“—or make you feel like I’m not happy to see you either. But if you had a rule about hugging, then we should keep to that rule, okay? At least until we hear different.”

“Okay.”

“Do you have other rules?” I asked.

“Yeah. A bunch.”

“Are you following them?”

I saw her look around, like there was a way out. I didn’t want to trap her or act like my mom, but… if this was deemed important then it was important.

Part of consolidating like I wanted to meant avoiding the lies. It meant sticking to the rules and keeping things from getting shaky around the foundations.

I had my own shake. But Kenzie was especially shaky. Especially now.

“Come on. Let’s make this a good team day. We deserve one,” I told her.

She nodded with twice the energy that was necessary, no smile on her face. I reached for her shoulder, to guide her on the way up steps with ice on them, and she seized my hand in hers instead. Quick as a camera flash.

“You’re here,” the long-haired Ashley said. “After leaving us standing around in the cold for as long as you did, you really should buy us something. Tribute.”

Okay, that was Damsel then. Hair length matched. Easy.

“It’s a joke,” the other said. “You might have guessed, but we’re not really here. We’re sitting at the apartment, wrapped in blankets. We have cups of cider beside us, and a plate of those gourmet chocolates and biscuits on the coffee table.”

“That’s not fair,” I said. I looked down at Kenzie. “That’s not fair at all.”

“Do you know what’s better?” Damsel asked. “When we go buy our clothes, they’ll fit perfectly.”

“I scanned them for measurements, head to toe,” Kenzie said.

“That’s not fair at all,” I said. “That they get to stay at home with blankets and treats, and they get to go shopping?”

“Having our cake and eating it too,” Damsel said. She touched fingers to her lips and made a smacking kiss sound.

“If it’s any consolation,” the guy with the shaggy black hair said. Rain, obviously enough. “I’m here for real and I’m freezing my butt off.”

“You’re in good company,” Erin said, her arms wrapped around her body and tucked into the opening of her jacket, her body hunched over. She gave Rain a sidelong glance. “I feel weirdly disloyal, hanging out with this random guy with black hair and chin scruff.”

“I’m way cooler than that guy,” Rain-in-disguise said.

“Nuh uh,” Erin responded.

Inch over half a foot, Rain, and put your arm around her, I thought. Warm her up.

“It might help with the butt freeze if you weren’t sitting on a cold metal railing,” Sveta said.