He pulled a disgusted face at Becca, who smirked. “Thanks, sis.”

“How are you doing, kiddo?”

“I’m okay,” she said. John waited for her to mention her father, but Becca continued down a different road. “I just wanted to say hi before I go to bed.”

“Well, hej, honey. That’s how they say hello here,” Jessi said. John could hear something was off in his sister’s voice. It sounded strained and overly cheery.

Becca gave a tense smile. “Okay, I love you, Mom.”

“I love you too, pumpkin. Sleep well.”

John motioned for her to give him the phone. “Let me talk to your mom,” he said, moving from the couch. He gave her a hug and watched her slouch off to her room before he turned his attention to his sister.

Jessi’s smile dropped. “Oh god, is she okay?” she asked in a lower voice.

He carried the phone upstairs to his bedroom for more privacy. “She’s still trying to adjust,” he admitted. “But I’m also concerned about how my step-twin is doing.”

When John’s parents divorced and his father remarried Jessi’s mother, he had made an effort to get to know the bookworm in his AP Bio class. Sure, it was awkward at first—hey, my dad is your dad now—but they quickly became the best of friends. Jessi’s expressive face was often easy to read, and John had trained himself to interpret every crease of her brow, every clenched jaw. She was exhausted and stressed.

“I’m fine,” she said with a tremulous smile.

“You lie.”

Jessi shrugged her shoulders. “You caught me. I’m just worried about Becca.”

“She’ll be fine,” John said in a firm voice. “I’ve been taking her to school and feeding her.”

“Yes, I know you’re doing all of that. Thank you for watching her while I’m gone. It’s just...” She pursed her lips and frowned. “I hated leaving her, that’s all. I’ve never taken a work trip like this, but it felt like an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.”

She was right; she couldn’t pass up this opportunity. After Allen had moved out of the house, Jessi set out to write a grant for an international trip. She had wanted to advance her career as a civil engineer, and make improvements to Farmingdale by studying city planning in Scandinavia. John had encouraged her to take the plunge and he would hold down the fort on his end.

“I’m glad I’m doing it,” she continued. “But I worry I left Becca in a lurch.”

“You have a job to do. And Becca’s not without a group of people to love her while you’re gone. She’s got me, and our moms when I eventually fuck up. Her grandmother is really good at first aid...”

His stepsister laughed. “Which grandmother? Your mother passes out at the sight of blood.”