Page 6

Mackenzie

The private plane’s wheels touch down in Los Angeles, softer than a whisper, and I know we’ve arrived. Santa Monica sprawls out around us. I’ve lived in San Francisco for almost a decade, and every time I return, I can’t believe how much Los Angeles has changed. We taxi for a few minutes, and then the private plane terminal comes into view.

I climb down the stairs, the cool evening breeze ruffling my hair as my feet find solid ground. And then there he is—Levi, my little brother, bouncing on the balls of his feet. When he sees me, his grin stretches from one freckled cheek to the other.

“Kenzie!” he yells, barreling toward me.

His small body slams into mine, arms winding around my waist, squeezing with all the might an eight-year-old can muster. I hug him back, a swell of relief washing over me. God, I’m so glad I came to see him . “Hey, monkey,” I murmur into his sandy hair, peppering the top of his head with kisses.

“Didja see? Didja see the plane?” He pulls back, gesturing at the sleek jet behind me.

I chuckle. “Yeah, I came in on it, remember?”

“Right.” He nods. “Cool.”

I look up to see our father’s driver, Drew Keshan, leaning against the sleek black town car, watching us with a bemused smile. But he appears to be by himself.

“Where’s Misty?” I ask, scanning the area beyond Levi’s head for the nanny, half expecting her to pop up from behind a luggage cart or something.

Levi shrugs, a too-casual movement that sets off alarm bells in my head. “I’m too old for a nanny.”

“Too old?” I frown, glancing at the driver for confirmation as we approach. He straightens up and walks over, shaking his head.

“Misty wasn’t there when I picked up Levi.” His voice drops. “It looks like she hasn’t been there for a while.”

“Wait, why not?” My voice sharpens with concern. “Levi, you’re eight years old.”

He squirms, looking away. “Don’t need one. I’m practically a grownup.”

“Where’s your mom?”

He shrugs and won’t look at me. My heart hurts for him.

I bite back a sigh. Since when did my little brother start thinking he had to shoulder the world alone?

“Levi—” I start, but he cuts me off with an eager tug on my sleeve.

“Can we go get pizza now? Or sushi? Do you think the plane could take us to Japan? That’d be cool.”

“Slow your roll, speedster,” I say with a forced smile. My heart is racing. No Misty’s watchful eyes. No Ellie—his mother. Just Levi, trying to act braver and older than he has any right to be.

He peers toward the sleek white fuselage of the private plane. “Can I see inside?” he asks.

“Sure,” I say. “Go ahead. I’ll catch up.” He darts off, and I turn to Drew again.

“What’s going on?” I ask now that Levi is out of earshot.

The driver hesitates. “When I picked him up this evening, I’m pretty sure he’d been alone for a few days in the house. There was an eviction notice on the door.”

My heart clenches. Eviction? Alone? For days ? “Are you sure?”

He nods, and my hands tremble. This is not okay. Not for an eight-year-old.

“And no one is working this weekend at your father’s house,” he adds.

I whip out my phone and dial my dad. He picks up on the fourth ring. “Hey, Dad,” I say, trying to keep the edge out of my voice. “Levi was home alone, and Drew thinks it’s been that way for a few days.”

“Mackenzie, we just landed. I’ll call you when I’m back in LA .”

Then the line is dead. Didn’t he hear me?

Disappointment grips me. I take a deep breath, trying to shake it off. I call Ellie. The phone rings to a number that has been disconnected. The pressure of my dad’s job put a spotlight on her addiction problems, but I never expected this.

I look over my shoulder and move back toward the plane, with Drew in tow. I need to focus on Levi right now. My little brother needs me, even if I’m the only one who seems to realize it.

As I reboard, the pilot asks me if I need anything else. I look back at Drew and nod. “I think we need to return to San Francisco tonight.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he agrees immediately. “And will anyone be joining you?”

“Yes, my little brother will be joining us—Levi Davis for the manifest.”

Drew smiles and hands me back my overnight bag.

I glance at my little brother. He’s sitting in the cockpit, making plane noises and giggling with the co-pilot.

I clear my throat to catch his attention. “Hey, Levi?” He turns to me, curiosity in those bright blue eyes so much like his mother’s. “How about we go to San Francisco for a few days? Just you and me?”

