“Put that down,” Raina said, voice sharp.
Raina Rae had never asked for a stepsister. Her mom’s remarriage was already an adjustment, but when Kayla moved in with her expensive sneakers, loud music, and habit of borrowing Raina’s sweaters without asking, the house felt smaller than ever. raina rae stepsister
For the first time, Raina saw past the attitude. Kayla wasn’t trying to take her place—she was trying to understand what a real family looked like. “Put that down,” Raina said, voice sharp
Kayla laughed softly. “Better than no pancakes at all.” For the first time, Raina saw past the attitude
The tension hit its peak one Tuesday night. Raina came home from volleyball practice to find Kayla sitting on her bed, holding a framed photo of Raina and her late father.
Kayla didn’t flinch. “I wasn’t going to steal it. I just… wondered what he was like. My dad left when I was three. Yours stayed until he couldn’t. I don’t know what that’s like.”