“Yeah,” I said. “We try to make sure that we look different.”
“Wow, I don’t think I’ve ever met triplets,” she said. “That’s so exciting. You must love it.”
“We didn’t always know each other,” I said. “We were adopted into different families, and we just recently reconnected.”
“Wow,” she said. “This just gets better. What's that like? Do you like it? Do you have any other siblings?”
I didn’t know whether she was just making conversation or if she was truly interested.
“I do,” I said. “I have the ones I grew up with. The other two, though, they don’t have anyone else, so this is the first time that they’ve gotten a family experience. So far, it’s gone quite well.”
“Wow,” she said. “That’s so nice.”
I felt like I could talk to her forever. It seemed like I had known her for years.
“Do you have a family?” I asked, and she shook her head.
“No,” she said. “I haven’t talked to my family for years.”
“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that,” I replied. “Family is everything.”
“Yeah,” she looked sad at that, and I quickly tried to change the subject.
“So...what do you want for dinner?”
It probably wasn’t the best thing to ask, but I didn’t know what else to say. When all else failed me, there was always food.
“Oh,” she said. “I, uh...I’m not very hungry. Sorry.”
“No, that’s OK,” I said. “I can make whatever you want whenever you want.”
“Are you normally the chef in the family?” she asked, and I shrugged.
“We’re all pretty good chefs,” I said. “It's just something we learned to do, I guess, early in life.”
“Wow,” she said. “It’s like you’re perfect.”
I was sure that it was just the drugs talking, so I didn’t try to push it. Instead, when I heard the door, I stood up.
“We’re in here,” I called, and she smiled and turned her head.
“Oh, you’re awake,” Frances said.
“Yes,” she said. “Hi.”
“Hi,” he said and turned to Johnathan. “Dinner?”
“How is that my responsibility?” he asked.
“Boys, I’ll make something,” I said and stood up. I didn’t want Jenny’s first impression of us to be that we fought all the time. “Don’t worry.”
“Have we...talked about everything?” Frances said and glanced at Jenny.
“Can I talk to you in the kitchen?” I said and dragged him towards the kitchen with Johnathan in tow. “Do you guys always have to be so obvious?”
“Obvious?” he asked. “What?”
“I told her a story, and I wanted to make sure we were on the same page,” I said. “So don’t just go blurting out everything.”
“I didn’t say anything,” Frances replied. “What did you tell her?”
“I told her that it was the wolves that hurt her and drugged her,” I said.
“Yeah, that makes sense,” Frances said. “What else did you tell her?”
“Just that we were the ones who rescued her, and she could stay as long as she wanted,” I said. “So don’t tell her that I did it.”
“I do trust you,” I said. “But we only get one shot at this. If we aren’t all on the same page, then she is going to leave.”
“So then we bring her back,” Jonathan said, and I rolled my eyes.
“It’s not that simple,” I said. “Do you really want a girl who is here completely against her will?”
“If she is the right one,” he replied, and I shook my head.
“No,” I said. “It doesn’t matter if she is the right one or not. She will freak if she finds out the truth. So let’s swear, between us, to never tell her, OK?”
“Fine,” Jonathan said. “I wasn’t going to tell her anyway.”
“I see,” Frances said. “So you weren’t hoping she was into some of that kinky…”
“Get away from me,” Jonathan laughed. “Why don’t we have another contest between us, boys?”
“Which is?” Frances asked.
“Let’s see who can sleep with her first,” he said. “Winner calls dibs on her future.”
“If that’s what she wants,” I said, and he rolled his eyes
“Yes,” he replied. “If that’s what she wants. However, I have a feeling after sleeping with me, that’s exactly what she is going to want.”
“You are very confident in your choice,” I replied, and he chuckled.
“I am,” he said. “Let’s see if that changes. Now, let’s get dinner ready. I’m starving.”
We began to speak of normal things, and prepared dinner in the kitchen like we had done half a hundred times before.
I couldn’t help but feel like it was different this time, though. Maybe it was