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through the crack. A younger version of Ellie stands on a stool, pulling plates with blue snowflakes on them from the top shelf. She near decapitates Quinn with an expertly aimed frisbee toss.
    “Did Ellie know you’d be here? Does Mom?”
Crash
.
    Quinn throws up his arm to protect himself. “Would you stop throwing shit. What is wrong with you?”
    Oh, Quinn, don’t ask a girl that.
    “What is wrong with me? What is wrong with you? I live here, remember? You don’t.” The girl, blond hair stuck to her face in sweaty clumps, jumps off the stool, shifts it over, then climbs back up to find more ammunition. “You think you can waltz in here and spin me around like you did when I was eight. Smile and pick up where we left off. Well, I’m eighteen now, and in the five years you were gone, I learned to shoot the nuts off the squirrels living in the barn. I’ve learned to filet fish and cook them over a pit. I’ve gotten stuck in the swamps at high tide, and survived. And why? Because of Wes. Do you remember Wes? Yeah, well he taught me those things because you broke your promises to teach me when you bailed.” She takes an entire stack of dessert plates out and sets them on the counter.
    Before she’s off her stool, Quinn takes three large strides toward her and snatches the plates. “I’m sorry, Kat. I really am, but you don’t understand what I was going through.” He tucks the plates against his side and reaches out to her with his other hand.
    Her eyes, rich blue like her siblings’, tear up. She claws the tears as they fall, leaving streaks of angry red on her cheeks. “What I understand is Dad died and two months later you were gone. What else is there to
understand
? You. Left.”
    Quinn rubs his forehead and leans back against the counter. “But I’m here now.”
    Her eyes rage, growing wide. She steps into him and shoves his chest. “Do you want applause? A back pat? What, Quinn? You being here now doesn’t change the fact you missed four Christmas, all of our birthdays, my debut, and Ellie’s wedding.”
    “I’m staying for the wedding.” He frowns and after putting the plates in the sink out of her reach, shoves his fists in his pockets.
    “Oh, that fixes everything. Let me hug you. Let’s go grab a beer. So glad you’re back.” The sarcasm rolls off her tongue easily.
    “I mean it, Kat. I’m sticking around.”
    “Until things get tough. You know they always do. Mom’s worse than before and every little thing sets her off. She doesn’t even stay here anymore. Did you know that?”
    “Ellie told me.” He steps closer. “But do you blame her? She lost Dad. This is the house where all her happy memories are stored.”
    “ I lost Dad, too, and I stay here
because
of those happy memories. What’s your excuse?”
    He shakes his head. “I don’t have one.”
    “So you’re really not going to give me a reason? Not even a ‘couldn’t hack it’ or an ‘I’m a wuss’ excuse?”
    He taps his chest. “I couldn’t hack it and I
was
a wuss.”
    She folds her arms over her chest. “And you aren’t now?”
    “I’m sorry,” he says.
    “Sorry doesn’t fix anything. You left,” she sneers through clamped teeth. “I waited for you. I ran to the mailbox on my thirteenth birthday looking for any sign you still existed. Do you know what I got?”
    Quinn’s stiff stance doesn’t budge. He’s rooted to the kitchen floor, the only clue he’s still alive is the slight rise of his chest with each labored breath he takes.
    “I. Got. Nothing.” Kat ignores the tear running down her cheek. She stares at him like a starved cheetah circling its prey. Unmoving. Indecipherable.
    They stare at each other, neither offering a white flag, neither charging on.
    Quinn breaks first. “I’ll be on the patio with Ellie. She expects us for dinner.” He doesn’t wait for a reply, just turns away and leaves the room.
    Kat stumbles backward and grabs the fridge handle. She presses her head