The small talk went well as they finished their breakfast. Julienne going over her normal routines. How she got Peter and Cowboy. How the journey to becoming a therapist went. All of those sorts of things. At the same time, Erin went over her own personal journey of transitioning and leaving home. Which had some more extreme parts to it.

“So, Dad walked in on me wearing a dress and... You remember the belt. While he got it, I ran. Convinced mom it was for a senior prank thing the football team was debating. So she calmed him down.” She let out a sigh. “But I made sure a to-go bag was ready after that.”

“Seriously?” Julienne was pouring some of her own cheap store band coffee. The need for caffeine was strong, even after the nice stuff her sister brought. “I didn't think you were listening.”

Erin rolled her eyes. “Of course I was listening. I mean I thought you were stupid as fuck. That if I could man up and shove down how I felt about boys and shit, you could get married and pop out some kids. But that didn’t mean I wasn’t listening. We all were.”

Sipping the almost too hot burnt tasting coffee, Julienne thought about that day. It was really the day that solidified that she wanted to get as many people out of situations like these as possible. How she had read up on things and worried her younger siblings might be in the same boat. At least until the harsh words afterwards. It’d taken time for her to accept that it was how they were raised. That just because she saw differently didn’t mean they would anytime soon. But she still made sure they knew. 

Keep some cash on hand and hidden.

Get a bag ready to go.

Have their legal documents in a safe place.

If possible, have at least four places lined up to run to.

And be ready to never look back.

“Not as glad about thinking I was stupid but glad my advice stuck and helped. Where did you go?” She offered Erin some of the cheap stuff.

Erin gently pushed it away. “Your coffee has always sucked, sis. And I had a girlfriend that was using me as a beard for folks at school than her parents. They all took me in. I was 18 by then, so from there…”

“From there community college, your job as an accountant I think you said?” Julienne shook her head as she chuckled. “This from the person that swore math was dull.”

“It is dull! But I get bank for fixing bank and people errors. It’s not hard and I get to relax. Plus I lucked out on working remote so no one thinks anything about the fact I looked masc and now I don’t.” She chuckled. “A few thought I was a new hire and joke how I was an upgrade from old Aaron.”

“They aren’t wrong.” Julienne sighed. “I’m sorry. I had no idea… well… I thought you might be gay. But maybe I should have…”

“Fuck no. Cutting us off completely was safe. For a long time all of us woulda sold you out for Dad’s approval.” Erin put her hand on Julienne’s own. “Don’t blame yourself for keeping yourself away. I got out safe and I am thriving.”

“Alright. I-” Her phone buzzed. Julienne looked at it. Just a text message this time from Hannah.

Stood up for myself. Sister in law on my side maybe. Need someone to help investigate issues I noticed but don’t know who to trust. Advice when you have time?

With a soft sigh, Julienne debated what to do. She didn’t know what to say here. Legally she couldn’t exactly recommend a private detective. At the same time, the ones in Hannah’s circles might not be able to be trusted. Before she could reply, Erin had snatched up the phone. 

“Who are you talking to, your psychic?”

Julienne just as quickly snatched it back. “A client. She knows I live alone and didn’t think about sending a text message asking for advice.”

“Oh sorry. Shit. Figured you were off the clock. Should I like… go?” Erin started to get up, looking half ready to bolt.

It was Julienne’s turn to put a hand on her sister’s. “No. It’s fine. I’m going to send a message to let her know to hold off on sending texts. If she’s right about things, a call is safer.”

Erin frowned. “Can she meet you here?”

“That crosses some boundaries.” Julienne pinched the bridge of her nose. “There’s a lot of… complicated things with her case.”

“Well,” Erin sat back down and leaned back. “What if she just, you know, happened to run into me someplace else? I was going to get my hair done at the salon on 15th street. At 3. And I happen to know the stylist had a cancellation.”

That. That could work. As long as Julienne didn’t recommend that Hannah went there it’d be fine. Well. That was really making the word ‘fine’ do a lot of work ethically speaking. But if Hannah went into this deep of a possible delusion or really was from the future, Julienne was going to be dancing in the murky grey zone of doctor patient relationship for a while.

She carefully texted back.

Hey Hannah. Because of your case, it isn’t a good idea to send me a text message unless its just letting me know you need to talk. Also I can’t call back right now as my sister is visiting. She says hello.

The three dots kept appearing and disappearing as Hannah seemed to debate what to say back. Erin daintily nibbled on some bacon, waiting for some sort of answer from Julienne. Even Peter seemed to be nervously waiting, letting out a small whine as he looked at the phone. When it did get up, all pets and sister leaned towards the phone as if expecting the winning lottery numbers.

Oh I need to do my hair. I trust your sister. Is she willing to help?

Julienne slowly looked up, her glasses slighting down her nose as she did. “My client trusts you.”

“Your brother?”

“No. My sister.” Julienne sighed.

Erin took a moment to process everything before grinning and slamming her hands down on the table. “No fucking way! You have a psychic as a client!? That is cool as hell! Tell her I can one hundred percent help her out and tell her I’m going to Fully Loaded at 3. I will hold her an appointment.”

As her sister furiously started texting away, Julienne was trying to process all of this. Outside people that Hannah could trust would be for the best. Erin would need to also have some things cleared up. But first the message.

Yeah. She said she can hold a 3pm slot she knows is open today. It’s over at Fully Loaded on 15th street. It’s not your normal place, but I’m sure a change of pace will be good for you.

Julienne’s phone suddenly exploded with heart and potato emojis. Oh right. Fully loaded. Like the potato. Hannah probably saw it as another sign from her dead father. If the old man was somehow manipulating things from the beyond, there were worse things than a new salon and getting to know her sister.

“Ok she’s in. She isn’t asking for what you look like but I can tell you she’s the lady from the viral video yesterday if you pay attention to that sort of thing.”

“No way! The Tiny hat pays video? Man. A psychic and super nice. Or maybe she did it so I would know what she looked like.” Erin’s face looked like it might split open if she grinned anymore.

Ok. This needed to be calmed down. “Sis, she’s not psychic. Probably. It’s complicated and it’s up to her if she feels up to telling you ok? No forcing it.”

Erin folded her arms and leaned back, forgetting about the bacon between her fingers. 

Peter did not forget. He snatched it and scrambled off with his prize. 

“You got to be kidding me. She knew I was a sister. She trusts me already. Isn’t asking what I look like…” Erin sighed. “But I guess the kind that get visions or whatever can’t just force them. I know my readings don’t go well if I force it.”

“Great. The other thing is you won’t be able to really become friends with her. Otherwise I can’t keep her as a client. She needs help you can provide.”

Erin smiled a bit. “Sis, just because she’s your client doesn't mean I thought she was friend material.”

That made Julienne pause. The old version of her sibling would want to just help people to become their friends. Be as popular as possible. Which left a simple question.

“Then, why?”

“Because. Sometimes you gotta pay things forward. And if I help her in her tough spot, then her visions or money or whatever it is? She can use that to help someone else down the line. Maybe more than I can ever help.”

There was that core of kindness Julienne remembered. Hidden under the fake macho toxic masculinity. The quiet sliding of the first aid kit across the table. ‘Forgetting’ to put food in the trash when her siblings had been told to not worry about getting their stubborn sister food. Random lipstick, even if half used, found in her bed probably taken from girlfriends who didn’t notice. The small acts that made it hard for her to really hate her siblings. That early made it impossible for her to leave. 

Well. At least something of a plan was in place.

Here’s hoping it would work.