Returning home to the sound of female laughter was a new experience. Eli paused at the door, straining to hear the lowered voices over the pounding of his heart. One was Therese. The other made him hesitate for a beat longer than usual. It was Aria; he was almost certain of it. But what was she doing here?

Although he had no intention of leaving her alone as she’d requested, he assumed he’d need to be persuasive if he wanted her back in his bed. Yet here she was, laughing with his sister, a miracle in itself. Therese had barely spoken to him since Saturday. Funny how she seemed to have no problem talking to Aria. Was there some sort of female club he was excluded from, whose mission in life was to baffle unsuspecting men? It seemed likely. The alternative, that Eli was terrible at communicating with his sister, was another likely scenario. His empathy with children left a lot to be desired, but it was irrelevant because he never planned to have any of his own. No child deserved to be subjected to the sort of cold upbringing he’d endured. Eli was confident that in deciding not to have children, he was making a more responsible choice than his parents had.

Moving quietly, he made his way to Therese’s door and peeked inside, his breath catching. His sister was sitting cross-legged on the bed, relaying a story with animated gestures. Aria was smiling and nodding, encouraging her while she patted the kitten sprawled across her lap. The scene was so sweet, he couldn’t help but watch. Therese was mid-sentence.

“…thought the movie was great, but I didn’t love it. He held my hand the whole time, though, and that, like, totally made up for it. He’s so cute. I’m so happy my first date wasn’t a total flop,” she gushed. “It was great. But I suppose you’ve been on heaps of dates.”

Now, things were getting interesting. Eli leaned forward, straining to hear Aria’s answer.

“I’ve been on my fair share,” she replied, annoyingly vague. “Nothing wonderful, though. The best was a ballet show. I’m not a huge fan of ballet, but there’s something romantic about going to see a live performance.”

“What would your dream date be?” Therese asked.

“A beach,” Aria said without hesitation. “Imagine getting whisked away to a tropical island for a weekend. You could go for a horse trek down the beach and finish with a picnic.”

Therese sighed. “My parents could afford that a million times over, but they’d never spend their money that way.”

Eli heard the truth in her words and felt for her. It was the first time he’d understood his sister’s position. Being a Lockwood was lonely and often disheartening. Feeling guilty for eavesdropping, he rapped on the door.