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His mom watched her peel the fruit with a tiny nod "Michael is ood Has he made it for you yet?"

Stella shook her head as she trained her eyes on the grapefruit "No, he hasn’t" Did his hts at her place? Did she disapprove?

"Mommy, when is the bún riêu ready?" Janie trounced into the roo at her "Hi, Stella"

Stella returned her smile "Hi Michael said ten morea jean-clad leg over the ar and all I had for lunch was so"

Stella silently held out the bowl of peeled grapefruit while Mẹ glowered at her daughter "You’re getting too pale" Turning to Stella, she asked, "Can you see how pale she is?"

Janie snatched the bowl and inhaled piece after piece Stella’s jaw almost dropped Did she kno s?

"Maybe a little pale?" Stella said

Mẹ spoke to Ngoại in Vietna look Janie’s way Stella didn’t understand what she said when she spoke, but it sounded o rin almost identical to Michael’s flashed as Janie winked, and Stella’s chest turned to mush

"What does Chị Haifruit

Janie popped the last grapefruit slice into her mouth "It means Sister Two Michael is my Anh Hai, which means Brother Two I’m down by the bottom with number six because I had the poor luck to be fifth born We don’t start at one, by the way I think one is reserved for parents or so convention You get his nurin teased at Stella’s lips as her heart did clu Michael’s number It made them a pair Like the shoes by the front door and their hands on the piano

Janie laughed and said sorandhed as they voiced their agreement

"Michael’s been really happy this eneral consensus is it’s because of you"

She caught her breath "Has he really?"

"Yeah He’s obnoxious when he’s happy"

Stella bit her lip to hide her s inside her chestrainbows and glitter "He’s never obnoxious"

Janie snorted "I bet he doesn’t h

"What’s going on here?" Michael asked from the doorway

His hair stood up in co up on his sister He wore a wrinkled white button-down over a plain T-shirt and faded jeans He was gorgeous

"Telling her about the socks, dickhead," Janie said with an evil smirk

Mẹ sent her a sharp narrow-eyed look, and Janie shrank into her chair

"I ht Give me my respect" His smile was superior and lofty andobnoxious Stella loved it "Come on, dinner’s ready"

Out in the kitchen, his iant bowls and ladling soup over the top Janie took the first bowl and brought it to the table where Ngoại sat, cutting everything into little pieces with a scissors before squeezing in lime

Michael pulled her to the side "Hi" He swept his eyes over her and ran his hands down her back, pressing her close "I like this dress on you Are the sea you?"

"No, they’re fine The problem is in the front"

"What is it? Want an and inspected the construction of the tight-fitting Lycra dress with a frown "I don’t see anything obvious"