The next morning, the house was still unusually quiet—no Sunday blasting music in her room, no Demitra stealing everyone’s skincare, and no parents yelling from downstairs for someone to load the dishwasher. It was just Jake and Eliana again.

Jake wandered into the kitchen in a hoodie and socks, still rubbing sleep from his eyes. “They’re still gone?” he asked, grabbing a bowl of cereal.

Eliana looked up from her phone, sitting on the counter with her legs swinging. “Yup. The whole 19+ trip thing. Mom texted me a picture of Demi and Sunday getting foot massages by the pool.”

Jake raised an eyebrow. “And you’re not mad you couldn’t go?”

She scoffed. “Please. Of course I’m mad. But whatever. Their loss—I’ve got the best company here.”

Jake squinted at her. “You mean me?”

She smirked. “Obviously. You and your boy-band hair.”

Jake rolled his eyes, but secretly, he didn’t mind the rare alone time with Eli. She wasn’t always this cool. Usually, she was with their sisters filming TikToks, going to events for the Kalogeras Sisters channel, or locking herself in her room editing videos. But for now, she was just Eli—his older sister who wasn’t trying to roast him every five minutes.

“Wanna go out for lunch or something?” she asked casually, hopping off the counter. “Like… real lunch. Not just cereal and toast.”

Jake shrugged. “Sure. Where?”

“Let’s go to that Greek place Mom loves. You know, the one with the lemon potatoes and the massive pita wraps?”

Jake’s eyes lit up. “Say less.”

—

An hour later, they were sitting at a sunny outdoor table at their mom’s favorite Mediterranean restaurant, Yiayia’s Garden, sipping on icy lemonades while waiting for their food. A warm breeze passed through, and the smell of roasted lamb, oregano, and fresh bread filled the air.

“This is actually kinda nice,” Jake admitted.

Eliana grinned over her glass. “See? You get glam one day and fancy lunch the next. Stick with me and you’ll be living the high life.”

He smirked. “So is this gonna be in the next YouTube vlog?”

She laughed. “Honestly? Maybe. ‘Sibling Staycation: Eli & Jake Take Over the House.’”

“Can we title it: ‘The Other Sisters Left Us and Now We’re the Favorites’?”

Eliana cackled. “Yes. A thousand percent.”

Their food arrived, steaming and stacked—Jake’s plate full of crispy lemon potatoes and grilled chicken souvlaki, Eliana’s with a massive gyro and tzatziki sauce dripping down the side.

As they dug in, they joked about how Sunday would be furious they came here without her, and how Demitra would claim she “totally found this place first.” They even FaceTimed the group just to show off their food—Eliana waving her gyro in the camera while Jake grinned with a mouthful of pita.

“Are we annoying?” Eli asked after hanging up.