed to know for her own damn security. She has developed a recent, rather obnoxious habit of going off-script and leaving me and the team scrambling to catch up with her. Thankfully, however, she seems determined to make this day a good one for her sister, which should make my day somewhat manageable. It’s been near fucking impossible, however, having Gabby five feet away from me. Everything about her is a distraction. Her long, dark hair with its faint coconut smell, the way she purses her lips when I inevitably do something that annoys her. Even when she’s scowling at me, I have to hold back a smile because it’s so fucking adorable.

We get stuck in some traffic but eventually make our way into downtown Columbus. Gabby has the window rolled all the way down, determined to catch on to what her sister’s surprise is. Surprisingly, Daphni is remaining tight-lipped and not revealing anything.

The car eventually pulls into an empty parking space and Daphni jumps out, throwing on a pair of dark sunglasses. Gabby cautiously follows her, taking in the sights around her.

Daphni grabs for Gabby’s hand and practically drags her into the park a few feet away. I follow closely behind and hold back a laugh at the sight of a bright-blue-haired Daphni in a leather mini skirt and pink crop top pulling her prim and proper little sister through the park.

Daphni abruptly stops as they reach the main feature of the park: a hilariously large steel gavel encircled by a reflecting pool.

Dropping her sister’s hand, Daphni waves her hand in front of the large statue.

“Ta da!” she announces proudly.

Gabby bites her lip, holding in her laughter. Seeing her sister's reaction, Daphni’s smile drops.

“Gabby, this is the world’s largest gavel,” she explains, her face stern and serious.

Gabby swallows back her laughter and nods thoughtfully. “It’s beautiful.”

I hold back my own laughter as I watch Daphni’s mouth drop open.

“Gabby, this is not ‘beautiful’,” Daphni chastises. “This is the largest gavel in the world. The gavel, Gabby! The symbol of justice and fairness and our criminal justice system that was created to ensure all men are innocent until proven guilty!”

I watch as a huge smile crosses Gabby’s face. I notice it immediately because it’s not like any of the other smiles in her repertoire: the ones she forces herself to wear because that’s what she was trained to do. No, this one is different. It’s a smile filled with love and admiration. It’s genuine.

Gabby opens her arms wide and hugs her sister. I’m far enough away that I can’t hear the whispered words she shares with her sister, but whatever they are, they bring a smile to Daphni’s face and though I can’t be sure, I even think I see Daphni flick a tear from her cheek.

As they break away, Daphni insists they take a photo and I am relegated to camera duty. I snap a few shots before Daphni announces that we need to get inside for our tour.

Again, Daphni half-drags Gabby to the entrance of a nearby stone building overlooking the park. As they approach the stairs leading up to the wide doors, Gabby stops in her tracks.

“Daphni, what are we doing at the Ohio Supreme Court?”

Smiling mischievously, Daphni tugs on her sister’s hand and pulls her forward. “You shall see, little one.”

I follow the girls inside, doing my best to remain a respectful few feet behind. Inside an older man, clad in a dark-grey suit, rushes toward them. Clutching a clipboard in his hand, he waves them forward.

“Ladies, ladies! Welcome, Miss Monroe,” he says, directing his attention to Daphni. “We are so excited to welcome you. Please, won’t you both follow me for the tour?”

Completely ignoring Gabby, he engages Daphni in a conversation about his love of her latest music video and how the concept of the video "just spoke to him.”

Gabby trails a few feet behind and I follow a few more feet behind her. She lets her hand skim along the wall as she tilts her head to look at all of the art around. It’s as if she has entered some sort of sanctuary; she’s in awe as she takes in the sights around her.

Our guide—still blabbering away to a very patient Daphni—brings us to an elevator and we all pile in. He presses the button for the eleventh floor, and I take advantage of the small confines to brush against Gabby. She bristles at my touch and I mumble out a soft “sorry.” I want to punch myself in the face. When had I become such a sod that I would make pathetic excuses just to touch a pretty girl?

Thankfully the elevator doors open and we step out onto a beautiful, shiny parquet floor. I hear Gabby’ breath hitch as she realizes where we are headed. As our guide opens the massive wooden doors to the law library, Gabby stops in her place and takes a large gulp of air, almost as if she is trying to inhale the smell of the books and the history inside the cavernous room.

“This library holds nearly a half million volumes,” our guide whispers as he leads us through row after row of bookshelves, each holding hundreds of copies of thick, leather-bound books.

He continues to drone on, but Gabby has clearly lost interest. I watch with sordid fascination as she brushes her fingers along the spines of different books. She is reverent in her appreciation and it’s truthfully the most adorable thing I have ever seen. She truly lives and breathes her passion for the law and it shows.

Gabby continues to walk deeper and deeper into the expanse of the bookshelves, going completely unnoticed by our guide and Daphni, who have not stopped talking about the genius of her music.

With Daphni and the guide distracted, I decide this is my opportunity to finally clear the air, so I stalk after her.

“Gabby,” I call out in a loud whisper.

She whips around at the sound of my voice and I catch her nostrils flare slightly in annoyance.

I hold my hands up in front of me, defensively, before she can turn away. “I just want two minutes, Gabby.”

I can tell she wants to run so I stare her down. Challenge her. And she responds. Propping her hands on her hips, she juts her chin out, allowing me to proceed.

“Look, I know you must think I’m an asshole. And truthfully, you’re probably right. But you can’t just run away from your problems, either. You need to confront them. Confront me. You can’t just avoid me for the next three months either, Gabby.”

Gabby's emerald eyes widen, an unmistakable spark of anger flashing through them. “Two and a half months," she says.

“Eh?”

“Two months and sixteen days,” she repeats and takes a step closer toward me. “My plan is to continue avoiding you for the next two months and sixteen days,” she clarifies as she shrugs her shoulders and breezes right past me.