LuckyPenny:I did what I had to! Believe me, it was better than SoulBroChickn they workshopped earlier.
RcktMan:Penelope? How could you!
LuckyPenny:I repeat, they wanted to call you SoulBroChickn! Suck it up, RcktMan
JuneBug:Our girl has teeth. Heh.
No1Luck:She’s one of us now.
MadMarch:I for one welcome our new evil overlord, Lucky Penny
LuckyPenny:Thank you, thank you. I want you to carry on with the dreary normal things you normal people do. Let’s just have fun with this!
JuneBug:Calm down there, Megamind
LuckyPenny::D And I was supposed to be PennyWise!
MayDay:NO CLOWNS!!!
RcktMan:My girl is too cute to be a murder clown
LuckyPenny:D’awww
MayDay:I think I prefer the clown
No1Luck:FFs keep it holstered, SOULChicken
RcktMan:You can’t see it, but I’m flipping you all off.
No1Luck:Can’t wait til you’re all here. No, really. What time do you arrive? I’ll schedule the next plane out
MadMarch:We have a key, bro
RcktMan:We’ll make ourselves nice and comfortable
No1Luck:Fuck
LuckyPenny:He loves you guys SOO much!
MayDay:IKR?!?
No1Luck:see you chuckleheads on Mon
Pen
I find it a relief to get out of town the weekend before Thanksgiving. I think August does too. And so now we’re in Texas, driving up the long, private road to January’s house for a mini vacation. We’d met May and June at the airport and driven in together.
“You’ll love Jan’s house,” June tells me from the back seat of our rental. “It faces the lake.”
We’d been catching glittering glimpses of the massive lake as we drove. I crane my neck to see as August turns the corner, and the house comes into view. It’s a Texas modern ranch house—cut stone, charcoal-colored board-and-batten siding, and big industrial windows. The wide wraparound porch is screened in on both wings but open at the center.
Jan walks out, his body limned in the light of the doorway. He jogs over and hugs his sisters as soon as they get out of the car—picking them off their feet to twirl around until they laugh and demand to be put down.
I smile at their antics, but squawk in surprise as I’m soon treated to the same. Jan chuckles as he sets me down, then kisses my cheek.
“Better get used to it, Penny. You’re one of us now.”
“One of us!” May leaps onto my back, pushing me further into Jan’s hold. He laughs and adjusts his grip to tuck both of us under each arm. With a gentle squeeze, he walks May and me up the stairs.
