With Dana and Dilean out with friends and their parents running errands across town, Jake and Esli had the day to themselves — something that didn’t happen often. Esli, being 13 and full of energy, was already dressed and waiting by the door when Jake, 14, finally dragged himself out of his room.

“Hurry up,” she said, holding her phone and checking herself in the camera. “We’re going to the mall, not a cave.”

Jake rolled his eyes but smiled. “You act like I’m the one who takes forever to get ready.”

“Because you do,” Esli shot back, already walking toward the car.

The two hopped in and headed to the mall — just the two of them for once. No older sisters to tease Jake or dominate the music. No parents reminding them of a budget. It felt kind of free.

At the mall, Esli instantly dragged Jake to all her favorite stores — mostly places with glittery accessories and colorful hoodies. He followed, occasionally getting pulled into her opinions on which sunglasses made her look more “mysterious” and whether or not she needed another tote bag.

“Okay, your turn,” she finally said, arms full of shopping bags. “Let’s find you something not boring.”

Jake smirked. “Fine. But we’re getting pretzels first.”

They ended up browsing a few stores Jake liked, finding him a new hoodie and a pair of sneakers that Esli surprisingly approved of. Somewhere between the snack stand and a photo booth Esli insisted they take pics in, Jake realized how fun the day had been — just the two of them joking, shopping, and hanging out without anyone else around.

As they headed back to the car with their bags, Esli nudged him with her elbow. “See? I’m actually a pretty cool shopping buddy.”

Jake nodded. “Yeah… when you’re not making me hold ten bags at once.”

Esli grinned. “That’s the price of having a fashionable sister.”