In the quiet of us

etting this the second

My house. Saturday. Carnival planning.

e minutes before typing back, "Fine. I'll b

r project bag like it might shield her from wha

or swu

ck hoodie, barefoot,

sly?" s

aside to let her

otos lined the hallway-his older sister in graduation robes, a younger Jace

room-poster boards, carn

lly focused. He sketched ideas for booth layouts whil

g and the occasional c

asked the

hy car

p. "What do

ggest it? You don't exa

is time. "My mom used to take me and Maya to this traveling

blinke

e quieter. "Said they made everything

of si

say. Vulnerable Jace was... n

when she le

r he usually wore-sarcasm, swagger, smirks-it was c

she said, a

"It was a l

the room like dust after a storm. Neither of them moved

at I thought,"

aid, but the smile d

changed. Softer. Warmer. And when Avery left later that

ated

ch as she tho

-