She turned when they entered.
“Hey,” his sister said.
Casey turned to William, then back to Willow. “You must be Willow,” she started.
“Will told me not to say anything, but I just can't help myself.”
William inhaled deeply, rolled his eyes, and braced himself.
“I was told that you were a fan of Grumpy Bear. And I just can’t let that go,” her
tone was playful. “That was the worst one. I’d accept Tenderheart, but any answer
to ‘Who is your favorite Care Bear?’ should be Love-A-Lot. There should be no other
answer.”
Willow sat up, sizing Casey up. “Love-A-Lot? Seriously, where’s the depth?” she
joked. “Grumpy Bear was the best, and there is no denying that. Love-A-Lot!”
“I don’t think this is something that will ever be settled,” William interjected.
He didn’t want to spend his birthday on a Care Bear debate.
“It’s already settled,” Casey said. Her blue eyes widened. “Love-A-Lot is the
best.”
“GRUMPY BEAR!” Willow shouted as she got off the couch and headed to her room.
William grabbed the remote and turned off the movie she’d already watched a dozen
times.
Casey wandered to the mantle, examining the framed photos above the fireplace. She
lingered on the one family picture they had with their mother. Beside it were
individual school portraits of William and Willow and a photo of their
grandparents.
A loud bang from Willow’s room turned her attention. She glanced at William on the
couch.
“Did you get senior pictures taken?” she asked.