Page 17 of Between the Lines

“Right, the feral cat who hates everyone but you two.”

I exhale as Jesse teases me. “Listen, Hamburger chose us. And Daisy loves him.”

Well, she loves trying to eat different parts of him, but that’s a secret we keep within our house. I don’t need another reason for my family to think I need an intervention.

The back door squeals open. “Oh good, you’re awake.” Penny rushes out, a ball of energy. “You know, I was reading that Daisy should be eating a larger variety of foods by now.” She’s holding my child on her hip with a margarita in one hand, while wearing a shorts and crop top set that makes her look like a fitness model.

“Uhm . . .” I rub my eyes, still coming out of my slumber. “I do feed her a mix of stuff—”

Penny cuts me off. “Well, I made her some broccoli bites and packed it in to-go containers. You can give them a try at home this week. Let me know how she likes it.”

I suck my lips in without a response and hold back telling my sister that she’ll probably just spit them out or fling them at the wall because that’s what she’s into right now.

“Hey, Fia, how long were you planning on driving with bald tires?” My brother, Danny, walks through the back gate with a rag in his hands. His blond hair is a shade darker than Penny’s, but other than that, it’s very clear they are twins.

I’m the outlier sibling here.

“What?” I scratch my head as everyone’s eyes land on me.

“Your tread is this deep.” Danny holds up his fingers, pinching them close. “Do you know how dangerous that is?”

“I rarely drive . . .” I begin to protest, but Penny slaps a palm to her forehead, being dramatic as ever.

“Fia, you have a baby.” She emphasizes baby like I’m unaware that I birthed a whole human.

“Listen, I’m getting new tires soon.” My heart kicks up a notch as my neck gets hot.

The truth is, I was going to get new tires for my car in a few weeks, but now it seems like it’s between tires or fixing my roof.

At this point I’m not sure which one is more important. I’d been doing just fine walking everywhere until everyone decided it was a problem this week.

“Just looking out for you.” Danny throws his hands up and pats me on the shoulder as he goes inside.

I stand there, wishing the yard would open up and swallow me whole.

We gather around the dining table, Daisy happy to be passed around from lap to lap. One thing she’ll never lack is a pair of arms ready to hold her. Even Danny, who’s still adjusting to life outside prison, is a natural with her, bouncing her on his knee while he shovels in the fish tacos Penny got for dinner.

For all the domestic advice my sister spews at me, she can’t even make a taco to save her life. She ordered them from a little stand down the street.

“Hey, Fi,” Jesse starts, using the nickname only my family uses, “I have a client right around the block from you next Friday. I thought I could swing by after and switch out the fire alarm you said keeps chirping.”

Cold sweat takes up residency on my neck, and I choke on a piece of fried fish. I did complain about that fire alarm. But that was before it started raining in my house.

Penny gazes at me over her margarita glass. “You good?”

“It’s fine, I fixed it myself.” I smile at Jesse and he nods, a lock of dark hair falling over his forehead.

The fire alarm is chirping . . . or was. I know how to use a broom. And I used that broom to knock the fire alarm clean off the ceiling. It’s not like there’s not another one at the other end of the hall. Nan went crazy with installing them when we were kids, terrified the old house would go up in flames or something with all the pyro crap my brother, Danny, pulled.

“That’s good, you can never be too careful. Especially in an old home like that,” Jesse adds, and I’m sure it’s meant to be reassuring, but it does nothing to settle my nerves.

First Caden, now Jesse.

“Speaking of.” Penny’s eyes light up, and it’s like whiplash as I turn to look at her. “Two streets over from here, they just finished renovating a cute little duplex. It’s going to be up for rent by the end of the summer, and I already inquired about the price—”

“For who?” I deadpan as my throat tightens. Every few weeks she tries to get me to move.

“You. You know that.” She laughs like I’m daft, bringing another bite of food to Daisy’s mouth. “Come on, Fia, it’s something to think about. It’s really nice, and Jesse and I would be right here—”