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"Twenty-four," Princess corrects

"In a little over aher eyes and then peers through her lashes at me "Our Mel always throws a celebration," she tells me, her hands in prayer mode under her chin "This year we can’t wait to see what she plans!"

For the first tiht pass this year, everything’s so expensive"

"Nonsense It’s twenty-five big ones!" her father says

Melanie’s silence is weighed doith a grief that’s palpable Suddenly, I’ her while she looks down at her plate, her lip caught under her teeth My fingers twitch at my sides, and a flash of concern hits me as I realize she’s sad, the flash of pain followed by a flash of deterhtens the rooht just turned off I live in darkness enough and I’ll be daht, so charades it is!" Her father claps with mock enthusiash and rub up and down in a slow, soothing s out in h when her cheeks redden and she sotten I swear her sht up to my head like an upside-down thunderbolt

I should feel like a thief, like I’ to htfully mine

"Grasshopper, what do you say, boys versus girls Huh, Greyson?"

Soon Melanie’s walking around sticking out her neck, puckering her lips, and leaning forward and pecking in the air She’s sexy, and fun, and silly, and what she’s doing soht to aory The dad went for ani like souesses theuesses correctly--a crane!" he suddenly yells out

"Yes!" she cries

"You go first, or should I?" her dad asksto hs and pulls a card out and I see it’s a bear

He spreads his arrins at her

"Stallion!" Mrs Meyers cries

Mr Meyers spares lance and lifts his eyebrows up to his hairline in a way that says, See? These wo, watching thelance out theand make sure I’m not visible--if Derek sees this, it’s the end of Zero NoI start snarling and do the first thing I can think of, grab a pillow and chew on the corner

"Wolf!" her mother cries

I clamp it between my teeth and shake it from side to side

"Oh dear," herher ass off, and I feel like a dickwad Hell, I want her to guess, but fk this, I’ive up, and she’s clutching her sto, and so hot as she coers through randma used to say," she tells ether, stay together"

She’s been protected all her life Happy Playing an innocent, fun game She shines They all shine They’re ridiculous and stupid and I have never in my life wanted to be ridiculous and stupid I kill, blackmail, and con the ridiculous and stupid

"The one who can do the best trick gets the last brownie!"

"Now, son," her dad tells me after that announcement, "any trick you can do, now’s the tio first, Dad!" Melanie cries

Mr Meyers begins to do a Russian dance, hut noises included Her orilla Melanie looks at me, then she cups her mouth and starts a donkey call Finally, they all look atstupid

But

It’s the way she is looking at sroom to see what the fk I can do I spot a vase with daisies on the table They’re hot pink--so princess

Grabbing a steak knife and backing up several paces, I fling it across the room, past them And pin the center of the daisy to the far wall

Silence

"Holy guacamole!" her dad cries

"That’s an incredible trick!" her s me the brownie as I unpin the daisy, and as she hands over the sweet, I hand her the flower