Page 195 of Nocere

"Small immediate family, large extended." Sali piled some fries onto her burger then took a heaping bite.

"Any kids or siblings?" Juni pressed and I tried to hide the grin that made it to my face while she kept Sali in the hot seat.

"No kids. Nieces. One sister," she said.

"Older or younger? Rosie's my big sister." Juni wagged her brows at me and I chuckled.

"Neither. We're twins."

"Really?" I asked. "I didn't know that."

"You didn't ask."

"Are you identical?" asked Juni, her interest piqued.

"Yup." Sali smirked and I noted her responses growing shorter.

I made to tease her about it, but the hurried pace of a woman heading our way startled me until I recognized Sali's wife, Maggie. She nearly skidded to a halt beside the table.

"Babe, why didn't you answer me? Hi Rosie." Maggie glanced at me then did a double-take when she saw Juni. "And relative of Rosie."

"Hi." Juni laughed. and the proud grin that made it to both of our faces made my heart skip a beat.

"What?" Sali whipped out her phone. "Oh."

"We got a lead. Someone at the LGBTQ Center told Jake about an assault she witnessed against another trans woman. He thinks the story matches the previous." Maggie's rushed tones brought an urgency to Sali's movement.

"We better get there." She pulled a twenty from her pocket and tossed it on the table before handing the second half of her burger to Maggie. "You've escaped me for today, Rose."

"Well, that's good news. Text me the details and we can run it through the system if they stand out," I said, glancing between them. Maggie snared a bite of burger and smiled at Lily when she made a loud grunt.

"So cute," she said.

"She is."

"Good to meet you, Rosie's relative." She waved before Sali dragged her out of there.

"Juni." She laughed and waved to them. "You, too."

My phone buzzed on the table, but with lunch in one hand and Lily in the other, I couldn't get it. "Check for me?"

"It's Sami."

"What's she saying?"

"She wants to know if you want to meet for lunch." Juni nearly giggled. "You're popular," she said while texting back something.

"My life has turned a corner this year," I said, smiling while I kissed Lily's forehead. "She's so sweet."

"She loves you." Juni crunched on some fries while smiling at us. "Like I do."

"Aww." A smile broke across my mouth and I nudged her with my elbow. "I love you, too. The sister I never knew I had."

A single red rose appeared on the table beside my fork and I looked up in time to see a grinning Sam taking a seat across from us. "Hi, my sweet."

"Hi, honey." My heart fluttered in my chest and I lifted the rose to give it a sniff.

"You're blushing." Juni poked my cheek and it only made my face heat up more.

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