Page 13 of Owen Bailey Needs Advice

“True,” Annie says. Though I can’t see either woman, their voices are loud and clear. And utterly confusing. “I really like the idea of answering this question with some life experience.”

“Maybe you need another test subject besides Owen,” Coco says.

“Test subject?” I murmur.

“Uncle Owen!” Alice scrambles to her feet and runs over, hopping onto the couch and my stomach in the process. My stomach rolls. “Mama says I cannot bother you because you probably have a headache.”

“You never bother me.”

“I know.” Alice rolls her little eyes. “Crazy lady.” She sits on my stomach, and as I’m still lying down, there’s no possibility of sitting up now. “If you could marry Ariel or Belle, who would it be?”

“Yeah, O, we wanna know. Who’s it gonna be? A sexy fish lady? Or the beautiful bookworm?” Annie stands to the side of the couch, one hand on her hip. Her head tips to the side and one red lock falls in front of her eyes. Her freckled face peers down at me.

Alice huffs. “Ariel is not a fish lady. She’s a mermaid. She sings. She collects things. She’s got layers, Annie.”

“That settles it,” I say. “Ariel it is.”

“Makes sense. You’re much more of a prince than a beast.” Annie gives me a wink. “Hey, squirt. Coco needs a little assistance, can you go help her?”

Alice slides off of my stomach with a loud, exhausted groan. “You may refer to me as Alice, Beauty, or ma’am. Butneversquirt.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Annie says, giving me a sideways grin. She waits until Alice has slipped into the kitchen before sitting on the edge of the couch next to where I lay.

I scoot back, making a little more room for her.

“How are you feeling?” she asks.

“Better. I think.” I’m pretty sure I wasn’t all that beaten up to begin with. But if Annie wants to take care of me, I’m going to let her.

She shifts towards me, reaching out a hand and combing her fingers through my hair, brushing it to the side. “Well, your sister made soup. So, you’ll have to sit up.” She stands and holds out a hand to me, offering help. Again, I let her. If she’s going to let me touch her, I’m not going to argue.

I know.

I’m pitiful.

But it’s Annie.

One day, Annie will find someone she can’t live without, and all of those touches and moments will be a memory. So, I’ll take them while I can.

I sit, just in time for Alice and Coco to bring me a bowl ofchicken noodle soup and a slice of bread. We sit around my living room, Annie and Alice on the floor, while Coco and I take up this couch. We eat and chat, and after a moment, Alice is consumed by the mermaid again. Only this time I turn the sound up for her.

“So, what was that I heard about an experiment? About me?”

Coco and Annie share a glance.

“I had an idea,” Annie starts.

“A good one, I think,” my sister chimes in.

“I’m questioning my advice, O. Is any of it good? Is any of it valid?”

“All because of one question?”

“One question that I don’t have an answer to. One question that’s made me question every piece of advice I’ve given.” She swallows. “She also asked how I know if any of it works. Sure, I fact-check. But I never experience it.”

“It’s good advice,” I tell her, my head clearer than it’s been all day.

Annie shrugs. “Maybe… I need to know for sure.”

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