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She takes down her hair before opening a tube of mascara and applying it to her lashes. “Just tell me I look pretty this time, all right?”
“You look pretty,” I tell her. “You always look pretty.”
She looks happy, too.
She finishes with her eyes and applies lipstick, then runs her fingers through her hair.
“What?” she says when she catches me staring. “Ihavenormal clothes. I just haven’t worn them in a long time. Can I turn up the music?”
“Do whatever you want,” I tell her.
And she does. She turns it all the way up, rolls the window down, and props her feet up on the dashboard.
She’s lucky I love her.
I watch her sing along to my playlist with her hand out the window, moving it as if surfing through the cool night air as we drive.
“So I guess it’s greasy food, loud music, and the windows rolled down,” I say.
“What?!” she shouts over the music.
“The things that bring you joy. I told you I’d make it my mission to figure it out.”
She shakes her head. “Youbring me joy, Devon. That’s it—that’s the entire list.”
We pull into a driveway about twenty minutes later and get out of the car. “Is this where the party is?” Ally asks, taking my hand.
“No,” I tell her. “This is my mom’s house. I left my laptop here on Wednesday, and I need it for something.”
“Well…is she here?”
“Yeah, I think so.”
She freezes at the front steps.
“What? You said you wanted to do normal stuff. Come on.”
I usher her into the front door of the smaller ranch-style home and close the door behind us.
“Mom?” I call from the kitchen. Ally stands beside me with her arms folded over her chest, awkwardly shifting her weight on her feet.
“Come on in, Sweetheart—we’re in the living room!” she calls out.
I grab Ally’s hand again and pull her through the dining room and into the front room, where my mom and Ivy sit together watching television.
“Just wanted to pick up that computer,” I tell her. “This is my girlfriend, Ally, by the way. Ally, that’s my mom, Stephanie, and my little sister, Ivy. She just turned six.”
“Hi,” Ally says, her pale cheeks blushing.
“Hi, Ally,” my mom says. “It’s so nice to meet you. It’s been a long time since Devon brought a girl over here.”
“Stop,” I say, shaking my head.
“I like your shirt,” my sister says to her.
“Thanks,” Ally replies. “I heard you were the cool sister.”
“I am cool,” Ivy says. “Devon said your mom was in jail.”
