Page 88 of Jagged

"She's literally been picking on me all day." Frankie nearly pouted from across the room.

"She's six." Wyatt's eyes widened as he looked between her and Tatiana. "Is she kidding?"

"Nope." Tatiana pointed between the two of them. "Reagan, act like a six-year-old well-behaved child and not a bully. Frankie, act like you're in your thirties, please."

"I'm not in my thirties." She scowled, folding her arms across her middle in a huff.

"She's in her forties," muttered Reagan.

Wyatt and Mrs. Silva shared a glance, as if testing who would laugh first.

"I heard that!" Frankie stomped her foot.

"So!"

"Okay." Tatiana scooped Reagan up and set her on her hip. "You're done."

"Mãe!" Reagan wiggled and a near-fit ensued.

"Absolutely unacceptable," I heard Tatiana say as she carried her down the hall. "When I tell you to stop doing something, you stop doing that something."

"Frankie started it!"

"I literally did not!"

"Frankie. Don't argue back at her." Frustration bubbled in my stomach, and I frowned. "Come on. She's a kid."

"A bratty kid right now." Frankie's attitude continued as well as her glares.

"You're being a bratty adult right now."

"Girls," Mrs. Silva began, sweeping between us. She moved her arm behind Frankie and urged her over to the coffee station with us. "Enough bickering for the moment. Frankie is coming to family dinner. Reagan is having a timeout, and everyone is going to be nice to each other." She smiled, a bright sweet smile. "Or I will make you be nice to each other." And there was the threat.

Frankie smirked and glanced at me, then back to her.

"Sisters need to be kind to each other, even in moments of fun."

"We suck at being sisters then," said Frankie, and I nodded my agreement.

"You don't." Mrs. Silva nudged both of us to sit down on the stools. Wyatt followed suit, and the three of us faced her as if we were in a classroom. "You're making up for lost time. Siblings always argue, bicker, or poke at each other when they're young. You didn't have that chance, and so you do it now. But there are better ways."

"Can I make her play dress up with me?" Frankie grinned. "She'll be a good vampire."

"No." I nearly growled at her.

"Fine. Werewolf then."

"Frankie."

"Girls." Again, Mrs. Silva's tone cooled us off.

"Mrs. S, since you invited Tati's man to dinner, are you going to invite Jagger's girl?" Frankie wagged her brows at me. "We all want to meet her."

"Hey." I flopped my hands in my lap then looked up at Mrs. Silva. "She's incorrigible."

"I noticed. But she's going to settle down." Mrs. Silva stood closer to Frankie, and wrapped her arm around her shoulder. "So, there's a girl?"

"Sorta." I glanced at Frankie. "Yes."

---