Sofia paddled the kayak as quickly as she could, not thinking about where she was headed, only that she wanted to get away from
her annoying sister. It was the family’s summer vacation, and Sofia had been stuck in the family’s vacation cabin all week with just Jenna to hang out with, far away from her usual activities and distractions. Sofia stopped paddling for a moment, relaxed her shoulders, and gazed around. She realized she was surrounded by a dense, smoky fog—as thick as soup and as gray as a battleship. She couldn't see the family's cabin behind her or the other side of the lake in front of her. She knew the fog would burn off as the sun rose, and then she would be able to find her way home, but for now she would have to wait. It gave her time to think. The fog made her feel invisible, which was not a new or unpleasant feeling for her. Being ignored meant she could get lost in thoughts about the barn where she took riding lessons and helped muck out the stalls. Sofia loved the horses' personalities and felt as though she could communicate with them. Her closest friends were the other barn kids who, like her, hung around the horses as often as possible. She planned to be an equine veterinarian someday. Her twin sister, Jenna, on the other hand, seemed obsessed with popularity, which was why their argument had begun. "The Watsons invited us to go waterskiing with them this morning." "I'm not really into waterskiing, plus I hate getting water up my nose. I'll probably just read in the gazebo." "Oh, come on! I don't want to go alone, and you can read about horse anatomy some other time." "Actually, I'm reading about a famous feline, I mean cat, doctor who invented—" "You and your animals, Sofia! Can't you stop being such a horse girl and act like a normal seventh grader for a change?" "Not everyone wants to run around trying to be cool and popular all the time, Jenna!" The argument had gone on like this for several more rounds before Jenna stomped off down the driveway and Sofia jumped into the kayak and paddled away. Now the bow of the kayak scraped against the sandy shore, and Sofia realized she was probably on the other side of the lake. After she got out of the kayak and pulled it onto the beach, she sat down on the damp sand and waited for the sun to burn off the fog. She began to regret fighting with her sister. She loved Jenna but getting along was truly challenging. “Identical twins are supposed to have a magical, mysterious bond, so why don't we have that?” she wondered. Sofia looked out at the lake and the clearing fog. In the distance, Jenna and their mother were paddling toward her in the orange canoe. The twins and their mother sat close together on the little beach. "Listen girls," their mother began, "You're twins but you're also wonderfully unique and strong-minded individuals. Enjoy your differences and support each other because no matter what you do in life, and no matter who your friends are, you will always be sisters." Sofia turned to Jenna and the girls looked into one another’s eyes. Sofia didn’t see her enemy there, just her sister. Though Jenna was sometimes challenging, she was always someone Sofia loved. Both girls smiled. In "Coming Through Fog," how do their mother's words influence the conflict between Sofia and Jenna? Her words have more effect on Jenna than Sofia. Her words make Sofia and Jenna realize they are very different. Her words force the girls to make up with one another. Her words help Jenna and Sofia to think differently about their conflict.
