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“She’s not going to get it,” Kyle replied.

“No offense, Jolie, but it seems to me that you’re giving away this stuff so that Kyle has to be the one to handle your mom because you don’t want to.”

“None taken. You’re right,” Jolie said, to Melinda’s surprise. “But Kyle is stronger than I am. She always has been.”

“She shouldn’t have to be,” Melinda argued.

“Hey, we don’t–”

“No, you’re right,” Jolie interrupted Kyle. “And I kind of dig you standing up for my sister. I can see why my mom said you were spunky.”

“I’m not trying to be spunky,” Melinda said softly.

“You’re just trying to take care of my sister, and I think that’s great. I fully support it. You should know that I hate that I can’t seem to stand up to my mother whenever Kyle isn’t around. She has this way of figuring out exactly what card to play with me every single time. Sometimes, I don’t give in, and I manage to get her to give up, but with this much money and these houses that I don’t want anyway, she’d find a way how to get what she wants. She’s not above taking my phone when I’m in the bathroom and unlocking it with my password that she’ll figure out somehow. She’d go into my banking app or Venmo, and she’d take the money that way. It might be little by little or even all at once. She’s the kind of person who would do that and leave, packing a bag and running away. That’s our mother.” Jolie shrugged again. “If Ky is down here, though, if she’s got control of everything, Mom won’t get it. She won’t win. Kyle will.” Jolie smiled. “Kyle finally wins because she’s got a brand-new life with a girlfriend who clearly cares about her, a beautiful house, and no mom who’s treated her like crap for her whole life. She’s got money to support herself and whatever family she wants to have one day. She’s also got a little sister who’s going to do better with their horrible mother and finally support her how she should have all along.”

Melinda looked at Kyle, who was smiling at her sister, who had just given a very nice speech.

“Well, that’s all I ask,” Melinda joked.

Kyle and Jolie laughed just as Jill opened the door.

“Oh, hey,” Jill said.

“Hi,” Melinda replied. “Jill, this is Jolie. Jolie, this is Jill. Jolie is Kyle’s sister.”

“Nice to meet you. I thought you left.”

“I did. I came back,” Jolie replied.

“We should leave you alone. You’re working,” Kyle said.

“No. Jill’s back. I can take a break.”

“Are you sure?” Kyle asked.

“Why don’t you two hang out? I want to stop by a shop I saw on the way here. Can I meet you at Grandma’s?” Jolie asked.

“Are we still going to grab dinner tonight?”

“Yeah, if Melinda is up for it,” Jolie replied.

“Bridgette texted, wanting to know if we wanted to hang out. I think something’s going on with her and work, so I was hoping I could invite her. Jill, do you want to grab dinner with us?”

“I can’t. I’ve got a date tonight.”

“Date?” Melinda asked as she turned around to face Jill, who was dropping her purse off in the back office.

“Yes. It’s a first date. I met her online. Don’t make a big deal out of it.”

“We could triple date,” Jolie suggested. “I mean, I’m not gay, but maybe Bridgette will tolerate not getting any if I buy her dinner, at least.”

Melinda, Kyle, and Jill all laughed.

“I think you can double date. But if my first date is awful, maybe I can text you, and you can give me an out-call?” she asked Melinda.

“You bet. I’ll go with, ‘Meteor about to hit the gulf, so you need to pack up and leave,’” Melinda joked.

“Maybe just text me,” Jill said, rolling her eyes.