Page 96 of Second Round

Hannah stepped out of the kitchen, and she was shocked to see me. “What’shedoing here?Where’sMom?”

Tristan scowled. “Mom’s gone out with the Jerk-head. Leo brought me home, and I invited him in. I want to show himmyroom.”

“Hi,” I said to her, but I only got a nod in return. Obviously, everyone wasn’t happy to see me. I followed Tristan into his room and admired the hockey mural that Jackie had painted on his walls. While he was showering, I went to the kitchen where Hannah was on herlaptop.

“You’re mad at me?” Iasked.

She glared over the laptop. “You made Momunhappy.”

For a moment, I considering replying that breaking up was all her decision, but that wasn’t the whole truth. If I had been able to be the person Jackie needed, we would still betogether.

“I’msorry.”

She eyed me again. “But now that I see you, you don’t look too hoteither.”

Okay, maybe my lack of sleep and overwork was starting to catch up with me. I sat down acrossfromher.

“Do you still have Mao?” sheasked.

I nodded. “Charlotte would kill me if I returned him. She makes me send her new photos every week.” I hadn’t officially adopted him, but it wasn’t like the shelter was asking for him back. Besides, having someone happy to see me when I got home wasn’t the worst thing in theworld.

“Cats hate change. Minx has had trouble adjusting to the move. I worry that she might try to get back to our old house, so I keep an eye on her.” Minx’s fat sides were overflowing a small cardboard box in the corner. Escaping looked like the last thing onhermind.

“How about you? How are you adjusting tothemove?”

“Well, my best friend already lived here, so that made things easier. I kind of like it. It’s like I can be a newmehere.”

“That’s great.” It was something I had worried about. If Sophie and I had stayed together, how would it be for Charlotte to move all the time? But maybe a fresh start would have been funforher.

“It’s been a good move for everyone,” she said. That sounded like a direct quote fromJackie.

“Is that dinner?” I asked, pointing to a box of Kraft Dinner on thecounter.

“Yes,” Hannah replied. “Welikeit.”

“I was wondering, would you like to have pizzainstead?”

“Pizza!” Tristan burst into the kitchen, his hair still wet. “Of course we want pizza instead. There are so many good pizza places around here. It’s called Little Italy,youknow.”

I grinned. “I didn’t know, but that’s pretty handy. What do you think,Hannah?”

Her forehead was creased. “I’m supposed to be the one babysitting tonight. Not to be rude, but you’re not going to stay until Mom gets home, are you? If what’s-his-face is still with her, that’s going to be veryawkward.”

“I’ll only stay until after dinner,” I promised her. “Besides, I was going to go home and order pizza anyway. Now, I’m getting somethingauthentic.”

Hannah still hesitated. She was a strict rule-follower.

“I could take the box and leftovers with me. Your mom won’t even know that pizza wasconsumedhere.”

“Pleeeease Hannah-banana,”saidTris.

“Okay. But if Mom asks, we had Kraft Dinner. It was tough enough to get her to go out without leaving meals for both of us.” That made more sense to me. It wasn’t the pizza she was against as much as giving up the responsibility. Hannah liked being in charge. She’d make a great CEOsomeday.

Tristan began to rustle through drawers searching for pizza menus. I stood up and looked at the notes and drawings tacked to the fridge. Between the pencil crayon masterpieces was a postcard of a paintedlandscape.

Jacqueline Wagner. Inside andOutside.

“What’s this?” I asked. I took the magnet off and turned the card over to read dates and thelocation.

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