Ethan’s POV
Two days later, Mom and Dad finally left for their four-day trip.
They had been talking about it for weeks visiting Dad’s sister upstate, catching up, and finally getting some time away from work. I stood on the front porch with Ava as they loaded the last bags into the car. Mom turned around and pulled both of us into a tight hug.
“Be good while we’re gone,” she said, looking at us with that familiar worried-mother expression. “Be good while we’re gone,” she said with a smile. “And try not to kill each other, okay?”
Ava smiled sweetly, the picture of innocence. “We’ll be fine, Mom. Don’t worry about us.”
Dad gave me a firm handshake and a pat on the back. “Take care of the house, son. And look after your sister.”
The words felt heavier than usual ‘Sister’. If only he kne
