Watts pouted his lip, and again, Runt ignored him. He was a pretty good sport, but sometimes Watts didn’t know when to quit.

“Runt,” Sugar called from two tables over. “Can you bring me a deck of cards and a blanket?”

“Always do,” Runt said, patting his pack.

Runt was the smallest of us, and because of weight restrictions, he was always carrying extra shit for Sugar, who was built like a WWF wrestler even at his leanest. We all had to fit on the helo, and if Sugar was over, he didn’t go. That meant going without even the basics unless Runt agreed to help him out. But Runt always helped him out.

My cell rang, and I stood, making my way to a quiet corner of the lobby. “Hello?”

“Hey!” Jenn said in her chipper voice. “Today is the day.”

“I thought we agreed—”

“I know,” she said with a sigh. “But I just can’t not call my son before he climbs a mountain to fight fires.”

I smiled. She would call me her son every time we talked if she could, but she used it sparingly. I still called her Jenn and still considered myself an outsider despite their best efforts, and she knew it. I wasn’t sure why. Some of my other siblings came in after me, and they all seemed to fit in.

“Where’d you go?” Jenn asked.

“Just thinking about the family. I miss you guys.”

“You do?”

“I do. Why do you sound surprised?”

She stumbled for a response. “I just don’t hear you talk like that very often, I guess. That makes me both happy and sad.”

“I don’t, do I? I’ll do better.”

“It’s okay, Zeke,” she said in her soft mom voice. “I understand. Sometimes it takes years to undo the hurt you’ve experienced. And … on that note I, um… I need to tell you something.”

“What?” I asked, shifting nervously in my seat. Jenn wouldn’t call to give me just any news before I set out on a tour.

“Crystal called for you. She called you here.”

“Crystal?” I said, feeling the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. My emotions violently yanked from pissed to curious to satisfaction to annoyance that the woman who gave birth to me would bother Jenn.

“She wanted your number at the barracks. I made an executive decision not to give it to her, but I wanted to tell you right away so if you decided you wanted to reach out, you could. I … I have her contact info if you want it.”

“How did she find you?” I asked.

“I guess she read a write-up about the Alpines. She asked for you. She sounded … better. Would you like her number?”

“I’m good,” I said without hesitation.

“Is that a no?” she asked.