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Once Willow and Amity had settled into the bedroom, Vee slinked over to the door. Camila had just finished hugging and comforting Luz, and the former adjourned to the kitchen so she could clean up after their impromptu house guests.
"She's pretty amazing, huh?" Vee asked.
"Oh! Hey, Vee." Luz initially snapped over to her direction, but quickly softened her posture and demeanor. "Yeah, she's great. I've been trying so long to get back to her...but I never expected it to be like this." She bowed her head and placed her hand on her elbow. "I was already a handful, now she's got both of us and four other people to look after..."
"Well, I could always find somewhere else," Vee said sheepishly. "Now that you're home, I don't have to keep living in your place. She's done more than enough for me already."
"Really?" Luz looked at her incredulously.
"I'm a shapeshifter," said Vee. "I've been here long enough to act like a human. You can take your life back, I can make a new disguise and figure out how to be a me who isn't you."
"Now that she's had you, I don't think Mom's gonna let you go so easily. Besides..." Luz bowed her head. "You spent two months at that camp and blended in perfectly. Then you came home and Mom never suspected anything. I mean, the idea of being a replaced by a changeling would've sounded crazy before then, but still... it seems like you had an easier time being me than I ever did. If anyone deserved to be a Noceda...it's you."
"Hey, don't say that." Vee placed a scaly hand on Luz's shoulder. "I may have looked like you, but I think deep down, she could tell something was off. After that night in the rain, once we'd settled back in, she seemed almost...relieved that I was someone else."
"Really?"
"I think she was afraid Reality Check Camp worked a little too well." The two girls shared a chuckle. "Camila loves you the way you are, and she missed the real you...even before she knew you were actually missing."
Luz contemplated this for a moment, smiling sadly. "Ever wonder why I have bunk beds despite being an only child?" Vee shook her head. "Well...I wasn't supposed to be. Mom and Dad sometimes talked about having another baby, and I always wanted a sibling. But then Dad started getting sick and they just...stopped talking about it. Then we moved here, and...well..."
Vee just stared at Luz, taking all this in. "I'm sorry," she finally said. "That must be hard."
Luz took a deep breath and wiped away some tears. "Maybe this isn't how any of us planned it...but we're both glad to have you here. You're not me, and you're not my replacement, but you are a Noceda. Welcome to the family."
Vee smiled and her eyes glistened. "Come here, sis," she said, throwing her arms around Luz and squeezing her gently.
Luz returned the hug, moving her hand up and down Vee's smooth, scaly back. "Gracias, hermana."