The entire world stills around me and I stop in my tracks. Winter is standing in the hallway, with a duffel bag slung over her shoulder, eyes narrowed like she might strangle me with her gaze alone. In contrast, Vivi is smiling at me from her stroller, Peter’s rubber chicken in her hand. And when I look lower, Peter is attached to the end of a leash, trembling, like always. “Da!” My head snaps back to Vivi, who is pointing at me. “Dadadadada.” “Did she just say ‘dad’?” Winter’s hip cocks out, her pearly-white fingernails tapping on her bicep.
