Her mother's lover had a daughter not much older than her. She supposed they could be sisters if that interested either of them, her mother or the other girl, Beth. Samantha had no strong feelings, one way or the other.

Actually she supposed Javier, the lover, would have a say as well. He was a doctor also, they always had their say. And his wife as well, the lost one with the fairy tale name, Lorelei or something. She had seen her once with her lover, another woman, they were walking near the park and laughing and someone, this boy in her class, said something dumb; Samantha told him to shut up even though she felt it was kind of weird for your mother to love another woman. She felt like she was already defending her sister, long before she had her.

Sometimes it was so confusing figuring out the relationships among people anymore that she thought it might do just as well to think you were related to everyone. Your mother's lover would be your other mother or your aunt. There was a girl whose boyfriend had drowned in the creek and her mother (Samantha's not the drowned girl's) had rushed out to look for her after they saw her on TV. She was no relation to the boy who had died and yet Samantha was certain her heart must have ached as much as anyone's. Samantha would let her be her sister as well if she wanted to.

Outside her window the moon shone blue on the dark water.