Darling Rose Gold(39)

I had to try again—maybe sports were the way in. I wished I were more of an athlete.

“Did you guys watch the London Olympics?” I asked when Sophie stopped talking. “I loved Gabby Douglas, especially her routine on the uneven bars.”

Billy Jr. rolled his eyes. “That was two years ago.”

Dad gave his son a withering glare. “Rose was a little busy in the summer of 2012, what with serving as a star witness in a criminal trial and all. She didn’t have the luxury of sitting around in her pajamas all day, like you.”

Billy Jr. stared at his plate but didn’t say anything. Kim gave Dad a pleading look. He ignored her. I felt a little bad about the way he was beating Billy Jr. up, but I was also bursting with joy that he was defending me instead of his son. Besides, Billy Jr. deserved to get in trouble. He was a brat.

Kim turned to me. “We all love watching the gymnastics team. Gabby Douglas was our favorite too.” I guessed she was ready to play peacemaker, anything to break the tension between her husband and son. We continued eating in silence.

When Billy Jr. had finished his second burger, I figured I could take another one too. Kim was asking Sophie about her teammate’s injured ankle and whether she’d be starting at this weekend’s game. I leaned forward.

“Could you please pass the buns . . . Dad?” I murmured.

Kim’s head jerked toward me. Sophie stopped speaking. Their eyes met across the table. Dad pretended not to notice and passed me the plate.

I broke the silence with a compliment—this always worked for my mother. “Your house is beautiful, Kim,” I said. “I love how cozy it is, with all the family photos in every room.”

Kim smiled stiffly at me. Dad rested his hand on hers.

“We’ve been very blessed with these three,” Kim said, nodding at her kids. “They’re not angels, but we think we got pretty lucky.”

Anna beamed. Billy Jr. rolled his eyes. Sophie winced.

Dad put his arm around Kim, lightening up. “We’d have liked to have one more, but—”

“Dad,” Sophie groaned, mortified. “Gross.”

Anna tugged on my arm. “We’re going to sleep in a tent,” she said, excited.

I looked around, confused.

“We’re going to Yellowstone next summer,” Dad explained. “On a camping trip.”

The whole family perked up at the mention of the trip. They spoke over one another in their eagerness.

“We’re going to rent canoes,” Sophie said.

“And roast marshmallows,” Anna announced.

“I get to build the bonfire,” Billy Jr. added. “And we’re going to go fishing. Right, Dad?” He peered at our father so earnest and full of hope that I realized he might not be a brat after all. Maybe he was just a kid who wanted his father’s approval, who didn’t know how to act around his long-lost sister.

Dad nodded and grinned, his bad mood gone.

“When is the big trip?” I asked.

“Over the July Fourth holiday,” Kim said, relaxing a little. She smiled at the kids’ excitement. She was pretty when she smiled. “We haven’t gone camping in years, not since before Anna was born.”

“When I was in your tummy?” Anna asked.

“Even before then,” Kim said.

Anna looked confused, but didn’t comment.

Sophie piped up again. “Anna thinks she saw me and Billy in Mom’s tummy.” Everyone started to laugh. “She said there was a Toys ‘R’ Us in there too.”

“No, I didn’t,” Anna protested.

“Yes, you did,” they all chimed back. They sounded happier now, laughing and playful. This was the kind of family I’d wanted.

“I’m going to show these guys how to make waffles over a fire,” Dad said. He was as thrilled as the kids. I imagined myself wedged between Sophie and Billy Jr. on a log in the dark, telling the scariest ghost stories I could come up with. We’d stay up all night, eating and laughing. Dad would put me in charge of grilling the burgers.

“I’d love to join you,” I blurted.

Kim did a double take. Even Dad was at a loss for words. Sophie and Billy Jr. watched their parents.

Anna clapped her hands and yelled, “Can Rose come? I want to sit next to her in the car!”

Dad smiled weakly at Anna. “We’ll see, honey.” He turned to me. “Let’s talk about it later, okay?”

I nodded. That meant no. Crap—had I screwed everything up? My heart pounded. I shouldn’t have invited myself like that, but they’d made the trip sound so fun. I could picture myself next summer, not alone on my couch in Deadwick with a sad stack of movies, but nestled in a sleeping bag with my siblings snoring quietly beside me in our tent. I hadn’t wanted something this bad since Disney on Ice when I was ten.

Kim began clearing the table. “Anna, why don’t you take Rose to the living room and show her the DVDs? How about we let her choose the movie for tonight?”

Anna pulled me by the hand to the living room and showed me her collection of Disney movies. My fingers brushed the spines of the films I’d watched tirelessly for the past two years: Peter Pan, Mulan, Dumbo. I pulled the last title from the shelf.

“I hate that movie,” Anna said bitterly.