That night, they didn’t become best friends. But Raina left the photo on her dresser instead of hiding it away, and Kayla started knocking before entering the room. Small steps. Stepsister steps.
The tension hit its peak one Tuesday night. Raina came home from volleyball practice to find Kayla sitting on her bed, holding a framed photo of Raina and her late father.
Kayla didn’t flinch. “I wasn’t going to steal it. I just… wondered what he was like. My dad left when I was three. Yours stayed until he couldn’t. I don’t know what that’s like.” raina rae stepsister
Raina Rae had never asked for a stepsister. Her mom’s remarriage was already an adjustment, but when Kayla moved in with her expensive sneakers, loud music, and habit of borrowing Raina’s sweaters without asking, the house felt smaller than ever.
For the first time, Raina saw past the attitude. Kayla wasn’t trying to take her place—she was trying to understand what a real family looked like. That night, they didn’t become best friends
Kayla laughed softly. “Better than no pancakes at all.”
Raina sat on the edge of the bed. “He was terrible at telling jokes. And he always burned the pancakes.” Stepsister steps
“Put that down,” Raina said, voice sharp.