Page 73 of The Surprise

“Here.” She thrusts it toward me.

Everyone’s staring at me as I open it.

“I know you probably have a ton of better presents at home,” Izzy says. “But I found this online and I thought it was really funny.”

Funny?

I prepare myself for something awkward.

When I open it, it’s not a framed anything. It’s a metal sign. It has a camera on the front of it, and the words, “I shoot people” in huge bold letters above it. And below the camera, it says in smaller lettering, “And cut off their heads.”

I can’t help smiling.

“Oh,” Gabe says. “Because you take photos. It is funny.”

Whitney and Emery laugh at Gabe’s reaction more than the pun, but it is the perfect sign for me. “Thanks.” I hug her.

As soon as I release her, Whitney hugs me, too. It should feel awkward, but instead, I feel like I might cry. I’ve always wanted a sister, and if I could pick any sister at all, Whitney and Izzy would both be near the top of my list.

“Can I?” Emery looks like a lost puppy, all wide-eyed and vulnerable when Whitney lets me go.

I open my arms, and she shoots toward me, her bony little arms wrapping around me tightly. I half-expect Maren to hug me, but when Emery finally lets me go, Maren rolls her eyes and walks down the hall.

We eat pizza for dinneraftercake, which I think is a little brilliant. We play a terrible game of Twister, which Ethan insists on calling the colors for because Maren isn’t trustworthy. Whitney smokes us all, of course. That kid bends like a rubber band. We feed the horses and chickens, and then we all watch an episode of this old television show calledThe Flash, which Gabe is obsessed with.

“I mean, he can run so fast you can’t evenseehim.” His eyes are wide and excited. He reminds me a lot of Aiden, but if Aiden’s dad wasn’t a waste of space and he felt a little more comfortable in his own skin.

As soon as the show starts, the Brooks kids drag out several baskets of laundry.

“Here.” Whitney hands me a basket.

“Uh, she doesn’t have to fold on her birthday,” Izzy says. “Geez.”

“Why not?” Whitney frowns. “I still did.”

“She’s not even family,” Izzy says.

I grab the basket. “I don’t mind.” Because in that moment, I’ve never wanted something to be true so badly. The problem with happy families is that, if you’re in one, you don’t realize how rare it is. It does make it that much harder, later, when I have to climb into my car and drive home. Alone.

“Hey, wait.” Ethan jogs toward the car. “I got you something.”

“You made me a cake,” I say.

He shrugs. “What can I say? I’m a saint among men.”

I roll my eyes. “What is it?”

He hands me a small, hard rectangle wrapped in thick paper.

“You can open it later.” He half-grins and steps back, waving goodbye.

I wonder what it is all the way home. By the time I finally park, my fingers are practically itching to open it. But my mom yanks open the front door the second I show up.

“There you are.” She does not look pleased, and she’s yelling loudly enough that I can hear her from inside my car.

“Oh.” I climb out. “I’m here.” I glance at the clock on my phone. It’s seven forty-one. “Were you waiting on me for some reason?” No one had even said a word this morning about it being my birthday—Mom wasn’t evenawake.

I check my phone.

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