“All right, then.” Kate/Kaitlin’s face goes supernova again, and she lowers her voice meaningfully. “Welcome home, Mason.”

It is easily the stupidest thing she’s ever said to me. Emma’s forehead creases, and I may be imagining it, but she’s looking at Kate/Kaitlin like she’s having the exact same thought. Even so, I’m feeling panicked at the thought of Kate/Kaitlin leaving. Once she leaves, this will all be very real.

“Upstairs,” Emma says, pointing at the staircase. “Second door on the left. We’re having pizza delivered tonight. I’ll knock when it gets here.”

Before anyone can change their minds, I launch myself at the stairs, star-flecked balloons kicking up under my feet. Step one, make it up to my room. Step two, figure out a way to get out of here.

– 5 – Willow

Salem has a city ordinance that requires all visitors to race through it at roughly the speed of a flying broomstick, or at least that is one explanation for what is going on with my mother right now. She is normally a fast walker, but today she’s making her regular walk look like a leisurely Sunday stroll. Clearly, she has a mission. Not that she’s telling me what said mission is, because apparently I don’t need any information besides the basics. My sister has passed away. We’re going to settle the estate. My plan is to be there less than twenty-four hours.

By the time we were packed and ready, my mom had completely pulled herself back together. She hasn’t said a single extraneous word to me since the morning in her office, and that includes the six hours we just spent on the plane together. I’m used to her either being in her head or on her phone all the time, but today her inattention feels downright maddening. That tiny wobble of emotion I saw back in her office is long gone, and that tiny thread that had stretched out between us has snapped clean.

Sometimes I think my relationship with my mom would be easier if I didn’t occasionally feel close to her. She’s like a queen in a castle—interesting, beautiful, generous, but also heavily guarded by a moat, drawbridge, and fire-breathing dragon. Every once in a while I get a glimpse of her, but for the most part I’m on the outside wondering what I did to get banished. Honestly, I think that’s the part that has made me believe all of this mystery-twin business. If anyone was going to have a treasure trove of secrets, it’s her.

Now she’s running ahead of me, looking polished, composed, and mildly annoyed, while I run after her, confused, messy, out of breath. In other words, the world has realigned itself.

We’re headed to a meeting of some sort. That’s all I know.