“Really?” His voice pitches high with excitement. “Can we?”

“Absolutely.” My heart warms at his enthusiasm.

We collect his overnight bag from Drew, a small duffle that seems inadequate. I have a feeling I’m going to take him shopping once we’re back in San Francisco.

When the pilot returns, he tells us we’ve been cleared to take off here and land in San Francisco. Levi and I sit across from one another, and we strap ourselves into our seats. He’s raided the minibar on the plane, but I don’t care. He can have it all.

When we take off, he glues himself to the window, watching the world shrink away below us.

“Levi,” I say as the plane reaches cruising altitude, trying to sound casual as I unbuckle and lean toward him. “How’s school going?”

He shrugs, his gaze not leaving the view outside. “It’s okay, I guess.”

“What are you learning these days?”

“Nothing.” He watches the ground beneath us.

“Nothing? Have you been going to school?”

“Sometimes.” He digs into a bag of potato chips.

“Sometimes?” I echo, keeping my tone light. I need to know what’s going on with him, but I can’t push too hard.

“Mom’s been busy,” he offers.

It’s clear there’s a piece missing from this puzzle, and my resolve strengthens. I’m here for Levi now, and I’ll make sure he has all the support he needs, even if it means stepping up in ways I haven’t before.

“What happened to your nanny?” I prod.

“Mom fired Misty after she stole her boyfriend.” Misty stole Ellie’s boyfriend?

I don’t dare ask any more questions. “Okay,” I say, squeezing his hand. “We’ll get it all figured out.”

He nods, giving me a faint smile, but that’s enough for now. As the plane soars, my mind races with plans and possibilities.

I watch Levi as he works his way through the snacks, devouring handfuls of nuts and chocolate. I close my eyes a moment, mad at myself. He said he wanted to get food when I landed. He’s hungry. Something is terribly wrong.

“How’s your mom doing?” I ask him gently.

He doesn’t look up, his fingers fumbling for another snack. I wait for an answer that doesn’t come. The silence stretches, filled by the soft hum of the plane’s engines and the rustle of wrappers.

“Hey, how about we order some pizza when we land?” It’s a gentle pivot, one I hope will open him up.

His head snaps up, eyes wide and shining with a child’s simple joy. “Pizza? Yes, please!”

It’s such a stark contrast to the moment before that it almost takes my breath away. “What kind are you craving?”

“Pepperoni. Extra cheese,” he says with a grin.

“Then pepperoni and extra cheese it is.” I smile back at him, then ask again, “Is everything okay at home?”

He chews on his bottom lip, looking down at the trash now scattered around him. “I’ve been eating peanut butter sandwiches,” he mutters. “But we ran out of bread…and peanut butter…yesterday.”

The words hit me like ice water. Ellie’s struggles are no secret. Her anxiety and battles with self-medication have cast long shadows over our family since she joined us. But to let it affect Levi to this extent… “Okay, buddy,” I say with newfound determination. “We’ll make sure you get a proper dinner tonight.”

As the plane begins its descent into San Francisco, the city lights twinkle below us. I order the pizza from my favorite place, ensuring it’ll be waiting for us when we get home.

A little while later, we settle into a rideshare, and it appears the excitement of the plane has worn off. Levi looks exhausted. He pulls his tablet out of his bag.

“Look!” Levi’s excitement pulls me from my thoughts. His screen is alive with motion and color. “I’m on level five-thousand two-hundred and eighty!”

“Wow, that’s… That’s really high,” I say, peering closer. The game is violent, characters battling each other with an array of weapons and magic spells. My eyebrows draw together. “Is it fun?” I ask, trying to keep my voice neutral.

“The best!” He returns to his game, fingers dancing across the screen.

I lean back and watch him play, feeling the weight of responsibility. Levi needs more than pizza and video games. He needs to feel safe, loved, and cared for. As the City rushes past, I feel my resolve growing stronger. I’ll do whatever I can to give him what he needs.

My fingers move over my phone screen as I type a message to my dad. Levi’s staying with me . My heart races. Until we sort this out . I have to hope eventually my dad will care about what’s going on, but regardless, it’s a promise to my little brother. I won’t let him down like our father and Ellie did.

