Page 111 of Can't Always Get What You Want

“I’m not yelling,” Gio insists, voice still several decibels too high. “I just want to know why you’re wearing dirty clothes from last night!”

“I like oversized hoodies,” I say flatly, waiting for Austin to save me. “Sorry I’m not fancy enough for you.”

“Nova…”

“Stop.” I hold up a hand, stomach twisting. “Stop, Gio. I don’t need a lecture.”

“I’m not lecturing!”

“You kind of are,” I singsong, then switch my attention to the real star of the show. Vivi, my sweet baby girl. “Theres’s our sunshine!” I coo. “Sweet baby sugar! Bring her closer so I can get a good look at her.”

My brother grumbles. “You’d get an even better look at her if you came by every once in a while.”

OH MY GOD COULD HE NOT BE SUCH A?—

Austin rolls her eyes. “We said we didn’t want any visitors the first few weeks.”

She’s calm about it, but I know what’s underneath. The exhaustion. The sensory overload. The fact that they moved, had a baby, and started renovating their entire house in the same three-month span. To say they were overwhelmed would be the understatement of the year.

Their kitchen still doesn’t have cabinet doors.

I’m not making this shit up.

Gio scoffs. “She doesn’t count.”

“Oh, I don’t?” I snap, narrowing my eyes at him. “So I’m what—family-adjacent? Thanks, that’s great. Makes me feel soo valued.”

I’m deflecting and I know it.

Gaslighting at its finest.

My brother waves a hand into the phone’s camera, exasperated by me. “You know what I mean. You’re not, like, a ‘guest.’”

Vivi chooses that exact moment to let out a shriek. Austin rocks her gently, unbothered, eyes trained on Gio like she’s ready to tag in if necessary.

He opens his mouth again, and I cut him off with a look. “Don’t.”

“I was just gonna say?—”

“Nope.”

“—You’re being sensitive.”

“You’re being a dick.”

“Okay but?—”

“Nope,” Austin interrupts, adjusting her hold on Vivi. The baby immediately grabs a handful of her denim shirt and starts gnawing. “You don’t get to complain. You brought this on yourself when you decided to renovate the kitchenduringmy third trimester.”

It was also the start of the hockey season, but now is not the right time to interject with that fact.

“I didn’t know it would take this long!” My brother is whining.

“You hired a guy named Tiny Pete.”

I laugh.

Gio blinks cluelessly. “He’s cheap.”

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