“That’s absurd,” Mom says, like it’s a fact, and starts unpacking the Ethiopian food.

“I have grounds,” Daddy says, turning on his lawyer voice. “With the new store, you’ll never be home. Hell, you were never home before. You can visit the kids at my house if you want.”

“Visit? My kids?” Mom responds, her voice going uncharacteristically high. Daddy’s last comments definitely got her attention. “I think it’s time for you to leave,” she says, her voice returning to normal. “I hope you’re not serious.”

“Oh, I’m dead serious,” Daddy says, walking toward the door. “And by the way,” he says, turning back and directing his attention toward me and Cole, “I found a house in the same neighborhood where the rental house is. So, if y’all come live with me, y’all can go to Woodside High.”

“With Rex?” Cole asks, as if that makes everything better.

“Rex! Who cares about Rex right now!” I yell, and run to my room.

REX

It’s freezing and I’ve been standing outside of Carli’s heavily studded, powder-blue front door for entirely too long. I lift the ring on the large metal knocker. I shouldn’t be here, I think for the hundredth time.

See, Carli didn’t exactly invite me over. Actually, she didn’t invite me at all and still hasn’t returned any of my calls. And she’s never told me where her mom’s house is. Cole’s photo tags on IG helped me find the street—quiet and tree-lined in South Hampton near Rice University. And their mom’s old-school Discovery parked outside helped me pinpoint the house. It consistently appears in Cole’s feed.

Yo, this is waaay too stalkerish. What am I thinking? I gently set the knocker back down without making a sound and put my hands in my coat pockets to warm them up.

“Ugh.” I sigh, frustrated with myself, and a cloud of my breath hits the door. I swear it’s braver than I am.

But I’m not getting back in my pickup truck without seeing Carli, you can bet on that. I need to make sure she’s okay. Assure her that missing the playoffs is not the end of the world. Plus, this crazy good day with my father won’t be the same if I don’t share it with her.

The door starts making unlocking sounds from the inside. Shit! I want to run, but there’s no time! I look for somewhere to hide on the long porch, but there’s only the hanging swing and two large pots with unhappy succulents. It’s too cold for them to be outside.