Zoe Won't Have A Brother, Now

"Mom, you're not pregnant." "Of course I'm not pregnant. Not since I had you, anyway. Zoe, why are you looking at me like that?" Had Zoe accidentally just gotten rid of her future brother with that wish? She didn't know. And part of her didn't care. Her mom was **a lot** more like her now. And if that meant that her brother wouldn't exist, then so be it. The way Zoe saw it, she had never met her baby brother, so why should she be so upset about it? "Um, Mom?" "Yes?" "I'm gonna go out for a bit. I'll be back later. Maybe ten or so." Zoe's mom didn't like it when she was out after ten. So her mom's response was a bit of a shock. "You're not staying out until two? Zoe, that's so unlike you." "Yeah ... well ... I feel more tired than normal." "Well, whatever. Just be back here before the morning." "Okay, Mom." She left her house and glanced around at the neighborhood. "I wonder if the changes I made will be as obvious as my mom?"