Aunt Lisa was on the phone in the kitchen when Mia came downstairs for a glass of water. She didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but Lisa’s voice carried.
“Yeah, she’s doing okay, Jen. Better than I expected actually.” Lisa paused, stirring her tea. “No, she’s not moping around. She’s going out, making friends, drawing again. That girl you sent me was carrying the weight of the world. This one’s starting to stand straighter.”
Mia stopped near the doorway.
Lisa laughed softly. “Of course I’m telling her things. I’m your little sister, not a babysitter. She needs to hear real s**t, not just ‘stay strong.’ Remember when I went through it with Marcus? You told me to suck it up. Look how that worked out.”
There was a longer pause.
“She still talks about Ethan. But she’s also smiling more. That’s not
