Chapter 2

A few weeks later, on New Year' s Day, I tried again. The wind was biting, a harsh promise of the winter to come, and I felt a cough rattling in my chest. I'd spent the morning making their favorite dumplings, my fingers numb from the cold water and the drafty kitchen in my dorm. I packed them carefully and took the bus home.

I let myself in with my key, the silence of the house a stark contrast to the boisterous holiday sounds of the neighborhood. Ethan and Liam were in the living room with Lily, a colorful puzzle spread out on the coffee table between them.

"I brought dumplings," I announced softly, placing the container on the dining table. I didn't want to get too close, didn't want to intrude on their perfect picture.

Liam looked up, his eyes meeting mine for a brief second. There was a flash of something in them, maybe concern, as he noticed my pale face and the way I shivered. It was a fleeting warmth, gone as quickly as it came.

"Lily, are you hungry?" Ethan asked, not looking at me. He gently brushed a stray strand of hair from her face. "Anna brought dumplings."

"Yay! Dumplings!" Lily clapped her hands.

Ethan carefully picked one up with chopsticks, blew on it to cool it down, and held it to her lips. "Be careful, it's hot."

I watched them, my heart a leaden weight in my chest. I remembered a time when they had cared for me like that. When I was seven, I' d fallen and scraped my knee, and Ethan had carried me all the way home on his back, while Liam ran ahead to get the first-aid kit, his face a mask of worry.

They were good brothers. They had been.

I just stood there, watching them, an intruder in my own home. My gaze lingered too long, and Ethan finally looked up, his expression hardening.

"What are you staring at?" he snapped. "If you're done, you can go."

The words hit me, and a wave of dizziness washed over me. I coughed, a deep, racking sound that made my head spin.

"Are you sick?" Liam asked, his voice flat, devoid of real concern.

"I'm fine," I whispered, pressing a hand to my chest.

"We're planning to take Lily to Norway to see the Northern Lights soon," Ethan said, changing the subject, his voice full of excitement. "It's been her dream."

My dream. He had forgotten it was my dream. We had planned it for my 21st birthday, a promise made years ago.

The shock of it, the casual cruelty, made my breath catch. I staggered, knocking over a vase on the side table. It shattered on the floor, water and flowers spilling everywhere.

"Anna!" Liam's voice was sharp with annoyance.

"I want to go too," Lily said, looking at me with what I knew was fake sympathy. "Can Anna come with us?"

I looked at my brothers, a desperate, silent plea in my eyes. This was my last chance to tell them.

"I might be... going away for a long time," I started, my voice trembling. "There's this program..."

"Not now, Anna," Ethan cut me off, his focus already back on cleaning up the mess. "We don't have time for your drama."

The words I needed to say, the words that could have changed everything, died in my throat. I couldn't force them out. It was pointless. They weren't listening.

"Actually," Liam said, straightening up. "We've been meaning to talk to you. Lily's getting bigger. We think she should have her own room."

He paused, and his eyes met mine. I knew what was coming.

"We want to give her your room. It's bigger and gets more sun."

I didn't protest. I didn't argue. I just looked at their expectant faces, waiting for the fight they were so sure would come.

And then I did something they never expected.

"Okay," I said, my voice surprisingly steady. "She can have it."