“Is that any way to greet an old friend?” I asked. “I want to meet the children.”
“Absolutely not,” Victoria said, steeping forward. She ushered her children toward the stairs. “To your bedrooms. Now.”
“But, Mom, who is she?” the boy asked.
“None of your concern. Now go.” Victoria didn’t seem confident the children would listen to her, because she followed them upstairs, not even saying anything else to me.
Rude.
Ethan watched them go, but then turned to me. “Come in and sit down.”
I followed my brother into the living room but did not join him on that couch. It was dirty with a few mystery stains. There was no way I was putting my person down upon that.
“I’ll stand, thanks,” I said.
Ethan sighed. “You really haven’t changed, even after everything.”
“Why should I have to change?”
