“What do you mean?” Gemma had wiped the table clean, so she moved on to the counters.

“You said you’re appreciating what you have. What exactly do you have?”

“Well, for starters, I have both my parents.” Gemma stopped washing the counter and leaned against it. “They’re both alive and mostly healthy, which is more than a lot of people can say. I know they both love me a lot, and Dad’s even willing to spend his days off futilely working on my piece-of-crap car.”

“Yeah, Dad’s a great guy. What about your sister?” Harper asked with a playful smile.

“My sister is a bossy, know-it-all control freak,” Gemma said, but she smiled at her. “But I know she’s just trying to protect me and watch out for me because she loves me so much. Probably too much.”

“That is true,” Harper admitted, giving Gemma a meaningful look.

“And sometimes it drives me nuts, but deep down I’ve always known that I was lucky to have someone who cared about me that much.” Gemma lowered her eyes. “I’ve been crazy lucky to have so many people who care about me and to have been blessed with so much … just so much of everything.”

Gemma shook her head and smiled sadly at her. “I just wanted you to know that I know that you’re awesome.”

For a moment they only looked at each other. Harper’s eyes were moist, and for a horrible second Gemma was certain she would cry. And if Harper cried, then Gemma would cry, and it would turn into a big blubbery mess, and she didn’t want that.

“Anyway.” Gemma picked up the rag and started wiping down the counter again.

“Why are you being so weird?” Harper asked, composing herself.

“I’m not trying to be weird.” Gemma had actually scrubbed the counter until it was spotless, or at least as clean as old, cracked laminate could be. But she kept doing it because then she could avoid looking at Harper.

“Is this because of what happened to Luke?” Harper asked, and Gemma stiffened.

“I don’t want to talk about that. Not tonight.” Swallowing hard, she turned back to face her sister and tossed the rag in the sink.

“Okay.” Harper leaned back against the counter and crossed her arms over her chest. “What do you want to talk about?”

“Dad told me that Daniel came over for breakfast yesterday.”

Harper blushed and looked down, trying to get her dark hair to fall in her face and cover it up. But she only succeeded in making Gemma laugh.

“He just stopped by, and we happened to eat breakfast,” Harper said. “It was nothing.”

“Nothing?” Gemma arched a skeptical eyebrow. “Since when has Daniel just stopped by? I didn’t think you even liked him.”