I finally got a bone marrow match for my mom while my surgeon boyfriend booked a flight to the World Cup with my best friend. I’m standing outside the break room when I hear it. I came to tell Drew the good news. The match. The surgery date. Everything we’d been praying for. Then his buddy’s voice cuts through the door. “Drew, man—you’re really flying out with Sienna for the Cup? What about Sloane’s mom? Her surgery?” Drew’s voice comes back, easy and bored. “Her mom waited three years. Sienna and I have waited four.” “A surgery can be rescheduled. The Cup happens once. We’re not skipping now.” “You’re not worried Sloane’s gonna lose it?” Drew actually laughs. “I’m the only surgeon in the country who can do this operation. What’s she gonna do?” My back hits the wall. My face goes ice cold. Drew and Sienna can barely stand each other on a normal day. They snipe, they roll eyes, they pretend to hate each other’s guts. But the second anyone says the word soccer, something shifts. Their eyes lock like they share a secret language. And me—I’m the one who doesn’t speak it. For two years I’ve stayed up till 3 a.m. watching match replays. I read sports columns. I memorized player stats. All so I could squeeze one sentence into their conversations. And every time I did, the room went dead quiet. They’d glance at each other and shake their heads like I’d embarrassed myself. “Sloane, honey. You really don’t get soccer.” I don’t get it. And I don’t want to anymore. … Drew gets home around eight. I’m already at the table eating. “Why didn’t you wait for me?” I sniff the air instead of answering. “You had garlic fries? You never eat that stuff.” Drew is the pickiest man alive. Since we moved in together, I cook from a nutritionist’s meal plan—different recipe every night, all of it organic, all of it perfect. He pauses. Then his face smooths over. “Passed a place on the way home. Thought of you. You love them, right? I tried a few.” I grip my fork tighter. “When have you ever seen me eat garlic fries?” Drew has a thing about smells. I stopped wearing perfume for him. He blinks. “Guess I mixed you up with someone.” I don’t say a word. Because I know exactly who loves garlic fries. Sienna does. Sienna inhales them. She changed his whole personality in a weekend. That’s what makes me feel like the joke. Drew sighs and drops into the chair next to me. Slides an arm around my shoulders. “Are you still mad about the trip? Babe, I don’t want to go. The hospital keeps shoving these conferences down my throat.” I stab at my food. I don’t answer. This afternoon, after I overheard him, I went into his locked office. The one I’m “not supposed to touch.” I found a photo album shoved between his medical textbooks. Hundreds of pictures. All of them him and Sienna. At stadiums. At sports bars. At away games in three different countries. The most recent one is from last week. Last week my mom had her pre-op screening. I was so anxious I ran a fever. Drew said he was on call. He was at a riverside grill with Sienna. Eating burgers. Watching the game. That was supposed to be our date. He’d promised me for months. He didn’t forget. He just left me out of it because I’d ruin the mood. His phone buzzes against the table. He glances at it and his mouth tugs up, completely unconscious. “It’s Sienna. Sending me match clips again. She’s so annoying.” He says annoying like it’s a love letter. I push my chair back and head for the bedroom. He doesn’t even ask where I’m going. I sit at my desk and pull up my laptop to message Mom about the surgery date. A minute later, Drew comes strolling in, talking about the game like I asked. I don’t look up once. He doesn’t notice. When I finally stand to leave, the chair scrapes the floor and his eyes snap up—to the screen behind me. “What’s that?” I turn. My stomach drops. I’d accidentally clicked over to my sports forum account. The one where I log every game, every player, every stat. The one I built so I could keep up with them. Drew leans over and scrolls. “Damn, this is solid work. This is Sienna’s account, right?” I stare at him. “It’s mine.” He laughs. Actually laughs. “Babe. Your brain is full of restaurants and shopping. There’s no way you wrote this.” My fingers curl into my palm. If Sienna had shown him this, he’d call her brilliant. For me, it’s a lie. “You’re right,” I say quietly. “It’s hers. I logged into her account.” He flicks my forehead. Hard. “Stop pretending to be something you’re not. It’s exhausting.” He didn’t pull the hit. My eyes water before I can stop them. I’ve told him a hundred times to be gentle. He never listens. Maybe it’s time I stopped trying too.
