tiseptic. David rushed to meet me the moment I walked thro

d the elevators. "They've already prepped

e didn't look at my face.

onsultation room. My mother's eyes were red from

her voice sharp. "Emily is in so much

t as I could,"

chair. He looked older, more tired than I'd ever seen him. B

e consent forms. We've done the preliminary tests, and as we expected, y

ushed it in front of me along

eople who were supposed to love me unconditionally. They looked at

Once Emily is better, we'll give you the down payment

ward for him managin

first time. "You do this, and we'll forgive you for all

ather's company. The time I confronted Emily about stealing my portfolio and passing it off as h

ways the

She'd told our parents I'd pushed her down the stairs. It was a lie, but they believed her. I ran out of th

ard the voice fo

cal. Initiating family

nts. Reach 100 points from each

ologize to Emily and make her smile.] I did it. I went back and beg

om Emily Reynolds

, mediating fights. But every time I earned a point, Emily would do something to make me lose two. Th

was a curse, a reflection of my own desperate, patheti

's voice was sharp, pulling me bac

g list of risks. Infection, bl

of it. They only sa

explain, to make them see me. What was one m

he pen. My ha

ry line, my signature a

in spreading across his face. "Thank you,

quick, dry kiss on the ch

d to my father, as if I wasn't there. "She ju

ly's recovery, about the new house, about h

listening to the s

and 14