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“What’s this?” Sage asked as she came into my room holding the flier for the haunted house.

I shrugged without giving it a second glance. I was in my closet, trying to choose between all the perfect wife options. None of them felt like me. They all felt like costumes for someone else’s life. Not that I had a life.

“It’s in my school district. I checked,” she said. “And the price is super reasonable. It’ll be a bus ride, but at least I won’t be changing schools my sophomore year and trying to make friends.” She wrinkled her nose like that was the worst thing possible. She’d bounced back faster than I’d expected, but maybe she was in panic mode like I’d been yesterday and would crash out at some point like I had. I felt like I was still crashing.

“It’s a haunted house.”

“It’s charming and, most importantly, it’s available now, so we won’t have to move into a hotel. The boys will be a nightmare if we cram them into a tiny space. They’ll have to zone out in front of a screen, and then they’ll be even worse when they come back to the real world. And it’s like fate. One door closes, and another one opens.”

I stared at her, suspicion blooming. What had she been hiding that she was worried about me finding out? Something. I should search her room and do a whole confrontation, but seriously, if she was doing drugs, or who knew what else, I didn’t really want to know. Maybe the pressure of being perfect was hard for her too. Of course it was, and now things were cracking all over the place.

“Sage,” I said, grabbing her hand and pulling her close enough that I could brush her blonde hair out of her eyes. She’d started dying her hair blonde when she was eleven, so she looked like the boys and her father instead of me. “You can talk to me. I care about you. I’m sorry I’ve put so much pressure on you, and made you feel like⁠—”

“Mom, I’m fine,” she said, cutting me off. She frowned at me. “I mean, I’m not fine because my dad’s a flaky cheater, but it was weird that he was gone so much and was always so nice. Most dads are grumpy when they’re hungry and stuff like that. He was always on his best behavior, so you had to be too.” She shrugged. “But this house will be good. It’s next to the woods, so the boys can play and get out their energy. They’ll have to switch schools, but since they’re twins, they don’t need friends, you know?”

I took the paper out of her hand and really looked at it. Hadn’t it shown a gothic monstrosity with lightning flashing behind it? Now it really did look charming, with a cozy front porch light, gorgeous sunset, and great architecture. It was terrible what alcohol did to your mind.

“Why do you want to move to this house all of a sudden?” I asked, peering into her eyes.

They were green and had wild excitement in them. “I guess I like the idea of being free from the image. And I want to have moved on already when Dad shows up. Like, in a real house with a real life. You should get a boyfriend.”

I clutched my chest at the thought. “What?”

She sighed heavily. “Don’t be one of those people who can’t move on.”

“I’m selling the house. I’m moving on.”

“Then get a boyfriend so Dad can be jealous, realize what he’s been missing, then win you back.”

I blinked at her. “That’s not going to happen.”

She shrugged. “I mean, you haven’t confronted him about it, right? Either he’ll be devastated to have lost so much and want to change, or he’ll be relieved that he can live his own life the way he wants without chains holding him back. If he wants to change, you’re always telling me how important it is to forgive and give people a second chance.”

“That’s your brothers. I can forgive, but how could I possibly trust him again? I don’t trust easily.”

She beamed at me. “I know. And you don’t love anyone more than you love us. It suits my jealous nature.”

I almost laughed then said reluctantly, “I guess we can check out the house.” It was good to see her excited about something.

She beamed. “Tonight. We’ll get fast food on the way so the boys don’t ask too many questions.”

“So much bribery.”

“And then if we all love it, which we will, they’ll be excited about moving instead of putting up a fight. They’re monsters when they put their little black hearts into it. Only Dad’s able to get them to fall in line when they make up their minds to be stubborn idiots.”

I swallowed hard. “We do fine without him when he’s gone for weeks at a time.”

“Sure. You can make them do what you want, but it takes a lot of energy, and you don’t seem to have all that much extra to use for battle right now.”

I ruffled her hair. “It’s a good that you’re my general. Such a good strategist.”

She beamed at me. “It’s all those strategy games Dad taught me. I hope it has a piano.” Her attention had drifted back to the flier in my hand.

I frowned at it then slowly nodded at her. “It looks like it would have a piano.”

Two hours later, we were driving along a desolate road, a cemetery on one side, a line of impenetrable green on the other. It was overcast, drizzling, and the boys were arguing in the backseat about the toys they’d gotten in their kids’ meals.

My phone played ‘You’re All I Need to Get By,’ and I exchanged a panicked look with Sage.