“Like this.”

I watched as my fiance squinted in concentration at Reuben. She attempted to hold her body in the position that he’d indicated. It wasn’t correct.

“Reu, you’re explaining this badly,” Kristopher interjected. “Here Sara, you’re supposed to stand like this.” He proceeded to demonstrate.

“I think neither one of you are being particularly helpful,” Alyssa, Sara’s sister, said tartly from where she was leaning against the stone statue.

“Lyssie, if I have to learn to play their game, so do you,” Sara said forcefully, even as she attempted the new stance Kris was showing her.

Alyssa pushed off of the statue and approached the small group of Ben’s younger siblings. She eyed them doubtfully but dutifully tried to copy the stance. She grimaced and quickly removed her harness that held her twin swords. She carefully placed them on the ground a few feet away.

“I think she’s adjusting well, don’t you?”

I jumped a little. Ben, my best friend and Alyssa’s fiance popped up beside me. “Really, you had to do that?” I asked, a little peeved.

Ben shrugged at me unrepentantly. We both turned back to the scene in front of us. Apparently Kris, Atlas, Michael, and Reuben had given up on trying to teach Alyssa and Sara their game and had moved on to a game of tag.

“Lyss doesn’t normally just leave her weapons on the ground,” Ben said after a beat of silence. “Even though it’s been a few months now. That’s what I meant when I said she seemed to be adjusting well.”

I blinked before realizing the truth of the statement. Sara and Alyssa were very similar (they were sisters after all) but I usually only saw the differences. While Sara was usually more upbeat, Alyssa could be more pessimistic. Where Sara leaned towards trusting people, Alyssa tended to be more skeptical. Although, considering what they’d both been through, I could completely understand why that was so.

“You know, the more I think about it, I believe this is good for them,” I finally answered. I gestured at the group. Sara was outright laughing and Alyssa was smiling, which was the equivalent of jumping up and down for joy for her. “For all of Sara’s kind heart and natural cheer, I surprisingly don’t often see her this happy.”

“I agree, Galyn,” Ben replied. He broke the serious note a moment later. “Except, of course, when she’s with you.” He elbowed me.

I elbowed him back. “Of course,” I answered with a lofty tone.

Ben chuckled then straightened. Alyssa was approaching us. She came to a stop, her face a stony mask. I couldn’t tell if it was her habitual expression or if she was actually upset.

“Did one of the triplets do something stupid?” I asked teasingly.

Alyssa blinked at me. She tilted her head and glanced at Ben. I swear they have a telepathic connection, because Ben nodded at her and stepped away from me. I tensed. Alyssa tapped me on my arm and said, “You’re it.”

She and Ben immediately sprinted away.

I spluttered. “That’s cheating!” I yelled as I joined the chase.

The thought that I was an adult and shouldn’t be playing a silly game of tag flitted across my mind. But another one followed. Why not be a child again?