"You and I may have different definitions of 'better,'" Alex says. "Forgive me for being blunt, but it looks to me like you're hurting her more than helping."
A pause.
"We're all doing what we think is best in our own houses," Ragon finally replies.
It sits there like a line scored into the tabletop.
Finn clears his throat. "Uh, Vee and I actually met in the backyard. She's got a whole thing going with the garden—herbs, flowers. It's seriously impressive."
"Oh?" Malcolm perks up. "Gardeners unite. Our yard looks like a crime scene."
Ragon huffs. "The backyard has been good for her. Keeps her distracted. She's been easier since she started digging around out there."
I wince when he sayseasier.
Not happier. Not healing. Just less of a problem.
"It might be good for her to keep that up," he adds. "If you know things, Finn, help her. It gives her something productive to do."
Finn's mouth tightens. "Sure. Happy to help. It's not 'distracting' when it's a hobby, though. It's grounding."
Ragon shrugs, uninterested.
Marie jumps in, voice too bright. "Honestly, it's been nice. Vee having the garden. Means she's not always in the kitchen. The space is free now."
Her words land like dropped china—sharp edges everywhere.
"Marie," Eli says quietly. Warning.
"What? I just mean there's room now for everyone. Before it was kind of... hers."
Drake chuckles, half-hearted. "She's not wrong. You did hoard the oven, Vee."
My mouth tastes metallic.
I swallow the first answer—that the kitchen was the only place I was allowed to take up space.
"Dinner's really good," Malcolm jumps in. "Seriously, this chicken? Amazing."
"Thank you," I say, voice paper-thin.
Alex's gaze tracks the whole exchange. Marie's quip. Drake's chuckle. Ragon's choice to ignore it. Eli's soft, useless correction.
He doesn't say the obvious out loud—that the only person consistently called out in this house is me.
Jasper doesn't either.
He just files it away.
"What do you do, Vee?" Finn asks. "Besides cooking and gardening and haunting spice aisles."
"Haunting?"
"You look like someone who rearranges the paprika when no one's looking and judges strangers for buying pre-made frosting."
"I mean, if you're committing to sugar, you should at least use the real stuff."
Finn smiles. "Exactly. See? Basil. Baking. Good taste."
