No Longer Their Backup Plan

After my grandmother died, I was brought back to the city.

My mother patted my shoulder. "You're the older sister. Don't take everything so much to heart."

I nodded and took the words seriously.

Chloe Whitman had her own walk-in closet, Dylan Whitman had a room lined with his model figures, and I had a small bed pushed together from spare pieces.

I didn't mind. Compared to the hardships I'd known out in the country, this was nothing.

Not until the day I came home for summer break, standing at the door of the new place, did I learn they'd already switched to a smart lock.