Winnie looked up from the stove the moment I entered.
A strange awareness had settled between us after that night at the speakeasy, and it had increased after I’d chewed the damndelivery guy out on the porch. After she stood there, looking breathless, while I tried not to kiss her.
Something had shifted. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but things were different now. We stood a little closer to each other than we used to. Our conversations lingered longer than professionalism dictated. I caught myself looking for her whenever something funny happened, wanting to see her reaction before I’d even processed my own. Somewhere along the way, she’d become the person I most looked forward to talking to each day.
“You look terrible,” she said.
“Thank you.” I poured coffee while trying not to die. Or vomit. Or both.
The children were scattered around the kitchen in varying states of spring break excitement. Bianca had three books stacked beside her plate despite school being out. CJ was sketching a group of people being attacked by rabid eels. Billie had clipped a dinosaur tail to her pajama bottoms and was wiggling her hips as she walked around the kitchen island, making the tail swish.
Normal chaos. Comforting chaos.
I rubbed at my temple.
Winnie noticed immediately. “Migraine?”
“Yeah, I’m afraid so.”
“You should take something before it fully settles in.”
I gestured at her with my coffee mug. “You’re becoming alarmingly competent at diagnosing me.”
“You become very squinty when you feel unwell.”
“I donotbecome squinty.”
Bianca glanced up from her book. “You definitely become squinty.”
I gave her a quick glance and stuck my tongue out. “Traitor.”
The doorbell rang before I could continue defending my dignity, and I winced. Too loud.
“An intruder,” Billie growled in an imitation of a dinosaur.
“I’ll get it,” I muttered.
The headache pulsed harder as I crossed the foyer. I opened the front door and blinked against the glare. “Amethyst?”
My sister-in-law stood on the porch in oversized sunglasses and an expensive cream-colored trench coat despite the warming weather. She was even taller than Jade had been, all elegant limbs and perfect posture, though unlike her sister, Amethyst carried tension outwardly instead of hiding it beneath composure.
Her blonde hair was twisted into a low knot that probably took an hour to look that effortless.
She lowered her sunglasses slightly. “Conrad? You look absolutely awful.”
“Good morning to you too.”
She gestured in my direction. “You have that migraine face.”
Apparently, everyone had formed a committee about my expressions and their not-so-hidden meanings.
Amethyst stepped inside and immediately Billie screamed from the kitchen. “Auntie Amethyst!”
Then came the thunder of little feet. Amethyst barely had time to crouch before Billie launched herself into her arms at full speed.
CJ arrived more casually but hugged her tightly anyway. Bianca trailed after him, trying to appear dignified while obviously emotional about seeing her aunt for the first time in several months.
Watching them together made me momentarily forget about my migraine.
