ed on their eig

as just another reminder of their parents' absence. There was no party, no cake, n

imits and a typed note from an assistant: "Happy

her. Not even

ace a blank mask. Then she turned and walked out of the room wit

water, and then just stood there, staring at nothing. The bad-boy facade was gone. He just looked like a sad,

s the vulnerability that Jennifer and Andrew would have exploited, whisperin

t let tha

p breath and

nd-of-the-world scream. I cried until my face was blotchy and m

d. The silence from their rooms wa

appeared in the kitchen doorway, h

ing, reaching my

, her eyes red and swollen.

ng!" Etha

between them as wide as ever. My crying was the only sound, a

moment, sniffling against his shoulder. But it wasn't eno

o bring th

Nicole. I pointed a chubby finge

Nicole asked, her vo

u?" Ethan said, s

r. Now they were standing side-by-side,

had their fu

ole's, and then I did something I'd been practicing in my head

e a clumsy, babyish imita

e tension in the room didn

was a laugh, wet with tears. Then Ethan starte

" Nicole started,

d, a genuine, unguarded smil

parents' neglect was still there, but for a moment, it was overshadowed by t

d touched my cheek. "

Nic," he replie

or thinking about their absent parents. T

my room with a small, awkwardly

etly. "One with a camera. So we ca

him through my eyelashes. He stood ther

y," he whispered, before t

ew were meant to exploit were slowly being filled. They tho