"Ike, are you dating Jade?"

Isaac stared at Jessi in what could only be described as complete shock."What are you talking about? Why would you think Jade and I are dating?"

Jessi shrugged."You guys spend a lot of time together."

"Jessi, everyone in our family spends a lot of time with Jade. We've been doing that since Taylor died. You spend just as much time with her as I do,"he finished with, hoping it would deter all further questions.

"I'm a girl."

Isaac sighed."Jessi, there has to be another reason besides the fact that we spend time together. Could you just tell me what it is so we can get this conversation over with?"

"Okay. It's Jade. She looks better now."

"What do you mean?"he was confused.

"Isaac, nobody thought she was gonna make it. When Taylor died,"Jessi took a deep breath,"when Taylor died, it was like she did too. I talked to Nick about it and he said before he got you to come she didn't eat, she didn't sleep, she was just wasting away. Lately, she's, she's almost happy. Jade was never happy, even when she and Taylor were together."

"What are you talking about?"Isaac exclaimed."Jade was happy!"he paused,"Wasn't she?"

Jessi shook her head."I don't think she was. She was content, but not happy."

There was so much truth in what Jessi said that it took his breath away."And what about now?"he asked softly.

"She's happy. She smiles all the time. You heard all the blonde jokes she was telling yesterday. Since when does she tell jokes? Jade was always the fragile one, someone who was always riding on thin ice. Like she didn't want to live, and she just barely hung on to life. Now she does want to live. You did that to her, Ike, you made happy. You changed her."

Jessi's words rung in his ears."I can't believe I needed my little sister to help me see that."

Jessi smiled."I'm not so little anymore, Ike. I did turn eighteen last month. I'm legally an adult now."

He put his arm around her and squeezed her shoulders."When your ninety I'll still think of you as my little sister."

"Ninety huh? That will make you about,"she thought about it for a minute."ninety-six. You really think you're going to live that long? 'Cause I've heard several people say they were going to kill you if they heard MMMBop one more time."

"Shut up, little sister."He rolled his eyes and gave her a playful shove.

She sure had given him a lot to think about, but he still wished he knew what Jade was thinking about everything.