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I know now that it’s not an option.
I’m not sure how I feel about it—I need to figure out what it means.
“Thank you for doing this with us,” Noah says and squeezes my hand.
“I had a lot of fun,” I say.
“I had fun too,” Kylie pips up from the backseat. “Do you want to watch Fairy Marla with me when I get home, Raven?”
“Not tonight, peanut,” Noah answers for me. “It’s a school night; Mom will send you to bed normal time.”
Kylie groans. “I don’t like school nights.”
“But you like school, right?”
She nods at Noah in the mirror, and I twist in my seat.
“I used to love school, too. I love being around my friends and learning new things. Not everyone likes to learn and they told me I was a nerd when I liked it that much. But it’s a superpower.” I wink at Kylie.
“A superpower?” she asks, skeptical.
“Yeah, of course,” I say. “Haven’t you heard that knowledge is power?”
Kylie wrinkles her nose. “Yeah, but it sounds like a grownup thing.”
I laugh. “It does, doesn’t it? I think if you know things, you feel safer. I always feel nervous when I don’t know what to do or where to go or who I can talk to.”
“Oh, I get it,” Kylie says.
I grin at her. When Noah catches my eye, he looks impressed.
A moment later, he pulls into the driveway of a modest house and Kylie hops out of the car. We follow and a blonde woman opens the door. She looks so much like Noah; there’s no mistaking they’re related.
She hugs her brother, plants kisses all over Kylie’s face until the little girl squeals, and finally turns to me.
“You must be Raven.”
“Hi,” I say.
“I’m Natalie. Come on in, have something to drink before you go. Coffee?”
“We’re not staying long,” Noah says. I’m starting to get the feeling he wants to be alone with me.
“It’s a school night,” Kylie says.
“You’re right,” Natalie says. “Go on inside, put your bag away. You can get in the bath in a minute.”
Kylie runs inside to do what her mother says.
“She’s a sweetheart,” I say.
“Thank you for helping Noah take care of her.”
“He didn’t need any help,” I say with a smile.
Natalie and Noah glance at each other, and something passes between them. I don’t try to figure out what it is. They have their secret language, their inside jokes and understanding. I’ve seen my friends have the same with their siblings.
“We’re going to head out,” Noah says. “Call me if you need anything, okay?”
