“You only just got here,” I point out. “Give it time. We all got used to it.”
“We’ll see,” she says. “How did all of you end up here?”
“Same as you. Lily found me in town when I was stranded. A few months later, she stumbled upon Poppy and Zinnia. And Violet was here first.”
“Butwhat brought you here?”
I bite down on my bottom lip. The dry, chapped skin cracks painfully.
“Oh. Wait. I’m sorry. I forgot that’s a rule or whatever? The whole not talking about the past thing. I didn’t mean to pry. I just— I’m curious how other people ended up like me, I guess.”
“It’s okay.” Slowly, I unfold my knees and try to relax again. “It’s not a rule, exactly? It’s more … I mean, none of us are here because things were going well for us before. We talk to Sol about our past in Growth Sessions, to work through it and learn to let it go, but he says dwelling on it just holds us back. So we try not to. Keep the past in the past, you know?”
“That’s pretty much what he said in the Growth Session tonight. Only withwaymore plant and garden metaphors.”
“Yeah, he likes those.”
We both let out a breath of quiet laughter. Even though I am careful not to look at her again, I swear I can feel her smile. It’s like a flame, warming the air between us.
But the rumble of laughter fades, and after a moment, she speaks again. “It does sound nice. I am pretty sick of being alone, always looking for somewhere new to stay. A safe place, getting to be a blank slate, will be nice. Maybe I could get used to being Rose.”
“Ithink it suits you.”
“Is that just because of the lipstick?”
“No … Okay, yeah.”
She laughs again, a little louder this time, and I instantly fall in love with that sound. It’s the same way the sight of Violet tuning Sol’s guitar in the living room after dinner or the smell of Lily’s vanilla perfume—a special gift from Sol—makes me feel like I am home. I already know Rose’s laugh will become that for me, too.
Across the room, Zinnia mumbles something in her sleep and rolls over, causing the old box springs to creak. Rose and I fall silent as I suddenly remember that we aren’t alone in the attic, that our whispers might wake our roommates.
“We, um, we should probably sleep,” I whisper. “I’m sure you’re tired.”
“Yeah. You’re right. It’s been a long day.”
“And we have to get up at six.”
I can feel Rose’s eyes snap over to me. “Six? As in, sixin the morning?”
“Mm-hm.”
“But it’s already after midnight!”
“Shhh.” I have to fight to restrain the giggle bubbling up in mychest. “I know. That’s why we’d better get to sleep.”
“Ughhhhh.” She groans, and I hear her roll away from me. Her next words are muffled by a pillow. “I knew there was a catch. This is it.”
The corners of my mouth twitch upward as a little bit of that giggle escapes.
“Don’t laugh at me!”
“Sorry!”
Another mumble from the bed silences us once more. After a moment, when the quiet of the attic has settled into something peaceful, I hear Rose yawn.
“’Night, Iris,” she says.
“Good night, Rose. And welcome home.”
