I gazed down at my new sister, still snuggled in Theo’s arms, and rolled her name around in my brain. Catherine Charlie. Maybe I’d call her Catie Chuck. I giggled to myself. I probably should’ve protested harder. It didn’t flow well at all. Now Catherine Louise, after great grandma Dupree, who I’d never met, rolled off the tongue nicely. Or Catherine Grace. Or Claire, Jo, Lynette. Pretty much any name flowed better than Charlie.
But I was honored and I vowed right then that I’d be worthy of it. Of her. I’d be the big sister she deserved.
I glanced up and caught Mom and Theo locked in some kind of intense eyebrow duel, raising and lowering them like secret agents passing classified intel.
I narrowed my gaze. “What?”
Mom nudged Dad awake. “Honey, it’s time. Charlie and Theo have to leave in a few minutes.”
Dad stretched. “Okay, I’m ready.”
Nowmyeyebrows were lifting. “What’s going on?”
Theo chuckled. “We’re having an intervention.”
“Shocker.” I huffed. “What is it this time? My reckless overuse of dry shampoo? My dangerous tendency to mind my own business? Oh, I’ve got it.” I snapped my fingers. “I coughed wrong and you mistook it as a cry for help?”
“Yeah, we’re all really concerned about the dry shampoo thing,” Theo said so seriously, it was impressive.
“What, then? I have no vices.”
“Oh, I think you do,” Mom sang.
Tension coiled in my stomach as they each looked at me like I should know what on earth they were talking about. “Are you going to tell me?”
“The vice of self-deprecation,” Dad said simply.
“How is that a vice?” I asked. “And I like to call it humility.”
“No ma’am,” Mom said, her tone devoid of humor. “This is going well beyond basic humility.”
“I’m going to need you to elaborate,” I said, jaw clamped tight.
Theo let out a long-suffering sigh, like he really didn’t want to be part of this but he would for the greater good. “It’s a problem—because it causes you to accept less than you deserve. Exhibit A:Lorne.” He said my ex’s name like it was something he’d scraped off the bottom of his shoe.
“Look.” I sat up. “I know he was a mistake.”
“That’s not what this is,” Dad said. “Nobody’s here to throw your past in your face. Every one of us has done things we regret.” He rubbed his beard. “What I want to know is:whydid you marry him?” It wasn’t an accusation. More like a soul-searching question.
Before I had time to ponder it, Theo answered for me. “Because you thought he was the best you were going to get.”
You know those dreams where you’re walking around naked, no idea what happened to your clothes? Yeah. That was me right then.
My face heated, all the blood rushing to my head.
Mom pulled the thin blanket up higher on her legs. “You’ve got some Mother Teresa complex going on, sweetie—and it’s not good.”
I huffed. “Mother Teresa was one of the most selfless people who ever lived.”
“Nice try at deflecting,” Theo said. “But we’re talking about you.”
I shot him a glare.
He shrugged. “The truth hurts.”
Mom glanced at the clock on the wall. “We’re running out of time, so we’re going to get to the heart of the matter. You have to stop putting everyone ahead of yourself to the point that you don’t prioritize your own happiness. It’s unhealthy.”
“And,” Dad added. “You have to stop pushing people away.”
