“I know,” Mom said, “but how do you feel during the shoots, Devin? Do you ever feel, like, uncomfortable? Like you’re being judged for how you look?”

I had to think about that. I’d felt uncomfortable at first being poked and prodded, but no one had ever told me there was anything wrong with how I looked or tried to make me something I wasn’t. I didn’t feel like I needed to wear makeup, but I liked what Tenshi put on me when I was there.

“It’s okay,” I said. “I don’t feel weird or anything. I kind of like it. And I still look like me.”

“Well, that’s good to hear,” Mom said. “I just hope you would be honest with me if you ever felt differently. Promise?”

I nodded. “I promise,” I said. “So what are you going to do about Maisie?”

“If she really wants to model, she can wait until she’s twelve, like you,” Mom said. “I think that’s fair.”

“It’s not fair!” Maisie marched back in the room, her face scrubbed but with some traces of makeup still streaked on it.

“I’m sorry you feel that way, Maisie,” Mom said. “Now can we please all have a nice dinner together? Devin, you can shower after; we’re just about ready now.”

Maisie frowned and didn’t reply. She and I set the table, and Maisie was quiet as she poked at her salad. I usually don’t feel bad for Maisie, but today I did. She had tried really hard with that makeup, even though it was a mess.

“Maisie, you can come to a shoot with me if I get another one,” I offered. “See what it’s like.”

Maisie looked up from her plate. “Really?” she asked hopefully.

“That’s very nice of you, Devin,” Mom said. “Maisie, you are welcome to come, but I have to warn you, modeling shoots can be long and more boring than you think. You’ll have to bring a book to keep you busy, like I do.”

Maisie nodded. “Yes, yes, I will!” she said, smiling again. “Maybe I’ll get discovered!”

“If you do, we’ll have to tell them to wait a few years,” Mom said.

Maisie considered this. Finally, she nodded. “Good. That will give us time to work out a fair contract.” She turned to me and smiled. “Thanks, Devin.”

Maisie doesn’t smile at me a lot. Usually, she’s just being annoying. But I was starting to figure out that it might not be easy being a little sister. She got to see me doing all kinds of cool things that she wasn’t old enough to do yet. When I was little, I’d never had that experience. I always got to discover new things on my own.

“No problem, Maisie,” I told her.