"Good morning!" Callie hopped out of her car. Mom and I had been taking turns taking our bags to the car, I was currently struggling to lift mine up. Embarrassing.

"Morning" I lowered the bag to the ground, then tried to throw it into the car. The problem was that all of Mom's stuff was already in the car, so it made me have to reach much higher.

"Need some help?"

I dropped the bag, nodding in defeat.

Callie just smiled and lifted it up for me, "Jeez what did you pack your whole bedroom?"

"No! Just some blankets and clothes."

Callie laughed, "Alright. Can I throw my bags in here too?"

"Yup. Then we'll be all packed. I think Mom's just getting some snacks for the car ride."

"Oh! Callie's here! Hey Cal!!!" Mom came out with a smaller bag, walking toward her car. I watched as she hugged Callie, an immediate smile forming on her face.

"Hi beautiful, I just gotta grab my bags out of my car. I'm so excited, though!!"

'Beautiful' I couldn't tell if that was sweet or cringey. Sweet for her to say Mom is beautiful, but kind of gross too.

Mom nodded and then turned to me, "Goldfish, Pop-tarts, and Potato chips!"

"Sounds insanely unhealthy" I giggled.

"Hm. Yeah, I guess so" Mom laughed too, opening up the back door and tossing the bag in the car. "You need help Callie?" She called out.

"No, I've got it! Thanks!" Callie grabbed her bags out, then locked her car.

"Olive, do you need to get anything else out of the house? Or use the bathroom?" Mom asked.

"Nope. I'm all good."

"Cal?" Mom turned to Callie.

"I'm good, too." Callie got her bags in the trunk.

"Cool, I'll lock up and we'll head out!"

At that, I opened up the drivers side door to the back seat, and got in.

"Ari, you want me to drive?" Callie asked as Mom walked back over to the car.

"No, I'll drive." Mom shook her head.

"You're sure?"

"Mhm." Mom opened the drivers door. She always drove long trips- even when I was little and dad still came with us. I think she always said something about the way he drove and giving her anxiety. But, I assumed that now it was just second nature. Plus, she knew the drive to Mr. and Mrs. Altman's- Callie didn't.

I didn't question it, though, Callie seemed to be over thinking it.

They both got in, and I buckled, grabbing my pillow and plugging my headphones into my phone. Two hours in the car with them seemed like a lot, now that I was thinking about it. I at least needed some music. I hoped it wouldn't be awkward.

When we finally got to the house, I was honestly half asleep. Mom and Callie spent the whole car ride talking about something I barely paid attention to, and I think somewhere along the way I actually fell asleep.

I immediately hopped out of the car and stretched. The back seat was rather small, I was realizing. I was so used to the passenger seat- it was usually just Mom and I.

"Yay!! We made it!!" Mom cheered as she got out of the car. "Oh I forgot how much I love it here!"

I yawned.

"Liv, it's literally..." Mom glanced at her phone. "11 in the morning. Don't tell me your tired."

"I was up all night!!" I said defensively- as if that wouldn't annoy Mom.

She just shook her head.

"Ok, Teddy said they hid the key..." Mom started walking around the front porch of the house. "Here it is!" She said suddenly, Callie and I were still just standing by the car, me tired- Callie probably just not knowing what to do.

We headed inside, bringing in our bags. "Which room do you guys wanna stay in?" I asked Mom, just wanting to know where to put my stuff.

Mom suddenly got awkward, and the next time Callie walked out to grab something, she pulled me aside. "Is it ok if Callie and I stay in the same room?"

"What? Mom, obviously!" I was confused why she even asked. Callie slept over in her bed. What was the difference?

"I'm just making sure!" Mom said quickly, holding up her hands.

"Stop being so weird about it." I rolled my eyes, heading back out to the car to grab my pillow from the back seat, since I forgot it.

"You want the green room?" Mom asked when I came back in, her state much less awkward.

The house had two rooms. Mom, Teddy and I called them the green room and the blue room. Because, that's what color the bedding was in each room.

I shrugged and nodded. It made no difference to me. I grabbed my bag from the floor and dragged it into the green room.

I smiled at the fact that it was still the same. Nothing had changed. This was usually Mom and I's room when we came up with Teddy.

I tossed my pillow on the bed and tugged my blankets out of my bag. If Mom wasn't totally against it, I was planning on taking a nap. Hopefully Mom wouldn't mind. She had Callie to hang out with, it wasn't like I was leaving her all alone. She shouldn't be that mad about it.

I walked out the bedroom door, but instantly walked into a conversation I probably was not supposed to hear.

"Arizona, you figuring out you're a lesbian later in life doesn't mean anything bad." Callie had said. Her voice was firm, as if trying to reassure Mom of something.

But.

I thought Mom wasn't labeling herself. She's a lesbian? She didn't tell me.

I closed the door. Screw asking, I was taking a nap.