"Probably not?"

"Well, it's your call, whether you want to tell her we're together."

"I think we should. I don't want to hide that long, that completely."

"Alone, again, or do you want me with you?  - Or should I stop grilling you about it."

" - I'm not sure, but - I think I'd rather bring it up alone?"

"Your sister, your call."

"...I'll talk to her alone, yeah."

"Okay.  Fingers crossed for you.  - We really can talk about something less gloomy, if you'd like."

"Wouldn't mind, yeah. Any destinations picked out yet?"

"Well, I don't know a lot about Route 66, but I did some research - there's supposed to be a swimming pond with a cute blue whale sculpture, a place with car chassis that people traditionally come and spray-paint..."

She's found some hiking places! If they're going West - Palo Duro Canyon in Texas, obviously the Grand Canyon, a lot in the El Malpais area, Sandia Crest in New Mexico, Petroglyph National Monument, Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona, a lot of trails in California... And she'd also like to see San Francisco while they're there, maybe visit a few city zoos?

For the eastern leg, instead of doubling back, they might want to loop up and through the Pacific northwest if they have the time, then come back around via Chicago...? They should have around three and a half months if they're willing to spend most of summer, but side trips and hiking can eat up a lot of time.

"Ooh, that's a lot of ideas - Sounds fun!"

"Yeah! I'm really excited, heh."

Aww.  She loves being able to cheer Lianne up.  "Me too, it's gonna be great."

"I can't wait!"

"Me either!"

The conversation turns to more in-depth planning after that - half of which is wild speculation - and then Lianne does, eventually, have to go home.

She steels her nerves the next day, and approaches her sister while their mom's at work.

"Squirt," Emma says. "What's up?"

She flops back on the bed. "So. Uh. Something to talk to you about. Nothing major - well, important - it is really important to me but, uh, like, normal teenager important, not 'magic and monsters' important, uhhhh."

Emma smiles a bit. "You're being a dork. Spit it out."

"You're an ass," Lianne groans. "It's just. I'm. Uh. Dating. Someone."

"...That someone is Kaylee."

"Congrats, never thought your ugly mug would land a date."

...Lianne throws a pillow at her sister. Then another one.

She laughs and returns fire.

After the pillow fight turns into a wrestling match - which Emma obviously wins - she flops on the bed next to her sister. "But, no, seriously, she seems decent. Mom'd flip, but fuck mom. I'm fully capable of giving your dates the shovel talk myself."