“Mom, stop buying stuff! My closet is already
full.”
“How can it be full? I’ll get your stepfather to
clear out the guest room next to yours, so it
can be a walk–in closet.”
I smiled.
I looked at my happy mom and her new
husband.
I felt warm inside.
I thought I wouldn’t like living in England.
I got along well with everyone.
My mom and her husband were wonderful.
My stepbrother was great too.
After Mom and I finished shonning my
<
After Mom and I finished shopping, my
stepbrother, Peter, picked us up in his new
Bugatti.
“Hey guys, hop in.”
“There’s a new restaurant. I hear it’s good.”
I sat in the passenger seat.
Peter told me all about the restaurant.
I had to stop him.
“Okay, I get it.”
“The tuna’s great, and we have to order it.”
Her stepdad, Alex, laughed.
“Honey, Peter isn’t usually this chatty.”
“He just likes yOU SO much He can’t help
<
7:36
“He just likes you so much. He can’t help
talking to you.”
Peter scratched his nose.
“My sister’s cute. What can I say?”
“I always asked Mom and Dad to have a
daughter, but they wouldn’t.”
“Now I’m making up for lost time.”
66
“I like having a sister, and I’m going to spoil her.
So what?”
Everyone laughed.
Later, I frowned.
Peter was doing too much.
Right after dinner, he took me to an auction.
<
He bought me expensive jewelry.
I could barely hold it.
“Peter, isn’t this a bit much?”
Peter grinned.
“Not at all. You dress too plainly. Twenty- somethings shouldn’t dress like you.”
“You need some sparkle.”
“I have to treat my sister right.”
When we got home, I saw someone was
cleaning up the guest bedroom.
It connected to my room.
The closet was full of clothes and bags that
Mom and I had just bought.
<
7:36
Peter brought in a safe.
“You can put the jewelry in here.”
wwww
“Then, every morning, you can pick whatever
you want.”
My eyes filled with tears.
I lowered my head. “Okay. Thanks.”
A warm hand touched my head.
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“We’re family. You don’t have to be so polite.”
“I’m your brother, now.”
I blinked. I felt disoriented.
I heard those words long ago, someone else said the same thing. But they became someone
else’s brother.
<
7:36
Maybe life was fair.
I lost my dad and brother.
Now, I had a great dad and brother.
I was just like them.
We had a daughter and sister.
It was fair.
- 13.
That night, I lay in my warm bed. I realized I
hadn’t thought about Riley in a long time.
I opened my old profile.
I saw a bunch of messages from classmates
asking where I’d gone.
They said my dad, brother, and Jake were
66
<
looking for me.
It felt unreal.
What did they want?
Did they want me to apologize to Riley? I’d already left and given her everything.
Why weren’t they happy?
I didn’t care.
I deleted my account and fell asleep.
- 14.
Time passed.
I went to grad school.
Alex helped me find a professor. I graduated
with my doctorate.
<
Then it was Christmas.
It was my birthday.
I woke up and saw a cake in the living room.
