Without a word of greeting, Chloe hoisted the cages onto my dining table, shoving aside the birthday cake I’d baked and setting them down over the candlelit memorial I’d built for Ernest.

“Change the water twice a day,” she commanded, not bothering to look up from her phone.

“Don’t feed the rabbit lettuce, it’s bad for his digestion. Keep the cat in the carrier — we don’t want your old carpets smelling like dander.

Oh, and use the special drops for the birds’ eyes.”

I stood frozen in the hallway, clutching a dish towel. “Chloe. Austin. What is this?”

“We’re going to the Bahamas,” Austin said, checking his reflection in the hallway mirror. “It’s our anniversary trip. Ten days.”