The next morning I go see Mom. I mention the surgery date, casual as I can. Her whole body tenses. “Did something happen? With Drew?” “I didn’t say anything weird, baby. Don’t let others find out we’re related. It’ll look bad for him.” She actually glances around the room like someone might be listening. I follow her eyes. The cramped six-bed ward. The thin curtain barely pulled around her cot. The woman two beds over moaning in her sleep. My throat closes up. The day Mom got admitted, Drew sat me down with that calm doctor voice. “It’s fine if she comes to my hospital. But no one can know she’s your mom. You know how many people are gunning for my spot. I can’t be seen pulling strings.” So she got dumped in a six-bed ward. She knows he’s picky about food, so she brought fresh vegetables from her garden. But he let them rot on the counter. I swallow hard and force a smile. “Don’t worry, Mom. I’m getting you moved to a private room this week.” In the hallway I lean against the wall and wipe my face. Then I look up and freeze. Drew and Sienna are walking toward me. Laughing. His hand on the small of her back. The second they see me, they spring apart and start fake-bickering like they always do. Sienna loops her arm through mine. “Sloane! Babe, I ate something bad, came to get checked out. I was just about to go say hi to your mom.” I’m so trained to care about her, the words come automatic. “Are you okay?” She nods sweetly. “Drew was a lifesaver. Personally examined me and everything.” Drew shrugs. “If it weren’t for Sloane, you think I’d make an exception?” I stiffen. “Then can you make one for my mom? Move her into a private room?” Drew’s eyes are still on Sienna, soft and entertained. They cool the second they land on me. “That’s different, Sloane. How would it look to the other patients?” I laugh under my breath. He can publicly run a stomach exam on Sienna. But my mom has to stay invisible. I don’t fight him. I just pull my arm out of Sienna’s grip and walk away. She calls after me. I walk faster. She keeps calling. I’m almost at the elevator when I hear it— A loud thud. Then a scream. I stop. I turn around. Drew is already crouched on the floor, scooping Sienna into his arms. His face is white with panic. He doesn’t even try to hide it. I follow them to the exam room because I don’t know what else to do. Drew is running around like she’s bleeding out. I step forward to help roll up her pant leg. “Get out,” he snaps. “You’re in the way.” My hand stops mid-air. I let it drop. I stand in the hallway for twenty minutes. When he finally comes out, his jaw is locked. “She tore a ligament when she fell.” I exhale. “Okay. As long as she’s all right.” Drew rips off his gloves and throws them in the trash. “All right? You think everyone’s as lazy as you? How is she supposed to play now?” “What is wrong with you today? You throw a fit at home, you throw a fit in public—” I stare at him. I open my mouth to say she’s the one who chased me down. But he’s looking at me like I’m something stupid. Something exhausting. Every word I had dies in my throat. From inside the exam room, Sienna calls my name, soft and pitiful. I start to go in. Drew grabs my arm. He pulls out a tissue and gently—gently—wipes a tear I didn’t know I’d cried. Then he says it. “Don’t let her feel sorry for you and take your side. You’re not a child anymore.” He turns toward the exam room, already done with me. Two steps in, he realizes I’m not following. “What are you standing there for?” he asks. I look up at him. “Drew. Let’s break up.”
Something flickers across Drew’s face. Surprise. Then it’s gone, replaced by that pinched, irritated look. “Sloane. I’m swamped right now. I don’t have time for your drama.” I hold his stare. His voice drops, soft and cruel. “You really want to break up this week? You don’t want your mom to have her surgery?” My eyes go wide. I can’t believe he said it out loud. He squeezes my shoulder like nothing happened. “Come on. Quit pouting. Go sit with Sienna. She got hurt because of you—it’s the least you can do.” My stomach turns. I shove his hand off and run. I make it as far as a stairwell before my knees give out. I crouch in the corner and try not to sob loud enough to be heard. Two nurses pass by in the hallway, gossiping. “Dr. Langston is so sweet with his girlfriend. I’ve never seen him freak out like that.” “You know her uncle is Deputy Chief? The Chief loves Drew. Set for life.” The pieces click into place so fast I feel sick. Sienna’s uncle is the Deputy Chief of Medicine. That’s why Drew changed. Sienna’s the golden girl with the right family. Drew’s the rising star with the perfect résumé. From the very beginning, I was the ugly stepsister wedged in between. I don’t know how long I cry. Then my phone rings. Drew. “Where are you?” His voice is heavy. My stomach drops. “What happened? Is it Mom?” Today was her dialysis appointment. He pauses. “Just come home. Now.” I’m up before my legs are ready. I almost fall down the stairs. I call Mom three times—straight to voicemail. I call Drew back—straight to voicemail. My heart is hammering against my ribs. I run the whole way home and pound on our door. Drew opens it. Completely calm. I push past him into the living room. Sienna is curled up on my couch, swinging one foot, perfectly relaxed. “Where’s my mom?” I gasp. “Your mom’s fine,” Drew says. He nods toward the guest room. “Sienna’s gonna recover here. Go clean out the guest room for her.” My mouth falls open. Sienna giggles. “Drew said if I told you it was an emergency, you’d come running.” Drew’s lips twitch. He hands her a glass of juice without looking at me. “Drink your juice, princess.” Then, he tosses over his shoulder, “Game’s on in an hour. Finish the room and you can watch with us. Don’t say we never include you.” I’m still trying to breathe. My phone buzzes. [Mom: Sorry honey, was in my appointment. What’s up?] I look down at the message and laugh. Quietly. To myself. She’s fine. That’s all that matters. I walk into the guest room and shut the door. The TV blares to life behind me, two voices already arguing about lineups. I don’t pick up a vacuum. I don’t change the sheets. I pull a bag out of the closet and start packing. They’re so wrapped up in the game they don’t notice a thing. … The next few days, life carries on. Drew and Sienna eat the same meals. Sleep on the same schedule. Watch matches at 2 a.m. and ice her ankle together at sunrise. For two years he complained every time I got home late from sitting with my mom. Now? He’s all smiles. Whistling around the kitchen. Bringing Sienna smoothies. The less I come home, the more of her things appear in the apartment. Her shampoo in our shower. Her sweater on our chair. Her toothbrush in the cup next to his. When Sienna sees the matching mugs Drew and I bought on our anniversary, she throws a tantrum until he buys her an identical set. “Sloane and I have been best friends since we were six,” she pouts. “If anyone gets matching anything with her, it’s me. Who are you, exactly?” Drew rolls his eyes and calls her impossible. Then he drives across the city all day to buy her every matching thing she points at. When I get home that night, I find my slippers shoved to the very back of the closet. His and hers slippers sit neatly by the door, side by side. Like a set. I stare at them for a long moment. Then I reach into the closet, pull out a pair of cheap guest slippers, and drop mine in the trash. It doesn’t matter. Mom and I are leaving soon anyway.
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