Stella Ann is almost eighteen and such a diva, it’s scary. She does her makeup like Kylie Jenner, even though my mom loses her freaking mind. Stella thinks she’s one of the Kardashians, though. Without the ass, of course. She’s built like a string bean, which she says is good since she wants to be a model. Drives my mom crazy. I think it’s funny. Stella’s already been featured in some local photography—for good reason too. She’s absolutely stunning. She looks so much like my mom…if my mom wore a whole palette of makeup and shorts way too short. I can still hear my mom screaming at Stella to change her shorts.
Scary, I tell you.
Emery, my fourteen-year-old sister, well, she’s…Emery. There is no other way to describe her. She’s absolutely insane. She’s quick with her mouth, does what she wants, and if you don’t like it, oh well. She’s gonna do it anyway. If I thought my mom and Stella fought, it doesn’t even come close to Stella and Emery. Emery isn’t disrespectful—she’s actually very smart and very talented on the lacrosse field—but sarcasm gets her in a lot of shit. Add in the fact that she thinks Stella is an idiot, and it can be very loud in my parents’ house.
And somehow, I’m living there until I can find a place I like.
But I don’t mind. I’ve missed them. I kiss them both on the cheek as they cling to me.
“I’ve missed you so much!” Stella gushes as she holds me.
“Me too. I cleaned your room today. For real, Aiden, I missed practice for you! I even polished all your awards.”
I grin as I put Emery to her feet. “You didn’t have to do that.”
“I wanted to! I’m hoping you’ll never leave.”
I scoff. “Oh, I’m leaving. I can’t handle you two plus Mom and Dad. You four will kill me. Why do you think Asher left so quickly?”
That puts grins on their faces because they know it’s true. Asher turned eighteen and hightailed it out of the house as fast as he could. I thought he would stay in town to go to school. Nope, he went to California. He’s wicked smart, though, and has a full ride to UCLA. I thought I would be the one the girls would look up to, but Asher’s got me beat.
Kind of hate him for it.
“So, how long will you stay with us?” Emery asks, wrapping her arm around mine as Stella does the same to my bicep. They carry my bags, which is totally backward, but I don’t mind.
“Just until I find a place. I’m stuck at the moment since Elli wanted me here so quickly and all.”
“Yeah, I think we’re going by there before we go home.”
I make a face. “Why?” Not that I don’t want to. I love the Adlers, but I want to go home. I’m tired. Flying sucks.
Stella lets out a long breath before bringing in another. “So, she has chickens.”
“Chickens?”
Emery nods. “Nine of them.”
“Who?”
“Mom.”
“Why?”
“Because she wants to be all healthy and stuff. So she makes us eat the eggs from the chickens, but what she didn’t realize would happen was that those things lay enough eggs to feed an army. So now we are distributing them to Elli because Mom has her on this healthy eating craze too.”
“Healthy eating craze?”
“No processed foods or carbs.”
I make a face. “Holy crap. I’m not gonna make it without Pop-Tarts.”
Emery scoffs. “If I can, you can.”
“I’m not as strong as you,” I complain, and she beams up at me.
“Oh, hush. You’ll be fine.”
At the sound of my mom’s voice, I look up and am immediately in awe of her. I’m pretty sure she hasn’t aged at all. She’s as stunning as always, in a power suit and ass-kicking heels. I let go of my sisters to wrap my mom up in a hug. It’s been way too long since I’ve seen all of them.
She kisses my cheek hard, hugging me tightly. “Oh, my baby.”
I squeeze my eyes shut as I hold her. She always calls me her baby, and even at twenty-seven, I’m okay with it. My mom was all I had for the first part of my life. It wasn’t by my dad’s choice or anything. Mom thought she was doing what was best for me. My dad wasn’t all that great when she left him, and I get it now. I understand why. I’m pretty sure all that is why I don’t rush into relationships. My mom always knew that my dad was it for her. If she didn’t have him, she wouldn’t waste her time with anyone else. I think I’ve applied that to my life. The most important thing is hockey—and hockey only. If I need someone to keep me warm, I find someone for the night. I’m good with that.