Mercifully, my wheelchair was parked in the corner out of sight. It was stupid, but I didn’t want to appear less than, not to her, not to the kid who used to follow me around in pigtails, carrying her favorite stuffed animal, a chicken no less, with a look of hero worship on her face like I made the sun come up every day. No, I couldn’t bear to have her look at me with pity. I’d take hurt and anger over that every damn time.

“Look at you,” I said. My voice came out wobbly, so I cleared my throat. I gestured to a nearby chair and said, “Have a seat.”

“Can I bring you anything? A drink or a sandwich?” Lupita, clearly a much better host than I, asked Lexi.

“Um, no, thank you. I’m good,” Lexi said. She crossed the room and sat down in the armchair nearest the couch.

I watched her, tried not to stare, and failed. She was thirty, soon to be thirty-one, and she looked so much like our mother that I felt my heart clutch hard in my chest. She had long light brown hair that curled on the ends, big hazel eyes framed by pale lashes, a stubborn chin, and even the same faint spray of freckles across her upturned nose. Her voice was just like our mother’s, too. It wrecked me.

“You look well,” Lexi said. Her voice was soft. I felt Jackson stir beside me, reminding me that he was there.

“Thanks,” I replied. I was not about to divulge the past nine months of sheer hell. Instead, I gestured to Lupita and Jackson. “This is my housekeeper, Lupita, and my . . . tra . . . friend, Jackson.”

Jackson shot me a quick glance, and I knew he’d caught on that I didn’t want Lexi to know he was my trainer or that he mostly lived here in case my body decided to flip me off again. Too much information.

“It’s nice to meet you.” Lexi and Jackson leaned forward and shook hands. Then she waved at Lupita, who hadn’t left her position by the door but who waved back with a warm smile.

“If you need me,” Lupita said, and I nodded. She closed the door softly behind her when she left.

Jackson half rose from his seat. “I’ll just—”

“Stay,” I said. It came out like an order. I softened my tone and added, “I’m sure Lexi won’t mind.”

My sister gave him a tiny smile and nodded. “Not at all.”

Jackson settled back onto the couch. I could feel him glancing between us, confused. Not a surprise, given that I’d never mentioned having any family, because, as far as I was concerned, I didn’t have any.