"Hey Sash," Kate said, "can I be totally honest?"

Sacha scoffed. "Can you be anything else? Like, ever?"

Kate ignored her, the way siblings ignore each-other when smart comments are being passed around. "The thing is," she said, "this thing with Hannah's girlfriend moving in, and you getting stressed? You'll get over it. I mean, and I love you, I'm saying this from a total place of love, but just get over it, sis!"

"Yeah, I can hear the love."

"Like you said, Hannah's girlfriend's pretty much living there already anyway -"

"Yeah, and -"

"- and you're coping. I mean sure, yeah, I know, you're getting grumpy about all her stuff being everywhere. But Jesus Sacha, if it wasn't that you'd be getting grumpy about . . . Fuck, I dunno, the birds singing in the morning, or the T.V. reception being shitty -"

"- I don't watch a lot of T.V., actually -"

"- Thing is, you're just a grump. You are. I mean not as much as you used to be, okay, and you're a lovable grump. If there was ever a grump popularity contest I'd vote for you for sure. Australia's Next Top Grump, I dunno. That's just who you are and I love you for it."

Sacha kept her mouth shut tight: she decided she'd have to take Kate's protests of love on trust.

"So just fucking deal with it, okay? And you know you're gonna love it, really you are. It'll make you happy. And grumpy."

"Well, yeah, okay, you're probably right" Sacha allowed.

"But just promise me one thing" Kate said.

"What?"

"Never, ever, go back to living by yourself, because honestly sis, it's not good for you. It really isn't."

Sacha knew it. It was the last thing on earth she wanted to do.