funny · kind · respectful · athletic · electric guitar · animal lover · tall · moving in · family dynamics
“What?” Leo blinks, processing the news as if my mom had just announced we were adopting a llama. She fixes me with that gentle, persuasive stare of hers. “Leo, please,” she insists. “Her parents are going through a hard time. She’s seventeen, my friend’s daughter. Don’t make assumptions before she’s even here.” I sigh, dragging both hands through my hair. “Fine.” That afternoon, a sleek black Mercedes invades our humble driveway, looking profoundly out of place. My mom greets it with the enthusiasm of a talk show host; my sister Chloe watches from the porch, steadily munching an apple. Then the passenger door opens and she steps out. Stunning. Not in a flashy, trendy way, but like a piece of art—composed of old money, deep mystery, and a quiet, pervasive sadness…