“No, that’s how I work. Those are the ways of Cami.”

“Oh?”

“Like the ways of the world,” Cami whispered, “but ‘of Cami.’”

“I get it,” Opa whispered back.

It looked like Cami was doing some four-year-old version of blushing.

After the appointment, Kaito wanted to go to work. “Can you make it back yourself?” he said.

“I think so,” Izabel said.

“Without the blindfold?”

“Yeah.”

“I can help with the blindfold,” Cami said.

“That’s okay, honey,” Izabel said.

Kaito watched them go to a car, saying he would get the next one. Izabel pinched her fingernail into her thumb as they walked, to focus on that. In the car, she waved back at Kaito so he’d see she was fine enough.

Out of nowhere, Cami said, “I bet you would be super sad if I was defeated.”

“Yeah, I would be. Super sad. All over.”

“You don’t have eyes all over.”

“You don’t need eyes to be sad. Being sad isn’t only about crying.”

“How would you be sad?” Cami said.

“My hands would shake and my stomach would hurt and probably my head would hurt, too.”

“I bet your legs would shake.”

“Yeah, my legs would shake, definitely.”

“I bet you would put flowers all over my grave.”

“Did you see that somewhere?”

“Yeah.”

“Yeah, people used to do that. Do you want me to do that?”

“Mmhmm,” Cami said.

“Okay. Any flower in particular?”

“Wait, you can’t get flowers!”

“If that’s what you want, I can get you flowers.”

“And a grave?”

“Daddy’s got a robot. We can make it happen. Anything you want.”

“Are you going to have a grave?”

“No, I think I’ll get all burnt up and you can keep me or spread me around somewhere. Do you know what I’m talking about?”

“Yeah.” And then she didn’t say anything else.

“Do you want raspberries when we get home?” Izabel asked.

“Yes!” Cami said. As if that had been a normal conversation. As if Izabel weren’t holding down vomit.

    Chapter Seventeen

The next time Paz called, it was to say that Jana had been cleared and Izabel had to come get her—now. Izabel was alone in Andy’s house. Andy and Kaito were both out working. The girls were at school. Izabel hadn’t left the house since the appointment with Opa. In her head, she’d been replaying her outburst at Maris for days. She texted Kaito to see if he could get Jana instead.

In the meantime, she threw on pants and put a bra on under the shirt she’d slept in. She checked her hair in the mirror. Kaito still hadn’t responded. She told herself, You can do this.