Olivia frowned. "Why do you still look so thin?" Lottie puffed up her cheeks. "No way. Look at my tummy!" She pinched her belly. It used to be flat, but now there was some fat on it. Olivia noticed her belly wasn't the only part—her arms had filled out a bit as well. But her face still looked almost the same. Olivia stayed calm, her face giving nothing away. "Hungry? I'll whip something up." Lottie instantly lit up. "Thanks, Mom!" Olivia walked to the kitchen, leaving Lottie stretched out on the couch, lost in thought. She couldn't stop replaying Natalie flaunting that necklace, acting all smug. With a burst of anger, she kicked the couch hard. The sound startled Snowy, who came trotting over. It was like Lottie had found a target for her anger. She kicked Snowy, sending the poor thing flying three feet. Snowy crouched down, trembling and frozen in place. Lottie stared for a second. When Snowy didn't move, she frowned, picked her up, and checked. "Are you okay?" Snowy couldn't die. Lottie needed those eggs every day. Meanwhile, Olivia was warming leftovers and opening a can in the kitchen, glancing outside through the glass door. She noticed Lottie holding Snowy.Olivia frowned and stepped out. "Lottie, what are you doing?" Lottie instantly switched gears. "Mom, I'm just playing with Snowy." Olivia watched Snowy perk up and run away, finally relaxing. "Come on, let's eat." Lottie grinned, sticking out her tongue. "Okay!" At the table, neither of them said much—something that rarely happened. Lottie darted her eyes around and asked, "Mom, how did you meet Natalie?" "She's my neighbor," Olivia replied. Lottie kept going. "Then how did Natalie meet Cass?" Olivia frowned, correcting her, "Call him Cassian." "Fine. How'd she meet Cassian?" Olivia ate a bite of canned chicken pasta. "I don't know." Lottie looked shocked. "Don't best friends share stuff like that? Natalie never told you?" Olivia lifted an eyebrow. "Who told you that?" She set her fork down, staring hard at Lottie. "You seem to know a lot about adult things." Lottie blinked, not sure what Olivia meant. So she muttered, "Don't you always say I'm mature?" Olivia stayed quiet. Lottie peeked at Olivia's face, not daring to ask more. After eating, it was nap time. Like always, Lottie wanted to sleep with Olivia. Olivia thought for a moment and said, "You're nine now, not a baby. You should sleep on your own." Lottie pouted, ready to argue, but Olivia added, "If you don't, Cassian will tease you." That froze Lottie. She thought it over and nodded. "You're right. I'm a big kid." Olivia shot over a look but said nothing more. The next morning, Natalie and Cassian had just gotten up when someone knocked. Natalie assumed it was Olivia. When she opened the door, she was surprised. "Lottie?" She glanced behind Lottie. "Where's your mom? You came alone?" Lottie beamed. "She's still asleep. I came by myself." She leaned in to peek inside. "Didn't you say I could come to play every week?" Natalie smirked, already guessing what Lottie wanted, and let her in. Lottie dashed straight to the kitchen. "Cass, are you cooking?" She sniffed dramatically. "It smells so good! I haven't had breakfast yet. Can I eat with you guys?" Cassian barely glanced her way. "No." Lottie started to thank him, "Thanks, Cass—" "Huh?" She paused, thinking she must've misheard. "Cass, what did you say?" Cassian grabbed the soup and walked toward the dining room. "I said no." She trailed after him, totally confused. Natalie pulled out a chair and sat down. "Sorry, Lottie. We didn't expect you to be coming, so we didn't cook extra." Lottie froze.They could've just given her a little bit from their plates. It would've been enough. But instead, they acted like there wasn't any. She stood there awkwardly while the two of them dug in, enjoying their meal. Natalie said, "This omelet tastes amazing." Cassian passed her a veggie burrito. "Try this one." She bit into it and nodded. "Mmm, this is great too." After a sip of hot soup, Natalie glanced over. "Lottie, why are you still standing there? Go sit on the couch. We'll be done soon." She sounded polite and sincere. Lottie clutched her empty stomach and reluctantly walked to the couch. They enjoyed their meal while her stomach growled loudly.