I smiled and crouched down, examining the naked Lego man like the situation required serious consideration. “You’re absolutely right. Hypothermia is a real risk in Lego City.”
He nodded solemnly, satisfied, and scampered back to his pile. I watched him for a second longer than necessary, the way he narrated his world out loud, the way he didn’t question whether he was allowed to take up space.
I wondered when I’d learned not to. The idea saddened me, but then I stepped toward the window, looking over the city as I called Daniel. He answered on the first ring. “What upppp.”
“Hey,” I said, not quite sure if he’d be willing or wanting to help. “Got plans this next week?”
“I mean, classes start but most are online now anyways. What’s going on? You okay?”
I smiled. My younger brother Daniel and I had a special relationship. I loved my older brother, Theo, but Daniel and I spent more time together navigating home life in my parents’ aftermath. Theo was there and carried a ton, but I was more day to day. Theo had hockey, and he’d made it—which I was so proud of him—but that meant I was holding it down for the house. I was the emotional support, the one not allowed to feel my own shit. They piled on me, and I had to take it, accept it. Being the emotional support for everyone all the time was exhausting. I was more than a sister to Daniel but not quite amom. He was more than a kid brother. If anything, he was my best friend. “You know the store I set up online?”
“Sure, the one dad says is wasting your potential.”
“Yup. Which is why I named itFashioning your Potential.”
“Which is so savage. I’m here for it.”
We had a good laugh when I named the shop after my dad’s rude comments. I focused on Miles playing and never thought I’d say these words. “I got a thousand orders. Custom orders.”
“The fuck?”
“I know. It doesn’t seem real—but I can’t do all of them alone. Not within a week. I really need help. I need materials. It’s gonna be no sleeping for a week.”
“Shall I spring Penny out of jail too?”
She was wicked smart, athletic, and annoyingly funny. “Uh, I don’t think she can skip a week of classes.”
“Oh, right. You think the two of us can handle this? We’ll need more people for this operation, Em. Dude, this is awesome. Your dream is to own your own line, and this is the start.”
God, I loved Daniel. “If anything, can I send you a list of materials to get? Obviously, I’ll send you money.”
“When do you need them by?”
“Tomorrow night. Could you take the train up, bring the stuff?”
“Yup. And hey, is this… are we doing this work in Noah’s apartment?”
“Yes, so be cool.”
“Fuck yes, this is a dream. Okay, wow. Yeah, I’ll be there. Love you.” Daniel hung up, and I sighed, relieved that I had him. He was the only one who thought my idea was worth pursuing. Didn’t matter if he was eighteen. He was bold and courageous, fun and charismatic, and was always himself.
I wanted to be like him. I mentally started a list of everything I had to do when my phone buzzed.Noah.
My stomach flipped as my fingers scrambled to read it. Yet the excitement turned to dread within a second.
Mom: We’re in the city. Thought we’d surprise you. Can we see you?
Surprise.
I stared at the screen, that old reflex kicking in—the immediate calculation of how to make this easier for everyone else. The urge to say yes without thinking, to rearrange the day, to brace myself and perform. My fingers hovered, unmoving.
Miles looked up at me then, eyes bright. “Is Uncle Noah texting you?”
“No,” I said softly. “It’s my mom.”
“Oh.” He thought about that for a second. “Is she nice?”
The question landed gently but directly, like only a five-year-old could manage. I opened my mouth, then closed it again, unsure how to answer without lying or oversharing.