I hit send before I can second-guess myself, watching the little blue bubble deliver my concern into the ether.

My phone buzzes right away, and for a moment, I feel a bit of hope. But it’s just a thumbs-up emoji, and my hope fades fast. Dad’s reply feels empty—no words, no feeling. I slide the phone back into my pocket.

“Hey, Levi?” I turn to my brother, who’s still engrossed in his game. “Wanna talk about school or anything?”

“School?” He glances at me, his face scrunching up as if he’s trying to remember what the word even means. “No.”

My heart sinks. “Why not?”

“Dad’s rich. I don’t need to go to school.”

Anger burns quietly inside me. Did Dad know? Did I miss a call or a cry for help because I was too busy with my own life? “Levi,” I press, determined to keep him engaged, to be the sister he needs right now. “Why didn’t you call Dad? Or me?”

He shrugs. “Maybe I did.” The thought that Dad or I might have missed him asking for help makes me feel sick with guilt.

“Can we hang out, just you and me for a bit?” Levi asks after some time, his voice hopeful.

“Of course,” I respond without hesitation, offering him a smile. “Just you and me.”

We spend the rest of the drive catching up, talking about everything and nothing. As he continues to play, he tells me about his games and his friends online. Levi’s laughter is a sound I didn’t realize how much I’d missed until now.

We arrive at my building just as the pizza does. We collect it from the delivery guy and take it, along with our things, upstairs. Without unpacking a thing, we make our way to the table, flip open the box, and chow down.

“Hey, so what do you want to do while you’re here?” I ask as I wipe cheese strings from my chin.

“I want to ride the cable cars.”

“That would be awesome! The cable cars are so cool! How does going to the zoo or the aquarium sound?”

Levi nods. “I want to do both.”

“All right, it’s settled then,” I declare with a grin.

Once he’s consumed an enormous amount of pizza and a bowl of ice cream, we move into the living room and sprawl out on the couch, the City’s lights casting soft shadows around us.

Levi cuddles into me, and my heart melts for this little guy.

“And maybe a picnic at Golden Gate Park too?” I ask.

“Can we feed the ducks?” he adds sleepily.

“Of course we can. Whatever you want.”

He nods. My reassurances seem to give him a sense of security he’s been missing.

As the hour gets later, I see Levi trying to hide his yawns while we talk about fun things to do. It’s time for bed. I stand up and lead him to the guest room. “Come on, let’s get you into bed.”

His small hand holds mine, light but full of trust. I flip back the covers of the guest bed.

“Okay.” He strips down to his underwear and crawls in. His energy quickly fading. In the quiet room, I kneel beside the bed, watching his eyelids flutter in the fight against slumber.

“Levi,” I whisper. “Thank you for coming to visit me.”

His words are tangled with exhaustion. “Welcome.”

In the soft light, I see a tiny smile on his face before he falls asleep. Soon, his chest moves up and down slowly. I move a piece of hair from his forehead, and my heart aches. He looks so small and fragile but also strong in his own way.

“Goodnight.” I rise to my feet.

He’s safe with me now, far from all the trouble and being ignored. He’s just a kid, and I’ll do everything I can to keep it that way.

I turn and walk quietly down the hallway, a list forming in my head. He needs a school, a nanny, a safe place to live… Dad should be able to provide these things, but it seems he’s failing. I pick up my phone again and consider calling, but he’s made it clear he’s not interested in being bothered. So that means it’s time for me to step in, just in case, at the very least.

I lean against the cool kitchen counter. My flat is dark and quiet, but with Levi here, it feels like a home. A place where he can just be a kid and know he’s loved, no matter what. I pull out my phone, and a quick search reveals a handful of schools nearby. I know my father will pay for a nanny and any tuition. I study the schools and make a list. I like the public school he’d go to, and it’s close.

Then I research nannies. There are more than two dozen services in the area, and I make note of three of them that seem highly rated. Maybe, they’ll have someone who can tutor Levi? I’ll need someone compassionate and patient, someone who isn’t just there for a paycheck but who cares about Levi’s well-being.

There’s a lot to do, but this is where I excel. Levi will be in good hands with me, and my heart is full. “We’ll make this work, Levi. If this needs to be your home, so be it.”