Free Superhero in Disguise (Adventures of Lewis and Clarke) by Kitty Bucholtz Page A

were behind a movable glass wall, Tori focused on pushing the wall away, giving herself some emotional space. Lexie’s disappointment eased back, and Tori’s excitement returned.
    She gave her sister another squeeze and kissed her cheek. Lexie could feel what Tori was feeling, too; that was the counterbalance. Tori focused her enthusiasm until Lexie gave in. A warmer sensation flowed between them, and Tori felt her sister relax. Much as their parents loved them, both girls had always known there was only one person they could count on: each other. Tori was determined never to let her sister down.
    She grabbed Lexie’s hand and dragged her back to the rented U-Haul in the alley. Today was the most exciting day of her life, and nothing was going to ruin it. One item at a time, they unloaded Tori’s life. First came the computer desk Tori had bought at IKEA when she graduated from college and got her first “real” paycheck. Then came two bookcases, a TV stand, and an office chair—IKEA, IKEA, Office Max—and the little studio was already crowded.
    “Are you sure about this?” Lexie asked, permanent worry lines etched across her forehead. “We haven’t even brought in any boxes yet.”
    Tori pushed against Lexie’s anxiety. Her own fear could wait until the dark night brought strange noises. She tried not to think about how creepy it might be to sleep here alone for the first time on Halloween night. “I’ll have my own bathroom,” Tori reminded her. “No plastic potty, no Elmo bath toys. I can light candles and take a bath for more than ten minutes.”
    Lexie laughed. “Okay, okay, I get it. It’s paradise.” She started out the door, then paused and asked, “Can I take a bath here?”
    Tori chuckled as she pushed her sister through the doorway. “I’ll give you a key.” She couldn’t remember ever feeling so good. Would she feel even better when she stole back other freedoms? Imagine—no more shrink, no more medications, no more thinking of herself as broken and in need of fixing. She couldn’t quite wrap her head around what that might be like.
    For twenty-two years, Dr. Huntington had been an unwanted authority figure in her life. Weekly visits and innumerable pills hadn’t given Dixie the “normal” daughter she wanted, nor Tori the reassurance of unconditional love from her mother. An incident at this year’s annual Labor Day family reunion had pushed Tori for the last time, and she’d begun changing her life in secret.
    As she climbed up and down the three steps to her front door, bringing in box after box from the truck, Tori’s insecurities rose and fell. Was this move a bad idea? She and Lexie had been doing so well living together. Lexie hadn’t reverted to any of her old patterns, even early on when they were stressed about paying the rent and buying groceries. What if things took a turn for the worse and Lexie ended up back on the street, this time with her two-year-old son Ben? What would happen when Dixie found out Tori decided to stop going to the shrink? Would Tori’s choices help her grow as a person or drive a wedge between her and the people she loved?
    The way she went from acting strong and courageous to scared witless and back again, maybe she should continue with counseling. Maybe she should’ve waited until Ben was in school before she moved out. That way—
    “Stop!” Lexie came up behind Tori, her arms full of boxes. She dropped them against a wall and turned to Tori with that “mother” look she’d almost mastered. “Stop worrying! What’s the worst thing that can happen? You move in with me again.” She studied Tori’s face for a moment. “And if you’re worried about what Mom thinks, just…” Her voice softened. “Just stop. You’re a grown woman, you need to make your own decisions.”
    Tori sighed and opened a box. Their dad, Danny, assured them that everything Dixie did or said was because she loved them. But a great divide existed between mother