breathe, and I can almost believe, with my eyes closed, that gravity has finally given in and let us float.
Until someone hammers on the sliding glass door behind Garrett.
It’s Zane.
Of course.
Garrett reaches back, keeping me close, as he flips the latch. Zane bounces in with a grin.
“Interruptions are my strong point,” he says. “Figured I’d come find out about Brando, and good thing I did from the looks of it. I know being together amps up your energy, but let’s keep it to one surprise baby at a time, alright?”
I don’t think the blood vessels in my face can take any more of this today.
“Annnd…you’re not funny at all,” Robin says as she slips through the door behind Zane.
“ Her training as an Emen is really working,” Zane laughs. Then to Robin, “I didn’t even see you coming.”
She shoves Zane out of her way with her shoulder.
“ I wanted to hear about Brandon, but now we have to wait. Whatever you don’t want The Fury to know, you better zip it up now. Deeta’s dragging Milo this way.”
“Great,” Zane says, just as Zaneen appears at the doorway.
“I am great, thanks for saying,” she tells him, stepping inside. Zane farts.
“ Actually, that was what I meant to say,” he tells his twin.
“It’s a good thing you were born a girl, or I’d beat you down,” Zaneen says. Zane’s about to fire off a reply as Deeta taps on the door.
“ Yuck. Who farted?” she says. Milo’s right behind her. I notice how she reaches back and grabs his hand, and even though it startles him, he lets her. I also notice how Zaneen notices and how Robin notices both Deeta’s hand and how Zaneen’s noticing and how Milo’s eyes flick to me, and most of all, how Garrett’s hold around my waist pulls me a little tighter to his side. It’s an overload of noticing—too many chess pieces being played all at once.
“ Hey Milo,” Garrett says tightly, “I guess I’m supposed to be staying with you, since Sean’s new family took over my room. You okay with that?”
“Sure,” Milo ’s answer is just as tight. “If that’s what you’d like.”
Of course Garrett doesn’t answer that. He wouldn’t like, but that’s where Addo wants him, so that’s where he’s going to go. I’m a little surprised that Addo didn’t send him over to Zane and Robin’s couch instead, but maybe it’s because Zane and Robin are married. And it makes sense that Addo would want Garrett to keep a close eye on Milo.
“So. Teagan…” Robin says after a few more awkward seconds, but then she lets her conversation-starter evaporate into the silence. Garrett rubs his upper lip and I feel like I should say something, but have no idea what.
“I was hoping she was gone forever,” Zaneen grumbles. Milo gives her a sympathetic smile and Zaneen’s eyelids flutter a little lower. I can’t tell if it’s supposed to be a glare or if she’s flirting, because no matter what Zaneen does, she always looks like she’s flirting.
“Oh, she’s not that bad,” Deeta says. Milo frees his hand from Deeta’s by pulling out a chair for her, but he remains standing. Then, after a couple seconds, he drifts away, leaning on the wall beside the door as if ten feet away from Deeta is the only place to lean in the room. Deeta doesn’t notice right off because she’s too busy defending Teagan. “I think you’re all still upset because they wanted to spend time alone last time she was here.”
“ Time alone? She wouldn’t let him hang out at all,” Zaneen says.
“Only b ecause they wanted to be together.” Deeta’s eyes seem especially blue and I think it is the romantic idea of spending time with someone that makes her sparkle as she talks. Zaneen, however, throws a loose hand over her eyes, exasperated.
“ They would’ve been together with us. She could’ve come. She was invited.”
“ But it was the first time they really got to see each
Until someone hammers on the sliding glass door behind Garrett.
It’s Zane.
Of course.
Garrett reaches back, keeping me close, as he flips the latch. Zane bounces in with a grin.
“Interruptions are my strong point,” he says. “Figured I’d come find out about Brando, and good thing I did from the looks of it. I know being together amps up your energy, but let’s keep it to one surprise baby at a time, alright?”
I don’t think the blood vessels in my face can take any more of this today.
“Annnd…you’re not funny at all,” Robin says as she slips through the door behind Zane.
“ Her training as an Emen is really working,” Zane laughs. Then to Robin, “I didn’t even see you coming.”
She shoves Zane out of her way with her shoulder.
“ I wanted to hear about Brandon, but now we have to wait. Whatever you don’t want The Fury to know, you better zip it up now. Deeta’s dragging Milo this way.”
“Great,” Zane says, just as Zaneen appears at the doorway.
“I am great, thanks for saying,” she tells him, stepping inside. Zane farts.
“ Actually, that was what I meant to say,” he tells his twin.
“It’s a good thing you were born a girl, or I’d beat you down,” Zaneen says. Zane’s about to fire off a reply as Deeta taps on the door.
“ Yuck. Who farted?” she says. Milo’s right behind her. I notice how she reaches back and grabs his hand, and even though it startles him, he lets her. I also notice how Zaneen notices and how Robin notices both Deeta’s hand and how Zaneen’s noticing and how Milo’s eyes flick to me, and most of all, how Garrett’s hold around my waist pulls me a little tighter to his side. It’s an overload of noticing—too many chess pieces being played all at once.
“ Hey Milo,” Garrett says tightly, “I guess I’m supposed to be staying with you, since Sean’s new family took over my room. You okay with that?”
“Sure,” Milo ’s answer is just as tight. “If that’s what you’d like.”
Of course Garrett doesn’t answer that. He wouldn’t like, but that’s where Addo wants him, so that’s where he’s going to go. I’m a little surprised that Addo didn’t send him over to Zane and Robin’s couch instead, but maybe it’s because Zane and Robin are married. And it makes sense that Addo would want Garrett to keep a close eye on Milo.
“So. Teagan…” Robin says after a few more awkward seconds, but then she lets her conversation-starter evaporate into the silence. Garrett rubs his upper lip and I feel like I should say something, but have no idea what.
“I was hoping she was gone forever,” Zaneen grumbles. Milo gives her a sympathetic smile and Zaneen’s eyelids flutter a little lower. I can’t tell if it’s supposed to be a glare or if she’s flirting, because no matter what Zaneen does, she always looks like she’s flirting.
“Oh, she’s not that bad,” Deeta says. Milo frees his hand from Deeta’s by pulling out a chair for her, but he remains standing. Then, after a couple seconds, he drifts away, leaning on the wall beside the door as if ten feet away from Deeta is the only place to lean in the room. Deeta doesn’t notice right off because she’s too busy defending Teagan. “I think you’re all still upset because they wanted to spend time alone last time she was here.”
“ Time alone? She wouldn’t let him hang out at all,” Zaneen says.
“Only b ecause they wanted to be together.” Deeta’s eyes seem especially blue and I think it is the romantic idea of spending time with someone that makes her sparkle as she talks. Zaneen, however, throws a loose hand over her eyes, exasperated.
“ They would’ve been together with us. She could’ve come. She was invited.”
“ But it was the first time they really got to see each
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