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realistic than before . He swallowed then looked over my shoulder again with wide eyes. I turned around to see Amira holding a large box of pizza.
    â€œI could not help myself. When I saw the whole pizzas I wanted to have one.” She set the box on the table, opened it up, and took the largest piece out. She took a huge bite, slid into her chair, and proceeded to devour the contents of the box. She did pause to offer me a piece again, and let Jai have a third.
    I watched her in amazement as she ate almost an entire large pizza on her own. She didn’t pig out on it but ate fast. Where did it all fit? My personal best on eating a pizza that size was five slices, and I'd felt sick for the rest of the evening. After finishing, she turned toward the counter as if considering going back for more.
    Jai teased her about eating so much, and she brushed it off by saying, “I only get to live once, I might as well enjoy it while I can.”
    Jai didn't say anything, but he looked at her and she met his gaze. Again it felt like they had a silent conversation going on.
    When we finished our pizza, we gathered up our stuff and went out to the car. Jai carried Amira's bags without complaining. I didn’t think most brothers would do that. One of these days I’d figure these two out.

Chapter Four
    Something Different

    We knocked on their door a minute before seven on Wednesday night. I let Mom and Dad stand in the front while I stood on the second stair. I didn’t want to seem too eager to see Jai again, even though I'd taken extra care getting dressed in anticipation of the evening. I wore something new from my shopping trip. I had put on a blue shirt only to yank it off and replace it with the green blouse I now wore. Who cared if Amira said blue was his favorite color. I didn't want to look like I was trying too hard. Besides, the green would make my eyes stand out better.
    I viewed their yard. They had done amazing things to it in the few days they'd been here. Celia’s parents never cared much for the landscaping. Something that drove Dad crazy, but Jai’s family took much better care of it. The way they planted their flowers made me smile, all formal and uniform, with the patterns symmetrical throughout the flowerbed. It fit my opinion of them perfectly.
    Their house looked like every other house on the street from the outside: normal, middle class, built before I was born, and well taken care of. Jai's mother, Delilah, opened the door and introduced herself and her husband, Marshal, to my dad who hadn’t met them yet. Ushering us inside, she called for Jai and Amira to come to the door.
    The inside was unbelievable. They had completely reformed it. A tasteful chandelier hung above the entryway, lighting the room with a sparkle here and there as the light reflected through the crystals. The floor in the front room was a dark hardwood, polished enough to reflect the light. A rug under the coffee table, woven with an intricate pattern of earth-tone colors, spoke of elegance and pride. The furniture, classic solid pieces, gave the impression of power and authority as they commanded attention in the room. Their decorations could have come straight from an interior design magazine.
    They led us to the combined kitchen and dining room. The tile floors and marble countertops in the kitchen sparkled, reminding me of a commercial I'd seen on TV. Gleaming pots and pans hung from a rack above the kitchen counter. The table in the dining room was dark and glossy with matching chairs. Tracing the designs in the swirling woodwork on the chairs could have kept my eyes occupied for quite some time. Actual china with gold trim adorned the table with crystal goblets.
    I'd dressed up to come over here, yet felt inadequate. Delilah, Marshal, Jai, and Amira looked nice, but nothing fancy. A skirt and blouse for the women, and button-up shirts and slacks for the men showed they didn’t need fancy clothes to make