Page 106 of Without Fault

“How’s my favorite doing?”

I laugh softly at her. I think August and Sire, mainly August, would pitch a fit if they heard her call me that.

“Sire and Lis are doing fine.” I tease and break into a laugh at how she rolls her eyes at me. I kid and say they’re the favorites because mom is different with them. She doesn’t actually treat any of us differently, but– I don’t know. It’s the way she looks at them. When we were kids, I’d catch her just watching Sire and Lis like she wanted to cry but, at the same time, was happy to have them under our roof and was willing to doanythingfor them.

Maybe she looks at all of us like that, and it’s just a motherly look, but I can’t help but feel like it’s because they came from broken homes and made ours complete. She couldn’t have kidsafter August and me, but then Sire and Lis joined us, and even as a kid, I saw how happy she was to have them around.

“So,” I set up my phone and apply some lip gloss. I told Cara and Lynn not to add any until I was dressed. “Did you get a chance to look through the contract Ang sent?” She says she did, and as she explains, everything she says sounds really good until she continues.

“I read both contracts side by side, and there's only one problem, and neither Vincent nor Florence wants to adjust it.”

“What is it?” I stop chewing my lip and fix my smudged gloss.

“Page seven on Moore’s contract,”

I flip through it.

“It says you can’t miss any Moore shows for another show. It doesn’t say anything about missing other events he sets up if you’re booked, but you can’t miss aMoorerunway show.”

“Okay, that sounds fair, what’s the issue?”

“Flip to page four on Florence’s contract.” I do. “She also says you can’t miss a Magic Model show for anotherrunwayevent, but she’s fine with you not being able to attend other events she sets up for youifyou are booked.”

“Right…” I still don’t see the problem and my mom notices that I’m lost.

“Sweetheart, if Vincent and Florence have a show on the same day, you can’t attend both. You’re one person, and even if you can somehow make it to both events, what if Vincent’s is in Italy while Florence’s is here in LA?”

“Oh…” Okay, this is an issue. “What are the chances they have a runway show for the company on the same day? I mean–”

“Sixty-three percent.”

“How did you–”

“It’s my job to know these things, sweetie.”Right. “You shouldn’t take the chance; talk to Florence; you've known her longer, and maybe you can get her to alter the contract.”

“Okay.” I shrug. “I think I’ll be fine though, even if I end up needing to pick between both shows, I doubt the other person will be that upset, right?”

My mom looks confused. “Of course they will, Sage. I know you think these people adore you, and maybe they really do, but this is a business, they’ll sue you.”

My eyes widen. “What?! Sue me for missingoneshow? I’ve walked in shows for Florence with the freaking flu, and I just modeled five pieces for Vincent when I was originally supposed to do two, then modeled for himagainwith an outfit malfunction!”

“That doesn’t matter, sweetie, but you should stop being so damn nice. If it’s not in the contract, stop saying ‘it’s fine’ and bending backward for people.” She sounds like Angie. I let out a sigh, but before I could reply, someone is knocking on my door.

“I’ll call you later, Mom. Thank you!” I send her an air kiss before hanging up and turning to my door. “Come in!” My door swings open, and giant bouquets come in one at a time. I can’t see who's even carrying them as they fill my room with all of the flowers.

“Oh my goodness! These are so pretty.” I hop down from my chair and walk over to one of the vases and they’re so tall. Different people keep coming into my room and I’msoconfused as to why there are so many flowers.

“There’s eight more in the van.”

“Eight?”

He turns from his coworker and smiles at me, almost apologetically. “I’m sorry, did we get the order wrong?” He glances down at his clipboard. “It was fifteen vases of peonies, correct?”

“I wouldn’t know. Which brand sent these?” I glance over at the flowers, and the vases look like the ones Killian's brand usually sends me, but they’ve never sent this much, and if thisis a mistake, I’m going to be a bit disappointed if I have to give them back.

He hands me a card before walking out for the rest of the flowers. I run my finger over the sealed wax, and before I break it open, I notice it’s a kitten paw.

We’re not humans. We’re a we.

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