over at the television and back at me. “I didn’t…”
“What?” I asked.
She went over and turned up the sound. Reese had been watching the BBC News. I listened to the female newscaster’s voice: “Authorities are perplexed by the recent disappearance of ninety-two-year-old Dr. Dmitri Isbayeva, a Nobel-winning geneticist, from the elderly living facility in London that had been his home for the past ten years. This is the fourth such disappearance of elderly scientists in the past six months.”
I said, “That was the voice I heard.”
Reese frowned. “You thought it was me?”
I bit my lip and nodded.
Reese flopped down on her bed. “You think I’m a freak and I’m going to start doing that again.”
“No, no.” I went over and sat down beside her, setting a hand on her back. “I was just—”
Reese interrupted me, “Worried that I was a freak. I know. The other night, what Lexie said at the table about us being freaks. It’s true.”
I cleared my throat. “No. It’s not true. We went through something no one else has, but we are a family and we’re here for one another. We’ll get through this.”
She sat up. “I just like British things. Hearing about England. Does that make me weird?”
I laughed. “No, not at all.” I pulled her to me and gave her a hug. “I promise, we’ll go visit England one of these days.”
Her eyes widened. “You think Mom will let us?”
I nodded. “Eventually, we’ll all get back to normal.”
I hoped I was right. I was already worried about Lexie, so I was glad I didn’t have to worry about Reese, too.
Downstairs, I found Eddy and Lucas sitting across from each other in the kitchen. Lucas climbed down off his stool and jumped up and down, clapping his hands. “You’re ready!” He ran into me and threw his arms around my waist.
I looked at Eddy and raised my eyebrows. “What am I ready for?”
Eddy made a face. “Another family outing. The aquarium. Up for it?”
I shrugged. “Sure, why not.”
“I’ll get everybody.” Lucas ran out of the room.
Breakfast items were set out on the kitchen counter, and I spooned some Greek yogurt into a bowl, then added granola and sliced strawberries. I snatched a small cinnamon roll as well and went back to Eddy. He was just finishing a bowl of cereal and wiped his mouth on the sleeve of his gray hoodie. “So, you never said how the thing at the lab went the other day.”
“It was cool,” I said. “I mean, not cool. But it’s a good cause.”
“Did you meet any kids with the disease?” He took a drink of orange juice.
I plucked a couple of raisins out of the granola and set them beside my bowl. “Yeah. A little boy.”
He set his glass down and tilted his head slightly. “That’s it? A little boy?”
“Yeah. And the scientists and all.” I stirred the berries and granola into the yogurt and shoved a big spoonful into my mouth, giving myself time to decide if I should tell him about Verity. I decided not to and shoveled in another spoonful.
Eddy said, “Not everyone’s going with us.”
With a full mouth, I asked, “How come?”
“Mom and Lex and Reese are online shopping. Again. They’ll keep Finn and Quinn, so we’ll just have Cara and Luke.”
I swallowed. “Does that ever seem weird to you?”
He pushed his bowl and glass away, then propped both elbows on the table, clasped his hands, and rested his chin on them. “What?”
I held up a palm. “All these kids. I mean … like you said the other day. You were left with memories of me and Lexie and Reese. And then, all of a sudden, not only do you have us back, but you have all these other kids to adjust to. Little ones.”
Eddy shrugged. “I didn’t like being an only child for those years. I was lonely. So this? All these kids?” He nodded. “It’s cool.”
But something in his words didn’t convince me. I said, “Cara and Lucas are getting used to you,” I said. “You’ve got to realize that they never
“What?” I asked.
She went over and turned up the sound. Reese had been watching the BBC News. I listened to the female newscaster’s voice: “Authorities are perplexed by the recent disappearance of ninety-two-year-old Dr. Dmitri Isbayeva, a Nobel-winning geneticist, from the elderly living facility in London that had been his home for the past ten years. This is the fourth such disappearance of elderly scientists in the past six months.”
I said, “That was the voice I heard.”
Reese frowned. “You thought it was me?”
I bit my lip and nodded.
Reese flopped down on her bed. “You think I’m a freak and I’m going to start doing that again.”
“No, no.” I went over and sat down beside her, setting a hand on her back. “I was just—”
Reese interrupted me, “Worried that I was a freak. I know. The other night, what Lexie said at the table about us being freaks. It’s true.”
I cleared my throat. “No. It’s not true. We went through something no one else has, but we are a family and we’re here for one another. We’ll get through this.”
She sat up. “I just like British things. Hearing about England. Does that make me weird?”
I laughed. “No, not at all.” I pulled her to me and gave her a hug. “I promise, we’ll go visit England one of these days.”
Her eyes widened. “You think Mom will let us?”
I nodded. “Eventually, we’ll all get back to normal.”
I hoped I was right. I was already worried about Lexie, so I was glad I didn’t have to worry about Reese, too.
Downstairs, I found Eddy and Lucas sitting across from each other in the kitchen. Lucas climbed down off his stool and jumped up and down, clapping his hands. “You’re ready!” He ran into me and threw his arms around my waist.
I looked at Eddy and raised my eyebrows. “What am I ready for?”
Eddy made a face. “Another family outing. The aquarium. Up for it?”
I shrugged. “Sure, why not.”
“I’ll get everybody.” Lucas ran out of the room.
Breakfast items were set out on the kitchen counter, and I spooned some Greek yogurt into a bowl, then added granola and sliced strawberries. I snatched a small cinnamon roll as well and went back to Eddy. He was just finishing a bowl of cereal and wiped his mouth on the sleeve of his gray hoodie. “So, you never said how the thing at the lab went the other day.”
“It was cool,” I said. “I mean, not cool. But it’s a good cause.”
“Did you meet any kids with the disease?” He took a drink of orange juice.
I plucked a couple of raisins out of the granola and set them beside my bowl. “Yeah. A little boy.”
He set his glass down and tilted his head slightly. “That’s it? A little boy?”
“Yeah. And the scientists and all.” I stirred the berries and granola into the yogurt and shoved a big spoonful into my mouth, giving myself time to decide if I should tell him about Verity. I decided not to and shoveled in another spoonful.
Eddy said, “Not everyone’s going with us.”
With a full mouth, I asked, “How come?”
“Mom and Lex and Reese are online shopping. Again. They’ll keep Finn and Quinn, so we’ll just have Cara and Luke.”
I swallowed. “Does that ever seem weird to you?”
He pushed his bowl and glass away, then propped both elbows on the table, clasped his hands, and rested his chin on them. “What?”
I held up a palm. “All these kids. I mean … like you said the other day. You were left with memories of me and Lexie and Reese. And then, all of a sudden, not only do you have us back, but you have all these other kids to adjust to. Little ones.”
Eddy shrugged. “I didn’t like being an only child for those years. I was lonely. So this? All these kids?” He nodded. “It’s cool.”
But something in his words didn’t convince me. I said, “Cara and Lucas are getting used to you,” I said. “You’ve got to realize that they never
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