her voice laced with suspicion.

sh. I ran my thumb over the stiff bristles. "Chloe deserves a wonde

e it, but it flew right over my mothe

al self-assuredness. "We were thinking of heading out to the coast

ect," I said. "W

was an anomaly, a disruption in the family dynamic they had so carefully constructed. I was

ails," she said slowly. "We' ll be ove

, then hung up before she

I sat on the floor, surrounded by my canvases, and I planned. I went over every detail of my first life' s final days, ev

od with his arms crossed, looking around my studio with disdain. My mother, Sarah, had her purse clutched in her hands like a weapon. And between

g inside without an invitation.

I said simply, closi

om, a worn-out armchair near the window. "Ugh, it smells

my voice sweet. "I

their eyes. They had come armed for a fight

ght to the point. "Your mother tells

k it' s a brilliant idea. A cha

ight. Like you wan

do, Chloe. I' ve been thinking a lot lately, and I realize I haven' t bee

it left them speechless for a moment. They exchanged uncertain glan

dvantage. "I want to be part of it all. I can help w

of the fragile pregnant woman slipped,

sound. "You? Come with us?

ulous?" I asked, k

around my studio. "This whole trip is five-star. We' re n

g again, "you' d just be a downer. You always are. We

ent. "This is a family tr

asn't really part of it. I was an ac

y, to retreat into bitter silence. They had thrown their best insults, their most practiced dismissals. In m

It was a small, tight smil

absolute refusal to see me as anything but a burden, was the fuel I needed. They were so pre

d," I said,

attempt to join their exclusive little club. But as they turned to le

em an offer they couldn't refuse. And they would beg me to com