Chapter 63

Myrtle excused herself from breakfast to get ready. She wanted to check a few things with her writer colleagues, something which amused me. I’ve never heard her call anyone her friend, but she seemed to be willing to use any other word.

Regardless, she rushed upstairs as quickly as possible. Aria was wrapped around me, lightly napping by my side from the meal as my brother cleaned up. I could tell from her slumbering smile that for the first time in a long time, there were no looming thoughts in her mind. She was content.

“Charlotte.” She nuzzled me as I grabbed one of my sister’s old books. “I like it here.”

“I do too, but I’m surprised you aren’t overthinking everything as usual,” I snickered, but she didn’t reply back. Instead, I felt a nuzzle on my right shoulder.

“I don’t need to here.” She was right about that. She’d transferred all the overthinking duties to Myrtle. I watched as my sister-in-law scrambled downstairs in barely contained panic.